Volvo flew us to Newport Seaside, California, to check its new EX90 7-seat AWD SUV. For many individuals, together with my household, that is the holy grail of EVs. It’s half electrical luxurious sports activities sedan, half four-wheel-drive off-roader and trailer hauler, and most significantly, half minivan.
How effectively do these come collectively? Let’s see…
Volvo EX90 look
The EX90 is unmistakenly a Volvo with the signature electrical closed grill on the entrance and Thor’s hammer headlights. The rear is extra subdued and may very well be mistaken for a conventional Volvo XC90 or comparable. The automobiles they’d us in had been both sandstone tan or grey which felt stately however muted.
The entrance hump on the prime of the windshield might look like it’s paying homage to London taxis or stealth police automobiles, however it’s, in reality, the housing for Volvo’s very high-tech Lidar security and finally self-driving system.
There’s additionally a “Volvo for Life” tagline beneath, proudly displaying Volvo’s dedication to security. Is it a bit a lot? Maybe.
Volvo, greater than some other carmaker, is happy with its security options and appears to wish to present them off quite than disguise them. See additionally: these yellow 3-point seat belts in different fashions, which the corporate invented and shared freely with the remainder of the trade. They’ve saved numerous lives, and Volvo expects its Lidar system to do the identical.
I feel the EX90 has the proper stance between sedan and SUV, permitting for trip top for visibility and gentle off-roading however not to date off the bottom that dealing with and turns are too compromised.
Excessive marks throughout on outward look. However is the EX90 simply attractiveness on the surface? Let’s look inward.
We bought to sit down in two totally different interiors, an artificial leather-based and recycled material. Each exuded Volvo’s spartan luxurious really feel – not cluttered in any respect but in addition not Tesla minimalist both. The 4 most important seats had been greater than snug in over three hours of driving and, my phrase, this automobile is quiet and easy. Should you aren’t driving, put together to nod off.
The third row is a bit little bit of a compromise and you’ll most likely see why the Polestar 3, constructed on this similar platform, solely is available in a 5-seat configuration. Jamie at about 6′ tall discovered it to be fairly uncomfortable until shifting the center row seats up. This is able to be principally for kids or fast airport or college runs, not for seven adults on a street journey. We later bought to see the 6-seat configuration with two center row captain’s chairs (together with armrests ahem Tesla Mannequin X) which made the third row considerably much less cramped. I feel the 6-seat possibility is the place I’d go on this automotive.
Even with the third row seats up you’ve gotten two rows of grocery room within the again and there’s room beneath the false flooring for extra everlasting gadgets. It’s a good factor too as a result of the “frunk” is small and laborious to get to (boo!). We’d prefer to see some smarter packaging up entrance to allow a deeper, extra accessible frunk.
With the third row down, you’ve bought some large cupboard space and nonetheless room for five individuals.
About that second-row center seat, although: It sits increased, is firmer/much less snug with a folded armrest in your again, and, to me, is another excuse to go along with the 6-seat configuration.
The EX90 middle stack runs on Android for Automotive, which implies you’ll get a really Google-centric expertise. That, in my utilization, is incredible. Volvo, in contrast to another automakers, determined to maintain entry to Apple’s wi-fi CarPlay open with the intention to run iOS over Google’s OS. Many of us will simply use the built-in Google Maps, which additionally exhibits up on the incredible heads-up show. Google’s OS has many, if not all, of the apps you’d use in your iPhone, so it turns into a bit bit redundant, however Volvo was adamant about giving their clients a selection right here.
The 360 digicam was strong throughout however generally made for some attention-grabbing interpreted obstacles (see above). General, nevertheless, it was actually useful in navigating shut and unfamiliar territory.
The Volvo EX90 Drive
Probably the most distinctive side of the automotive was the drive efficiency, and it was actually rewarding. With its electrical motors and insulated inside, the drive was the quietest I can bear in mind taking lately. Add to that the sleek, vibration-free really feel of the street, cozy and vented seats, and the incredible assisted dealing with, and it felt like a $100K+ Mercedes to drive. Torque vectoring brings unimaginable ease and confidence to curves. Nice visibility is confidence-inspiring and galvanizing, as is that Lidar-enhanced security suite.
Nonetheless, the efficiency of the motors was considerably muted. Speaking to engineers on the occasion, they admitted that they softened the acceleration on objective right here, although it isn’t sure if it was for drive high quality, protecting components from put on, or what. Jamie and I each railed on them, noting that their half-the-price EX30 is by some means over a second faster to 60mph, and it’s a higher expertise to have your foot deciding the pace, not some laptop algorithms.
Nonetheless, 4.7 seconds 0-60 is respectable, and the Polestar 3, which is similar SPA platform drivetrain (barely increased 517 hp), is just .2 seconds sooner. I feel Volvo may do higher right here however at any time when I discuss pace, Volvo comes again with “security” and I suppose I get it.
Relying on what tire measurement you decide, the EX90 will get you someplace north of 300 miles of vary, which I feel is the candy spot for automobiles like this. Rivian’s R1S presents extra vary however at a lot greater battery/increased worth factors. Tesla Mannequin X presents extra vary on paper, however in actuality, is usually lower than 300 miles. Kia’s EV9 goes to be comparable.
Bidirectional Charging is an enormous hit
Whereas this may go beneath the Lidar (lol) for some, Volvo actually amped up the automobile’s capacity to energy houses. Relatively than the ~2kW many vehicles have, the Volvo can put out as much as 20kW of energy, that means homes linked to the Volvo will even be capable of be heated and cooled electrically. Right here’s a fast demo of some use circumstances with a DCBEL system linked to the EX90:
Our quick charging expertise was lackluster as a result of we had been on a busy Electrify America station however we nonetheless bought a 185kW output with 30% state of cost. Volvo tells us that we are able to anticipate speeds as much as and over 250kW on the proper stations and it takes about 30 minutes to take the battery from 10 to 80% or add about 210 miles.
Volvo EX90 wrap up
Volvo’s South Carolina-built EX90 is an enormous win in my ebook. Traditionally, the Rivian R1S and Tesla’s Mannequin X have owned the third-row EV area. Current newcomers just like the Mercedes EQS SUV/BMW iX/Audi Q8 and, on the worth finish, the Kia EV9 have shaken up the market a bit. However I really like the Volvo EX90 as a result of it blends efficiency, type, luxurious, and trip very well. Priced from $80-90K based mostly on trim and earlier than incentives, it’s going to be a well-liked possibility on this rising area.
There’s no higher check of a automobile than the “Do I need one?” check. Typically after reviewing a automotive, I’m comfortable to offer it again. On this case the EX90 is one thing I’m following up on and due to this fact an enormous win. As a Rivian R1S proprietor, I typically ask myself if I really want a 3-second 0-60, loopy offroading expertise, or the final 100 miles of vary, which I nearly by no means use. I’d love captain’s chairs within the 2nd row (although I’d miss the fold flat). Most of all, I’d love the smoother, quieter trip and, most of all, the improved security options that the EX90 presents. Like they are saying, it’s all about security.
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