Volvo EX90 Review: A Mix Of Swedish Quirk And Elegance

The scepticism of electrification in the car world is very real, especially amongst enthusiasts. No sound, no vibrations, and no conventional transmission quickly equates to less engagement, which is followed by calling EVs things that do household chores. But in the case of Volvos, I think it just makes sense. It is a brand that’s built around safety, comfort, minimalism and peace (quietness), and for it to go electric matches what the brand stands for.

And that’s exactly what they’ve done with their flagship SUV. The XC90 is still very much on sale if you just can’t deal with things like charge, range and charging stations, but there’s a new EX90 now, and I spent a day in Ranthambore to find out what it's like.

Design

Unmistakably Volvo. The clean and minimalist design can be mistaken for nothing else (other than a Polestar). It clearly has hints of its siblings in the styling with the nose sporting the same pixelated ‘Thor’ shaped LED DRLs. 

Interestingly, the individual pieces in the LED DRLs have a beautiful animation that moves out and pops out the LED headlight from within them. A part of the DRL also cascades into the bumper. There’s not an ounce of chrome to be seen anywhere in the design, except for the surround around the Volvo badge itself. Just clean monolithic and sculpted panels defining the structure.

Personally, for me, the EX 90 looks like an elongated yacht on wheels. It looks sleek at the front but a little heavy at the rear with hints of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan’s profile in its rear three quarters. While the 21-inch alloy wheels look chic, the frame-less ORVMs just stand out as a unique styling touch.

The rear looks like a grown up version of Volvo’s entry-level EX30. The stop lamps are vertically integrated towards the side of the windshield, while the C-shaped LED taillight defines the width of the tailgate.

Overall, the EX90 is one of the more elegant designs at this price point. Neither does it carry any flashy elements, nor is it too bold. And the same approach has been followed inside.

Interior

Being minimalist is great, until it isn’t. In the case of the EX90, it is great to look at. Very clean surfaces with the dashboard split into two distinct layers. The white of the dual tone theme has been extensively used and adds the feeling of opulence, but it will surely pick up dust and grime with ease. 

It genuinely feels like a lounge with the sense of space and richness of materials in use. And just like you would have in a lounge, there are thoughtful practical spaces to store whatever it is you wish. 

In the entirety of the central console, there is a total of one physical control, which is for the volume knob. Everything else is controlled via the screens, and while we’ve only started to accept things like climate control to be accessed via a touchscreen, adjusting the steering wheel, mirrors or the headlights through it are very much a grouse. 

Sure, there are driver profiles which save your desired settings, but there’s clearly enough space for Volvo to give physical controls. I sense some not-so-clever cost savings here. I'll still accept the fact that to control the rear windows via the front switches, you need to press a button in order to toggle the action and then press the two switches, but it doesn’t make sense to integrate everything into the screen.

Making matters worse is the fact that there is no physical conventional key at all. It is either a key card, which has to be used rather precisely in order to unlock the car, or a digital key that can be integrated in your phone. Clearly, I’m not a fan of this.

The good thing is, once you do get used to it (which might take some time and some annoyance), the rest of the cabin is a great place to be. The seats are so comfortable that you could spend days in it and not get tired. Especially with the heated, ventilated and massaging features of the front seats. I quite like the quirky little square switch for controlling the adjustments.

The rear passengers, however, don’t get any of these conveniences. The seats themselves, in terms of support and cushioning, are great for all shapes and sizes. But for a car which might be catering to chauffeur driven clients, the conveniences, and some rear sun shades to go with them would’ve been nice. The Indian version only gets captain seats, no bench, which does make it easier to hop into the third row. But like most SUVs, it is not a place where you want your loved ones to spend a lot of time. Underthigh support and head room is limited and it will be best used by children, pets, or being folded away for extra luggage space. 

Boot Space

Now you don’t necessarily need to fold the third row down as the boot will still accommodate three cabin sized trolleys with a couple of laptop bags, but for a long vacation, the sacrifice of third row passengers will be required. If you care about numbers, folding the third row down opens up 690-litres of boot space with a flat floor. 

The natural ride height of the EX90 would require it to be really fit to store something heavy in the boot. Thankfully, the air suspension can be lowered down by the touch of a button. The car drops pretty quickly and you can easily store that luggage afterwards.

There’s also a 46-litre frunk!

Features

The Volvo EX90 is a heavily software-driven vehicle. The main 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment 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.

The driver’s display in front of it looks tiny, but relays information clearly. Complementing it is a heads-up display as well, which is projected on the windshield and has turn-by-turn navigation.

The one stand-out feature for me is a 25-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system, which is easily the best I’ve experienced in a vehicle. It gets speakers in the headrests and has Dolby Atmos, the result of which is an experience which feels properly immersive. It also gets a Abby Roads Studio mode, which offers a range of adjustments, allowing you to narrow or expand the sound for a deeper or more expansive experience. The output stands at 1610-watt, and you can genuinely tell the difference between the various listening styles. 

Other convenience features include a wireless phone charger, four-zone climate control, and a panoramic glass roof. The roof doesn’t get a cover, but can be dimmed via the touch of a button.

Safety

 It is a Volvo, of course it gets a full five star crash test score for Euro NCAP.

If you’re concerned with features, it 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. There is also Level-2 ADAS. 

Drive Experience

For a car packing 462 PS and 670 Nm of torque, the Volvo EX90 is surprisingly benign. The throttle is super smooth, so there’s never a jolt involved. Even when you floor it, the car wafts rather than darting ahead with intent. 

That doesn’t mean you’ll have to plan your overtakes. You really don’t have to think twice, no matter what speeds you’re doing and the claimed 0-100kmph time of 5.5 seconds should confirm the same. There are various drive modes to choose from, but even the performance mode doesn’t give you that instant reaction you might want. But that is acceptable, considering it is a comfortable 6-seater SUV after all.

As for range, our test drive was too short with mixed driving conditions, so we can’t comment on the efficiency of the vehicle. But with a 106kWh battery and a claimed WLTP range of 625 km, you should be able to get more than 450km on every full charge.

If you can find a fast enough charger in India, the EX90 has a maximum DC charging capacity of up to 350kW. That means a 10 to 80% charge in just 22 minutes. 

Ride Quality

The EX90 is very comfortable. The roads exiting our lavish fort in Ranthambore were infested with bumps, patch works and deep potholes. In any other rival, we would’ve been tossed around, but here, we barely felt anything. It is almost like the car lays out a carpet ahead that vanishes those imperfections, so that the occupants inside barely feel anything. It doesn’t feel harsh by any means, and even if your daily commutes involve more potholes than smooth tarmac, the Volvo will keep you comfy. 

Once you do hit the smooth tarmac, the car feels planted. You can adjust the suspension from the steering wheel, so you can stiffen it up for better body control if the surface has undulations, but even the standard mode is good enough for you to not complain. 

Beyond the ride, what stood out for me was the insulation. The cabin is really quiet and even if you happen to be stuck in a traffic jam with cars blowing horns aggressively all around you, the car insulates pretty much everything. You’ll barely ever notice it.

We didn’t really get a chance to throw the car around a fast corner, but it is safe to say that the car will remain composed and confident, as long as you balance your expectations. 

Verdict

Giving a verdict for a car without a price feels incomplete. We expect it to be priced around Rs 1.2 crore (ex-showroom), which will put it directly in the ballpark of the electric flagships from other luxury brands. But unlike those brands, this Volvo feels different.

The opulence is there, but with a layer of Swedish quirk and sophistication. It isn’t the most functional cabin, not even the most feature-loaded, but once you look beyond the absence of buttons, what you get is a car that’s super comfortable and spacious. And those are two good enough reasons for you to consider the EX90. I would personally just buy it for the fantastic sound system, if I could.