Volvo’s flagship electrical SUV, the EX90, has been a very long time coming. And regardless that it’s hitting the street a full 12 months delayed, a number of the standout know-how and options will nonetheless be in a “studying” section. Volvo is promising some modern options, however the tech nonetheless feels a bit like a minimally viable product.
We spent a number of hours across the Newport Coast in California in an early model of the Volvo EX90. Our tester was a Twin Motor Efficiency model with a Sand Dune exterior.
The EPA says that the EX90 will rise up to 310 miles of vary from the 111 kWh battery pack. The Twin Motor Efficiency model places out 510-horsepower and 671 lb. ft. of torque, whereas the decrease trim will make 402-hp and 568 lb. ft. of torque.
Volvo says that each ought to cost from 10 to 80 % on a 250 kW DC Quick charger in about half-hour. Whereas the EX90 is meant to come back with bidirectional charging, the system gained’t work till a later date by way of a software program replace.
On the Street
Volvo leaned onerous into Swedish minimalism with its design each in and out. Its understated inside is extremely stress-free. A single 9-inch driver’s data display sits behind the steering wheel and may be modified to indicate velocity, vary, and mapping data. You additionally get a really clear heads-up show that may be equally personalized.
Volvo runs its infotainment system on Google’s Android Automotive platform. Meaning you’ll be able to merely ask Google to alter your settings for a lot of issues, like mapping, radio options, and even temperature controls.
The car has virtually no bodily buttons–only one giant scroll wheel on the middle console and some buttons (together with hazards) on the headliner. The whole lot else is frustratingly managed by way of the principle 14.5-inch touchscreen set vertically into the sprint. Like Tesla, this consists of adjustment for the steering wheel, side-view mirrors, seats, rain-sensing wipers, glove field opening, trunk top, lights, suspension setup, mapping, audio, and extra.
Whereas the system labored fantastic, it’s a ache in case you simply want to regulate one thing easy, like wiper sensitivity or efficiency settings, as a result of it’s at the very least a number of menus deep. Volvo assumes that these options will likely be set-it-and-forget-it for house owners. The EX90 can use your smartphone because the digital key — although you get a bodily fob, too.
Sadly, the digital key we tried was buggy at greatest. Whereas Volvo stated they had been working carefully with Apple to excellent the tech (and combine CarPlay, which gained’t be accessible till later by way of software program replace, both), the model we tried was unreliable. Greater than as soon as, we needed to open up the Pockets app, discover the EX90 digital key card, and place it on the wi-fi charging pad to get the automobile to acknowledge that the important thing was within the car. A number of individuals on the drive occasion needed to do the identical; some even needed to have Volvo’s help employees plug in a laptop computer to get the automobile to acknowledge the important thing. Not precisely confidence-inspiring.
Volvo additionally took a web page out of Rivian’s playbook with the EX90’s superior adaptive cruise management options, referred to as Pilot Help. As an alternative of buttons to activate the characteristic on the steering wheel, you must pull the drive choose lever on the proper facet down towards drive and maintain it for a second when Pilot Help is on the market (a grayed-out steering wheel image seems within the driver’s data display). As soon as it’s on, you should use the lane-change assistant to change lanes. Although the method is a bit gradual, it’s higher and extra predictable than most of the lane-changing assistant options on different autos.
On the street, the large SUV (it’s a little bit bigger than Volvo’s XC90) doesn’t really feel ungainly. The cabin is notably quiet and cozy. With the muted colorways and minimal distractions, it’s surprisingly calm. It doesn’t really feel rolly or jarring on damaged pavement whenever you put the air suspension into the default consolation mode. Whereas there’s a sportier experience accessible, it’s onerous to foretell whether or not house owners can have the persistence to dig by way of the 5 layers on the infotainment display to get there. In Efficiency mode, all the pieces will get barely extra amped up, however that is no canyon carver.
The EX90 additionally will get new inside sensors, together with a radar system that senses all the pieces from the motive force’s eye motion as to whether you’ve left a toddler or pet within the automobile unattended. On the drive, whereas making an attempt to dig by way of menus to seek out the drive settings, I had to take a look at the infotainment display, and inside a number of brief moments, the car chimed, letting me know I used to be distracted. The system is a bit delicate however not intrusive, and for drivers who stupidly choose to scroll on their telephones reasonably than take note of the site visitors forward of them, like most LA drivers, the EX90 may very well be a wanted wake-up name.
Not Prepared for Prime Time
Various well-known suppliers, together with Nvidia, Google, Qualcomm, and Luminar, comprise the EX90’s suite of security and tech options. Nvidia’s ORIN compute platform, which the corporate rolled out simply this 12 months, performs 254 trillion operations per second to assist the EX90 handle all the pieces from security to infotainment and battery administration. Qualcomm is chargeable for the inside tech, whereas Luminar’s lidar is chargeable for the exterior adaptive and security options of the car. The whole lot has to seamlessly talk with each other, which is without doubt one of the main causes that the EX90 has been so delayed in attending to market.
That strange-looking lump on the prime of the windshield is Luminar’s new Halo lidar, and together with the Polestar 3, the EX90 is among the many first autos to get it. Sadly, it’s not useful as a result of it’s nonetheless in studying mode, the corporate says, gathering knowledge about real-world eventualities earlier than being “turned on.” When it’s accessible, Volvo has stated the lidar will assist allow hands-free freeway driving — after which inevitably “unsupervised” Stage 3 automation.
Each Luminar and Volvo say they’re centered on ensuring that the methods are foolproof and protected earlier than unleashing them on the general public. As to when that will likely be, Volvo gained’t say, citing varied regulatory and security approvals in international locations the place the car will likely be offered. They observe that the know-how will likely be rolled out steadily and solely accessible on sure divided highways beneath restricted circumstances, very similar to GM’s Tremendous Cruise system. There are some stories that a number of the superior driving options will begin to be accessible in early 2025.
Regardless of a number of tech hiccups, and a few TBD options, Volvo’s EX90 is driving the ball ahead. At least viable product, the EX90 remains to be fairly good. Future updates and bug fixes will make it the luxurious car that Volvo hopes it will likely be, with all of the promised bells and whistles.
