Volvo has turned up the innovative notch on so many parts of driving and using a car.
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Volvo has turned up the innovative notch on so many parts of driving and using a car.
This EX90 is Volvo’s flagship electric SUV – a car that’s defined by software, artificial intelligence and core computing. Volvo’s vision is to deliver a car experience unlike any other, superior in adaptive and proactive driving, safer and more human-focused than any Volvo before it.
The reality is that the EX90 hasn’t quite attained all of Volvo’s strategic accomplishments…yet. Its global launch was initially marred by production delays, mainly caused by software-related issues with respect to the on-board computing and LIDAR integration into the new software and vehicle architecture. The car feels like it’s been released under pressure. Not thoroughly tested and signed off. Much like most startup software companies: ‘Just get the product to market, and we’ll improve it over time.’
In a sense, we could almost forgive its imperfections. But Volvo is no startup and having created global anticipation for the EX90 on the back of a very impressive and profitable XC90, the new EX90 was something of a disappointment in the TopGear South Africa office. Yet, it’s still an exceptional car. A complete contradiction, I know but allow me to build this picture.
This Ultra Twin Performance carries two electric motors, one on each axle, delivering 380kW and 910Nm of torque in an all-wheel-drive configuration that itself is configurable depending on the driving mode. It sends the 2.78-tonne EX90 to 100km/h in just over 5 seconds, with our VBOX not seeing anything quicker than 5.32 seconds. It’s a significant leap from the line for such a large and silent car, but it’s delivered in what can only be described as a Volvo way. Undramatic. Refined. That’s the EX90’s most commended quality – its refinement. Any road, any conditions, the EX90 drives with comfort and serenity that’s hard to match. The lack of cabin noise is an excellent experience, especially at highway speeds. As the sun sets, that’s the best time to be in this car, as the interior ambient lighting system, an awe-inspiring song and the smooth driving combine for a near-perfect experience. One-pedal driving assists with battery regeneration, and the car does have an automatic one-pedal detection setting that regulates regeneration based on driving conditions. It takes some getting used to, but it’s an innovative feature, nonetheless. The 111kWh battery charges rapidly too, charging from 8% to 100% in 80 minutes from a high-speed charger. Range was below Volvo’s claims, as we achieved a maximum of 468km on a single charge, some way off the 610km claim.
The EX90 is built on an electric platform shared with the Polestar 3. As a seven-seat luxury SUV, measuring 5,037mm, it offers first-class space allowances. The knee room in the second and third rows is substantial, and the boot space measures 655 litres when the third row is recessed and 1,037 litres when both rows are folded flat. The centre storage bin and floating centre stack make the cabin more practical, but the doors have narrow slots that don’t fit cups or bottles. The only cupholders are in between the seats. Odd that.
The interior though, is genuinely premium with a simplicity in the luxury aspect. An optional but stunning 1,610W Bowers & Wilkins audio system is brilliant with an Abbey Road sound option that allows for a suite of sound presets for a variety of textures and experiences. Beyond that, there’s an almost hand built feel. All the seats are beautifully crafted but also very comfortable. Electronic seat adjustments are easily accessible by the seat’s side buttons or by accessing them through the infotainment screen. The massage functions are top drawer, certainly one of the best on any luxury car.
Minimalist paneling throughout the cabin integrates with ambient lighting strips and lighting that shines through the actual trim material, transforming wooden trim pieces into a truly spectacular lighting display in the evening. No matter where you’re seated, you’ll really feel like you’re in the flag bearer for Swedish luxury. And that’s before you get to how the EX90 actually drives.
Onto the biggest innovation on the EX90, the system that is part of the crux of this car’s global delay. The LIDAR system was designed to be among the safest in the industry, improving Volvo safety from reactive to predictive and proactive. It helps the car “see” the road more like a human would, even in darkness or fog at greater distances. Behind the wheel, though, it reacts similarly to the XC90, and that’s no bad thing. The system is one of the better ones in this segment and takes evasive action in the event of an imminent collision.
The EX90 is exceptional, then, but there’s one problem. It’s totally inconsiderate of how humans behave. Cars are still practical devices used to improve our lives – convenience items for sure, luxury items yes, but still primarily used as functional tools. Volvo has turned up the innovative notch on so many parts of driving and using a car that it’s forgotten who actually uses them and how. For one, the small ‘key tag’ is a big problem. It’s buttonless and keyless fob is too small and too lightweight, and I guarantee that it will be lost by every owner. It doesn’t feature override function so once you’re in trouble, that’s a big problem. It’s also a digital tag that needs to be wirelessly charged on the in-car wireless charger. What happens when it runs out of battery? I didn’t need to find out. The other option is to have your digital key on your smartphone which is where Volvo sees the end game or most popular use anyway. That allows you to use your phone in the same way that you’d use a normal key fob, but what if that is left in the car or you just don’t have your phone?
Also, you can’t set up Apple CarPlay if someone has already configured a driver profile. That’s not a simple thing to figure out, and many fellow journalists thought that this near-R3-million Volvo shorted Apple CarPlay. You can’t use Google Assistant if Apple CarPlay is configured; it’s either one or the other. Mirror and steering wheel adjustments required diving into the 14.6-inch infotainment screen and then using buttons on the wheel to make the adjustments. Window controls? Master window operations can’t be controlled from the window buttons on the driver’s door. You can only adjust all windows from diving back into a menu within the infotainment system. Is it a cost-saving initiative? I am not sure it is. I just don’t get it.
Simply based on this, one might be cautious to buy or stick with their Volvo XC90 instead or simply upgrade to the latest facelifted model that has improved hybrid powertrain and improved interior and exterior tweaks. There’s less that can go wrong and yet you’ll still be in the lap of Swedish luxury.
And then there’s the EV consideration. Living with an EV must be complemented by an infrastructure and system that works for you. Do you have the charging capability at home, do you have access to public charging stations nearby and have you fully understood the EV lifestyle change? Many Volvo owners probably know this but anyone considering jumping ship to this Swedish brand from say, a German combustion-engine competitor, needs to ask the questions.
All of these foibles mentioned under ‘Ownership’ may seem like simple things – but they are frustrating and don’t make sense at all. Being stranded somewhere out of town unable to access your car for an hour is no laughing matter especially when you’re late to fetch your daughter for her dance recital. I speak from first-hand experience. And I’ve paid over R2,6-million for this.
Near-field technology et al is lovely – but give me the option of deciding what I want to do and when. Give me a button that I can use to decide when to unlock or lock my own car, not simply based on my proximity to the car and key tag. Technology, at its best, must be simple, and the EX90, for all its practicality, space, superb driving refinement and build, is just too complicated.
There’s a sense that the EX90 isn’t quite the car Volvo intended it to be. There are some kinks to iron out and a few updates to be made. OTA updates are possible and welcome improvements while you sleep and that means, hopefully, that the EX90 I drove for this review may not be the EX90 you drive after reading this… And that could just be the best thing about startup agility yet.
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