Volvo EX90 Plus review

Up ahead

How much does a Volvo EX90 Plus cost?
What's the Volvo EX90 Plus exterior design like?
What is the Volvo EX90 Plus like inside?
Is the Volvo EX90 Plus good to drive?
Should I buy a Volvo EX90 Plus?
What safety features does a Volvo EX90 Plus have?
How does the Volvo EX90 Plus compare?

Volvo has a well-established history of building solid and reliable station wagons and SUVs that are also strong on practicality and functionality.

In recent years the Chinese-owned Swedish car maker has been pushing assertively into the electrified vehicle space with a range of small and medium-sized electric including the EX30, C40 Recharge and EX40 models, but this is the first time it has offered a fully electrified seven-seat family SUV.

Despite similarities in naming conventions and physical form, the EX90 is not an electrified version of the car maker's established ICE- and hybrid-powered XC90 seven-seater, but an entirely different vehicle built on a dedicated EV platform.

Remarkably, given Volvo launched its first electric model the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric back in 2019, this is the first electrified Volvo built on a dedicated platform.

How much does a Volvo EX90 Plus cost?

The EX90 is available in two grades – the Volvo EX90 Plus Twin Motor, as tested here, which starts at $124,990 plus on road costs, and the Volvo EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance, which starts at $134,990 plus on-road costs.

Both variants are generously equipped with the EX90 Plus riding on 20-inch five spoke wheels and coil spring suspension, while putting 300kw of power and 770Nm of torque through its all-wheel drive system. Available as a $2,308 option is the same dual-chamber air suspension system as is fitted to the Ultra, plus 21-inch alloys.

The EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance gets even larger 22-inch alloys, semi-active air suspension and a useful bump in power and torque to 380kW/910Nm.

What's the Volvo EX90 Plus exterior design like?

First impressions of the EX90 are positive. It's a big vehicle at over 5m (5,000mm) in length and 2,113mm wide including rear-view mirrors, but is nicely proportioned.

The design is clean and minimalist with crisp lines and refined detailing that's in keeping with the styling direction of other members of the current Volvo range.

Notable design elements include eye-catching 20-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, so-called 'Hammer of Thor' headlight design, flush-fit door handles, panoramic sunroof, rear spoiler, and a large and airy glasshouse.

Despite being longer and wider than a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, the EX90 is impressively aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of just 0.29, which is important for improving energy efficiency and driving range.

What is the Volvo EX90 Plus like inside?

The interior of the EX90 resembles a Scandinavian living room, being a minimalist design and of high quality.

Our test car came with attractive birchwood trim and seats clad in a charcoal coloured 'Nordico' upholstery.

Both front seats are heated and power adjustable, the driver's seat with memory function, and there's vanity mirrors in the sunvisors for both driver and passenger.

The driving position is terrific, with plenty of adjustment, nicely shaped and comfortable seats, plus excellent all-round visibility.

A 14.5-inch portrait-oriented touch screen centre display houses most vehicle controls and functions, including satellite navigation with road sign information, Google Services (Assistant, Maps and Play), Smartphone integration for iPhone and Android, and 5G capability.

There's also five different illumination and sound ambience themes available, plus a 360° camera with 3D view.

Like many such system in modern vehicles, the system is not immediately intuitive and includes functions like mirror adjustment, so it's necessary to spend time getting familiar with the various menus and sub-menus before setting off.

Ahead of the driver is a tailored sport design steering wheel that feels suitably premium in the hands, and behind that a 9.0-inch driver display screen displaying critical information including vehicle speed and range. There's also a standard head-up display.

A central multi-storage area provides adequate but not overly generous storage, with space below the main 'floating' console for additional storage. The door storage pockets are on the small side.

The infotainment system includes Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), Bluetooth with audio streaming, in-car web apps, OTA (Over The Air updates), wireless CarPlay, and Google assistant for adjusting temperature and other vehicle functions.

An inductive charging pad for a smartphone is standard, as is an impressive 14-speaker Bose audio system (14 speakers, 760W output) , with the Ultra's 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system also available as an option.

Moving to the spacious second row there's generous head and leg room along with heated outer seats and individual controls for the four-zone climate control system, plus tinted rear windows for the rear side doors.

The seats slide fore and aft to create extra space for third-row passengers and Volvo's clever integrated child booster seat is a standard inclusion in the middle seat.

The third-row seats can be electrically folded flat into the luggage bay when not in use. When they are deployed the seat backs are upright so not an ideal place for passengers taller than 170cm, but anyone below this height should find them comfortable enough.

Access to the boot is via a power tailgate, which reveals a competitive 365L of space with the third-row seats up, 655L with them down, and 1040L with the third and second row seats down.

There are six USB-C ports in total across the three rows, plus a 12V power outlet in the luggage area.

Is the Volvo EX90 Plus good to drive?

The EX90 Plus rides on 20-inch five-spoke wheels with MacPherson Strut front and multi-link coil spring rear suspension. Available as an option are 21-inch wheels and air-spring suspension .

The dual-motor electric drivetrain puts an impressive 300kw/770Nm through the standard all-wheel drive system.

Drive is front-biased with the front-to-rear power split 173kW front and 127kW rear, while torque is split 420Nm front and 350Nm rear.

These outputs would ordinarily ensure especially sporty performance, but the EX90's substantial 2,800kg kerb weight dulls responses somewhat.

At 5.9 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint it's still decently quick by the standards of big ICE-powered SUVs, including Volvo's own XC90 B6 , a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid system, which takes 6.7-seconds to cover the same distance.

However, it's shaded by the XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid which takes just 5.3 seconds.

Energy is supplied by a large 111kWh battery enabling an impressive 570km (WLTP) driving range, with ethe battery able to accept up to 250kW DC fast charging, which Volvo says provides a 10-80 per cent charge in around 30 minutes.

Volvo claims that the EX90 is 50% more torsionally rigid than it’s ICE and hybrid-powered XC90 stablemates, ensuring excellent crash performance, good durability and a strong and stable dynamic platform.

Out on the open road this equates to a very sure-footed and confidence-inspiring vehicle that feels solidly planted and well balanced in most conditions.

The steering offers multiple modes with different weightings depending on the chosen drive mode, including a Sports mode that adds weight but avoids being overly heavy.

We preferred the ‘Soft’ steering mode works which is light but not as “darty” or sensitive to road surface.

There's also a One Pedal Drive mode but no stepped regenerative braking, meaning it's either on or off. When engaged, the vehicle can be slowed quickly or brought to a full stop by lifting off the accelerator.

It's also impeccably quiet and comfortable, with very little in the way of road noise and vibration entering the cabin, although the standard steel-spring suspension can feel a bit firm on rough surfaces.

This might help make the case for the optional ($2,308) air suspension, although it comes with lower-profile 22-inch wheels which may offset some of the ride quality gains.

Unfortunately, we didn’t drive and EX90 Plus with optional air suspension.

One other notable negative is that the EX90's braked towing capacity is only 2,200kg, which is well shy of what many ICE-powered rivals offer and which will likely rule it out for anyone looking for a vehicle that can tow a caravan or a boat.

That said, towing is usually not high on the agenda of EV buyers due to the fact it dramatically reduces vehicle range.

Should I buy a Volvo EX90 Plus?

The EX90 is covered by Volvo's standard five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty but also comes with five years of free servicing, which is an attractive incentive that's not normally available on premium vehicles such as this.

Buyers who are crunching the numbers will realise that's a likely saving of thousands versus rival models that don’t offer such a generous aftersales deal.

Buyers considering spending the extra $10,000 for the EX90 Ultra gain the extra oomph of its more powerful drivetrain, more-sophisticated matrix headlight technology, bigger 22-inch alloy wheels, plus air suspension and adaptive dampers. There's also ventilated seats with massage function, and that fancy Bowers & Wilkins sound system.

There's no way to upgrade the EX90 Plus to the Ultra's extra power and torque but you can option the air suspension and the high-spec sound system for $2,308 each, should you be so inclined.

What safety features does a Volvo EX90 Plus have?

As you'd expect from a brand that has long hung its hat on being at the leading edge of new vehicle safety systems, the EX90 is safe, with Volvo calling it the safest Volvo ever.

On the preventive safety front the EX90 boasts Pedestrian, Vehicle, and Cyclist Detection, along with Intersection Collision and Oncoming Mitigation with Brake Support. There's also low speed autobraking for the rear, Post Impact Braking, Steering Support, Driver Alert System, Lane Keeping Aid, plus Blind Spot Information (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA).

Add to this, oncoming accident mitigation by braking, front and rear collision warning with mitigation support, run-off road mitigation by steering and braking; Hill start assist, Hill Descent Control, Intelligent Speed Assist and Door Opening Alert.

When it comes to driver support, the EX90 gets additional kit in the form of Traffic Jam Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, park assist front and rear, LED headlights with active high beam, and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).

Finally, there's the protective safety package which includes Driver and passenger front airbags, Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) via airbags in front seats, curtain airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, whiplash injury protection system, a park assist camera, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring.

Also included is Volvo's On Call which provides assistance and security features, including emergency assistance, roadside assistance, and app-based features like remote locking/unlocking, vehicle location, and more.

Overall, the EX90's comprehensive array of driver assistance (ADAS) systems proved well-tuned and unintrusive, with the one fly in the ointment being the speed alert system which was often inaccurate.

How does the Volvo EX90 Plus compare?

Premium battery electric rivals for the EX90 include the Audi Q8 e-Tron, which starts from $153,984, the BMW iX from $136,900, and the Mercedes EQE which starts from $134,900.

A key point of difference, however, is that all these models are five-seaters, whereas both EX90 variants boast seven-seats as standard.

That leads buyers back to the Kia EV9, which in top-spec GT-Line trim is priced within cooee of the EX90 Plus at $121,000 plus on-road costs.

Some buyers might be scratching their heads at the idea of a Volvo and a Kia being in the same competitive set but the Korean car maker's EVs are well designed, well built and highly competitive on most key metrics including range and performance, so certainly worth running the rule over versus the EX90.

Learn more about the Volvo EX90 Plus