Volvo EX90

When you think of Volvo, the first thing that comes to mind is safety, because the brand has solidified its image as the pioneer of vehicle safety. But apart from being safe, it’s also premium, tech loaded, and luxurious, which the brand tries to prove with its flagship electric SUV, the Volvo EX90.

While the EX90 rivals the likes of Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and Kia EV9, it keeps things more subtle, and offers a complete luxury experience without being loud. We recently drove the EX90 and here is what we think.

There is nothing to fault in the design of the Volvo EX90, except that it does not look like an SUV which will be priced north of a Crore. But the only reason I say this is because instead of having a design that screams luxury, the EX90 takes a simpler approach. Upfront you get an upright face with a closed-off grille. The Volvo logo is placed in the middle with a diagonal strip that splits the nose in two. The bottom part of the face gets a slim black bumper, but even in this simple design, Volvo managed to put something interesting.

On the surface, the DRLs look normal, with a “Thor’s Hammer” design, but as soon as you turn on the headlamps, the DRLs split open, move up, and reveal the LED headlamps hiding behind them. It looks like the car is opening its eyes. Functionally there is no purpose of this feature, except for making the headlamp housing sleeker, but it looks amazing and takes a modern approach to pop-up headlamps.

In profile, the design is as clean as it can be. There are no sharp creases, just one line running from the nose to the tail lamps. There are no massive wheel archers, just slim cladding under the doors, and gloss black ORVMs.

But here too, there are some interesting elements like the flush-fitting door handles, 21-inch alloy wheels, and frame-less ORVMs.

The rear end of the EX90 is the simplest out of all profiles, simply because there are no flashy elements like you see in the other parts of the car’s exterior. You get a roof mounted spoiler, C-shaped LED tail lamps connected by a black strip, brake lights placed on the D-pillars, and a slim bumper.

The EX90 does not have a flashy or a very luxurious design, instead, it has a much more subtle look, along with some interesting design elements. This makes it stand out from other luxury SUVs at its price point, and I personally like how Volvo has managed to make its flagship model different from its competitors by making the design simpler.

When it comes to colours, you can have the EX90 in six monotone shades: Denim Blue, Sand Dune, Mulberry Red, Crystal White, Onyx Black, and Vapour Grey.

Design & Build Quality

Volvo’s approach of minimalism doesn’t end with the exterior design as the cabin is also as simple and clutter free as you’d expect. With a grey and off-white cabin theme, the interiors of the EX90 have an airy feel, and subtle luxury comes in the form of wooden inserts all around the cabin. You also get ambient lighting on those wooden inserts along with some brushed aluminium and piano black inserts for contrast.

Quality wise, there are no complaints either. It comes with leatherette padding on almost all touchpoints, whether its the seats, dashboard, doors, or steering wheel. All the surfaces have a smooth finish and even the little exposed plastics you get have a premium finish. 

Visually, there is no drama here and there are no elements in this design which are in your face. The quality of materials used is on par with its rivals, the fit and finish has no flaws, and things have been kept simple while the luxury quotient stays intact.

But with this minimalistic design, you have to compromise on some functionality, as there are close to no physical buttons in the cabin. All controls for the AC, steering adjustment, ORVM adjustment, and even headlamps are placed inside the main touchscreen. And while you can set them as per your preference in your user profile, it still requires you to fiddle around with the screen if you want to make any adjustments, and that is not easy to do while on the move.

Front Seats

Before I talk about the experience of being in the front, you should know that even after being a big SUV, getting in and out of the EX90 is easy. While some elders in your family might struggle with the height of the floor, for most people ingress and egress will cause no trouble. The doors open wide enough to easily get in and out, and the seat height is not so tall that you have to climb inside. You can simply open the door and slide in.

Once inside, you sit on power adjustable front seats with powered side support, 4-way powered lumbar support, and manual underthigh extension. The steering can also be electrically adjustable, both tilt and telescopic, so finding your ideal driving position becomes very convenient.

Since the seats have adjustable side support, they can hold you very well regardless of your frame. The headroom on offer is plenty and so it's the underthigh support. But what makes this experience even better is the heating, ventilation, and massage function. I only wish that these features were also available for the second row passengers.

Second Row

While the space for the 2nd-row passengers is more than enough, the rear seat experience could have been better, considering a lot of people might look at the EX90 for a chauffeur-driven experience. 

The Indian version of the EX90 comes in a six-seater configuration, which means the second row gets captain seats. There is more than enough headroom for a 6-footer, the seats hold you well, the knee room and legroom is ample, and while there is no extension for underthigh support, the seat base is slightly raised, which gives you good underthigh support. Passengers also get individual armrests along with both slide and recline function for a more comfortable seating position. 

However the heating, ventilation, and massage functions which you get in the front seats are not part of the rear seat experience. If they were offered here, they would have made the rear seat experience a lot better for someone who wants to spend time in the back and let the chauffeur drive around. Also, the rear passengers do not get any rear window sunshades, which seems like an avoidable miss.

Third Row

Getting inside the third row of the EX90 is easy. You can either fold and slide the captain seats ahead or you can just walk between them, but once you get there you realize that there is not enough space.

Even if the second-row passengers have not set their seats in the rearmost position, the knees of the third-row passengers will brush up against the second-row seats. For someone of my height, which is 5’8”, there is barely any headroom left, and due to the short seat base and the raised floor, the underthigh support is negligible. Even average-size adults will not be comfortable here for longer journeys, so I recommend you use the third row only for children or pets. Or you can just fold them down and increase your boot space.

Storage & Practicality

When it comes to practicality, there are more than enough storage options. All four doors have bottle holders. Front row passengers get a big glovebox, storage in the centre armrest, two cupholders in the centre console, and a large storage under the central tunnel.

Second row passengers get individual cupholders which slide out of the armrests, they also get seatback pockets, and third row passengers get cupholders placed on the sides.

Charging Options

For charging options you get a wireless phone charger in the front and all three rows get two USB Type-C charging ports, so that everybody can charge their phone easily.

Boot Space

When it comes to boot space, you get 324-litres of space when all three rows are up, and this is enough for you to keep three or four cabin-sized suitcases. If you want more space, you can fold the third row and get 690-litres of boot space with a flat floor, which is enough for you to move houses. 

While the bootlip of the EX90 is slightly higher, which makes you put a little more effort while loading or unloading the luggage, you can lower the ride height to make it slightly more convenient from the boot itself. There’s also a flat floor so that you can easily slide in the luggage. The process is made a little more convenient by a powered tailgate. 

Lastly you also get 46-litres of space in the frunk, which you can use to keep one or two office bags or some food items if you are going for a picnic. 

The feature list of the EX90 is as extensive as you want it to be. The highlight of this list is a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is vertically placed and grabs all the attention on the dashboard. This screen has built-in Google, which means you can use Google Maps and Google assistant without connecting your phone. If you do connect your phone, you can also use wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, both of which run seamlessly.

This screen is paired with a 25-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system, which offers you a surround sound experience. If you're wondering where all the speakers are, you should know that there are speakers in your headrests as well, which you can use to attend calls. The sound quality is simply one of the best I’ve ever experienced in a vehicle, and the range of adjustments on offer is equally impressive.

Since there are close to no physical buttons in the cabin, all of your major controls, whether it's for steering wheel adjustment, ORVM adjustment or climate control, are all on the screen. While the built-in assistant can help you with things like climate control, for most other features you do have to fiddle around with the screen manually to find where all the settings are. 

Next to the touchscreen is a 9-inch digital driver display, which might seem small next to that large touchscreen but it has all the information clearly visible and also supports navigation. You can get turn-by-turn navigation on the heads-up display as well, which is projected on the windshield and is clearly visible while driving so you don't have to take your eyes off the road. 

Other features include a wireless phone charger, four-zone climate control, and a panoramic glass roof. Now this glass roof does not get a physical shade, but it is made of photochromic glass, so that you can change the level of tint by clicking a button. 

Since it is a Volvo, you do not need to worry about safety. The EX90 gets 9 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), rain sensing wipers, auto parking assist, hill hold assist, an electric parking brake with auto hold, and a 360-degree camera.

It also comes with Level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, high beam assist, and autonomous emergency braking. Also, the EX90 has been crash tested by Global NCAP and it has received a 5-star crash test safety rating.

Battery Pack & Performance

While the global version of the EX90 gets two battery pack options, the Indian-spec version only gets the bigger 106 kWh battery pack with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) setup. Here are the details:

City Performance

When you're driving the EX90, you get two different types of experiences. In the city, especially when you're driving it in the standard mode, you get linear acceleration. The car moves gradually, there is no sudden surge of power, and this makes the EX90 pretty easy to drive, even for someone who is new to EVs. 

Since there is no surge of power, it does not surprise you, and it does not require a learning curve. But yes, you have more than enough power to perform quick overtakes and the city drives will be hassle-free. 

But since this is a big car which weighs 2.5 tons, you do feel the weight of the car while driving, especially in the standard mode. It will not feel underpowered, you will not get a dull experience, you will still be able to drive it effortlessly, but you will feel like you are carrying a lot of weight. 

Highway Performance

But this weight vanishes as soon as you put the car in performance mode and take it on the highway. This huge SUV can actually do 0-100 kmph in under 6 seconds and this is where you actually feel that surge of power. As soon as you floor the throttle, the car moves ahead with pace, pushing you back into the seat. 

Overtaking on the highway does not require a thought and you can easily get to triple-digit speeds without putting any effort. The EX90 lets you have some fun while driving it but even with so much power at hand it does not feel scary. While there is a surge of power, acceleration still feels gradual, and this allows you to enjoy the drive while also feeling confident. 

Ride Quality

But the money you'll pay for the EX90 will be mostly for the comfort you'll get while on the move. It comes with adaptive suspension, where you can change the ride height of the SUV, and there is a dedicated off-road mode for that as well. But this also means that you can adjust the stiffness of the suspension based on the road conditions. If you're driving on potholes ridden roads, you can keep the suspension on the softer side to get a cushioned ride, and if you're on the highway and want more stability and less body roll, you can keep the suspension on the firmer side.

While there will still be some body roll, since this is a huge SUV, this suspension setup allows you to get maximum comfort out of the car while limiting as much movement as possible. It really flattens out all the road imperfections at city speeds really well, and you’ll barely ever feel anything inside the cabin.

The cherry on top is the cabin insulation, which is so good that it just completely isolates you from the world outside. Sounds of tyres and wind are eliminated and even horns are barely audible.

Handling

When it comes to handling, you won't have anything to complain about. Just like the suspension, you can also adjust the weight of the steering wheel. So you can keep it light while driving in the city, making it easier for you to maneuver such a big SUV. But when you're on the highway, you can make it heavier, and it will feel more precise.

The EX90 also remains stable at high speeds, and while this is not a car you'd push around a corner, know that it will feel planted and confident if you do.

The India-spec EX90 is available in a single fully-loaded 'Ultra' variant.

If you're willing to spend north of a crore and you want a great chauffeur-driven experience for that price, the Volvo EX90 will not be the best option for you, as its rivals can offer a much better rear seat experience.

But if you want to be in the front seat of your luxury SUV, the EX90 will offer a premium experience with good space, great comfort, all modern day features, and exciting performance, all of which will be wrapped up in a design that sets it apart in the crowd of luxury EVs.

Other Options To Consider 

Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV

Reasons To Consider 

• Higher range

• Better performance 

• Better features 

Reasons To Ignore 

• Similar rear seat experience 

Kia EV9

Reasons To Consider 

• Better rear seat experience 

• Distinct design

Reasons To Ignore 

• Brand value isn’t as premium

• Smaller battery with less range