Volvo will launch its new EX90 electric SUV in early November. It’s the brand’s second bespoke electric SUV after the C40 which was launched back in 2021. The EX90 will be Volvo’s most premium car and also their new flagship for now. The EX90 will probably replace the aging XC90 which was launched almost a decade ago.
Volvo wants to make its whole lineup electric by the end of this decade. In fact, next year Volvo will launch many new cars and five of them will be all-electric. The rest will be mild hybrids or plug-in hybrids. I expect the EX90 to really kick things off for the brand and be the temporary halo car for other models to follow from. It is expected that Volvo will launch an XC60-sized electric vehicle after the EX90 as well as sedan models. Volvo has hinted that a larger electric SUV to target the likes of the Mercedes GLS will be launched, and that is likely to become the new flagship for the brand.
The EX90 is an exciting car for Volvo and it will most definitely give its European and American rivals a run for their money. Read on to find out why.
picture via : arenaev.com
A Unique Scandanavian Touch
Volvo over recent years has become so much more unique. Gone are the days when they tried to copy the Germans, nowadays Volvo cars are very unique and it was the second-generation XC90 that really kicked things off for unique Scandanavian design in Volvos.
The EX90 takes the Scandanavian design seen in previous Volvo cars and slightly modifies it. The interior and exterior are all still very minimalistic but they now feature newer more modern elements to them. For example, the electric door handles and smoother front end where normally a grille would be.
Inside, the EX90 takes a lot of inspiration from the XC90. You still get the large portrait center display though this time it is larger. Judging by the concept pictures, the screen is surrounded by what looks like a speaker or air vents. Either way, when the production model is released we will find out.
The center console looks as if it is floating in mid-air and there are no buttons on it whatsoever. In fact, Volvo will ditch most buttons and physical controls inside the car for a cleaner driving environment. Instead, most commands and features will be dealt with via the large portrait touchscreen. The software on the touchscreen has been developed by none other than Google, a company Volvo has worked with in the past for the Polestar 2 and Volvo C40 models.
The EX90 will adopt the “Less is More” approach when it comes to the interior and cabin layout. Don’t expect there to be any stand-out features inside, as everything is designed to be as minimalist as possible. The seats are ergonomically designed to give extra comfort, however, in terms of looks they are very basic yet functional.
The whole car inside will feel more spacious than it actually is thanks to this approach. The lack of buttons and knobs everywhere will make the EX90 feel so much more comfortable and in some ways breathable since it’s nice to be in a car where everything isn’t crammed into every area. It’s sometimes nice just to have a bit of breathing space in the car.
State Of The Art Safety
Volvo has its reputation built on building cars that are beyond safe. Cars that really can withstand anything. The EX90 is no different as it showcases Volvo’s future safety systems. For example, you have the all-new protective shield which is essentially a radar-controlled system with cameras that are placed inside and outside the car. The shield monitors the driver and will assist when the driver gets distracted, becomes tired, or goes to make a maneuver that is deemed dangerous.
Furthermore, the safety technology includes a lidar system that maps out the environment around the car and intervenes when the driver fails to. For example, emergency braking. Volvo states that this system coupled with the camera monitoring and other safety features could reduce the risk of death or serious injury by 20%.
Volvo says that somebody needs to be watching the car at all times. Human error is inevitable and more than often, humans get distracted at the wheel which results in a crash. Sometimes that can result in the death of the driver or others. Volvo actually even questioned how often the driver is watching the car, which they stated partially.
Therefore, the car has to be watching the road at all times. A car does not get distracted, tired, emotional, etc. A car is like a robot and it does what it is programmed to do at all times regardless of where it is. So when the human does make a mistake, at least there is a second pair of eyes watching which then the car can quickly intervene and stops something tragic from occurring.
Volvo’s main aim is to ensure that cars are so safe that they don’t crash, and they will do whatever it takes to achieve that. The EX90 even has a feature inside the car that gets to know how you drive so the system can detect if you do get distracted. The car can also find out if you are drunk driving via your driving actions. These features can be turned off, but Volvo warns against this.
The EX90 is a new stepping stone for safety in not just all Volvo but all other cars.
To Conclude
The new Volvo EX90 is a fantastic-looking car that will propel Volvo forwards into the next decade. It features a lot of new groundbreaking safety features that are bound to be replicated by other car manufacturers. The Ex90 is a great replacement for the XC90 though prices will be a lot higher. In some cases, close to $100,000.
The EX90 will be a leader in the electric SUV world, however, its European and American rivals will provide tough competition so Volvo really has to go above and beyond to ensure that the EX90 can keep up, which we are sure it will.