Volvo EX90: test, review, price, consumption, autonomy, space, how it is made

We are faced with a true flagshipboth in size and equipment, comfort, luxury and performance. In fact, we are talking about an SUV with a length of over 5 metres, capable of pampering those on board with, for example, pneumatic suspensions, seats with a massaging function and much more, but above all with impeccable materials and finishes. They are then over 500 horsepower available and immediately discharged to the ground with each press of the accelerator. Everything has a price, both on an economic level (in this setup and with this equipment the EX 90 reaches almost 119 thousand euros – the Bowers & Wilkins audio system alone costs 3,120 euros, the pneumatic suspensions 2,750), but also in terms of significant external dimensions and energy consumed, given a weight of 2,787 kg in running order.

1How it’s made

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The size is certainly important, but all its numbers are almost exaggerated: 295 and 265, for example, are the tread widths of the enormous tires (rear and front respectively) mounted on 22″ rims. 111 I am kWh overall of batteriesrechargeable in approximately 10 hours in the case of AC charging, or up to 250 kW with ultra-fast Ccs2 type columns, with which the charge goes from 10 to 80% in just over 30 minutes. Instead they are 517 horses and well 910 Nm of torque, which push the over 27 quintals of the EX 90 from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, while the speed is limited to 180 km/h for safety reasons like on every other Volvo. The average declared consumption is 19.4 kWh per 100 km. Not very far from what we found during the test, with values ​​that stood at around 22-23 kWh per 100 km. In addition to the numbers we find a lot of substance, because there is a lot of space on board, with the two third row seats which go up and down with an electric control with buttons both in the trunk and on the rear door pillar. They are not at all sacrificed to be “third places”, and still leave a load capacity of 324 litresThat they rise to a maximum of 2,135 by removing two rows of seats. There is also a small compartment under the front bonnet, perfect for storing charging cables, for example. The finishes and materials of the interior are of excellent quality, with few competitors that can challenge it on equal terms, but even externally the Swede stands out positively, sober, elegant, but imposing, while on the technology front it shows off noteworthy solutions. THE’huge central displaypositioned vertically, offers a very intuitive interface, which makes those who are used to Android devices, from which everything is controlled, immediately feel at home.

2How is it going

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As just said, everything is controlled by the enormous 14″ central displayincluding steering wheel adjustments or opening the glove box in front of the passenger. Perhaps a few more physical controls would have been appreciated, it certainly takes a while to get the hang of it and quickly reach the individual items of the many control menus. What is certain is that the system based onGoogle interface it is also very intuitive and functional. You can pair your smartphone with the car and open and close it remotely, as well as monitor various data, especially the battery charge level, or start the air conditioning to find the car warm or cool depending on the season. The system that prevents the car from locking when there is a person, a child or an animal inside is intelligent and works excellently. The sensors are in fact able to detect even minimal movements, effectively eliminating the risk of forgetting, as unfortunately happens, a child or an animal on board. Some solutions are almost deliberately outside the box, such as the only two buttons to control the four window windersswitching them between the front and rear (honestly avoidable and which makes it cumbersome, for example, to raise or lower them all together). Behind the wheel you have a truly minimal 9″ screen in front of you, with the strictly indispensable data, but which can also show the vehicles around the car, as they are identified by the detection systems. Safety, as one might expect from a Volvo, is at the center of attention and supported by a lot of technology, including the Lidarwhich is paid for by the “strong” presence of a hump above the central part of the windshield. Safety that helps in driving, making journeys comfortable and relaxing. The optional air suspension raises the bar, while the soundproofing is top notchnot only due to the absence of the combustion engine. The only stress, if we want to find it, is that of autonomy. If the declared data is over 600 km, the real one on the motorway drops to around 400 km, which for a car perfect for traveling even for long distances, makes the issue a critical issue. It is necessary to plan any top-ups along the route, dealing with the huge cost of ultra-fast charging stations, which are convenient on the one hand, but which today suffer from the problem of prices per kWh delivered that are more than five times higher than a home top-up. For the rest, the EX90 passes with flying colours, the heavy weight almost disappears thanks to the performance and power that the two electric motors are able to discharge to the ground. Acceleration is searing, but throttle response is never extreme and instead remains progressive. The steering is excellent, you perhaps pay for the absence of four-wheel steering, almost indispensable on cars like this, more than 5 meters long and with a “real” wheelbase of three, which could be virtually reduced, making it more manageable on narrow roads.

3Conclusions and prices

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The Volvo EX 90 has a price that it starts from around 84 thousand euros for the 333 hp Single Motor, it rises to around 90 thousand for the Twin Motor (455 hp), while the 517 HP Performance version is priced at 107,250 euros for the Ultra tested by us. We talked about autonomy, declared in WLTP cycle in 614 km for a consumption of 19.4 kWh per 100 km, which becomes just under 500 in mixed use, around 400 in motorway use at code speeds.

4Pros and cons

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Below, the strengths and weaknesses found behind the wheel of the Volvo EX90.

• Habitability
• Quality
• Technology
• Safety

• Rear axle steering is not available
• All controls pass through the infotainment system menu
• Rather high price