Volvo EX90 2024 Review – International

Full pricing for the 2025 Volvo EX90 will come later but when the large luxurious three-row SUV lands in Australia in April 2025 but we estimate it will cost between $125,000 for the cheapest variant and around $135,000 for the most-powerful version.

By comparison, the vehicle’s non-EV cousin, Volvo XC90, starts at around $100,000 here and three-row large electric SUV rivals like the Kia EV9 and Hyundai IONIQ 9 start at around $100,000.

Prestige competitors include the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV ($195,900), while the BMW iX (from $130,900) is only a five-seater and the Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S large electric SUVs are not sold in Australia.

Initially, Volvo will keep things simple and offer two long-range, dual-motor, all-wheel drive versions, one boasting Volvo's Performance Pack upgrade which boosts power, torque and adds larger wheels and sports suspension for an extra $10,000, give or take.

It's not yet been confirmed if a five-year/75,000km service plan is included in the EX90's purchase price but it will be protected by Volvo's five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, plus an additional eight-year/160,000km protection for the high-voltage battery.

Once launched, Volvo says it will roll out a rear-drive single-motor variant that could be offered with both the long-range 111kWh battery and a smaller powerpack for an attractive price point.

Like its pricing, full specification for the 2025 Volvo EX90 has yet to be locked down for Australia but looking at what's happened in other markets, expect outstanding levels of standard equipment.

It's thought in Australia the initial Ultra Twin Motor model-grade will ride on either 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels although in other markets, like the UK, the flagship large SUV sits on huge 22s as standard.

A full-length fixed panoramic glass, roof rails and all-LED lighting, plus retractable door handles are range-standard too.

Within, there's a large 14.5-inch portrait-mounted infotainment system, a 9.0-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display.

A tub-thumping 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system is also included as is wireless phone charging and power-adjustable vegan-leather seats with four-way massage functionality.

Fresh tech includes a 360-degree camera with a 3D view, active dual-chamber air suspension and standard semi-autonomous cruise control, including a long-range roof-mounted LiDAR.

There's also an onboard air purifier, four-zone climate control (including for the third row) and tinted rear glass, plus four ISOFIX mounting points in the second and third row.

Tick the box for the Twin Motor Performance variant and you get specific 22-inch alloy wheels, a different chassis tune and an advanced rear axle that features a dual-clutch set-up for extra torque vectoring, not unlike its ultra-sporty cousin, the Polestar 3.

Volvo's engineers are confident its 2025 Volvo EX90 will be awarded the full five stars for safety and will be secretly devastated if isn't ranked among the safest cars ever tested by independent safety authority ANCAP, and its European equivalent Euro NCAP.

To ensure full marks, the all-new SPA2 platform architecture that underpins the vehicle has a crash structure that not only offers maximum protection in an event of an impact but also goes some way to protect occupants of the other vehicle involved.

To prove it, Volvo drove an EX90 travelling at 50km/h into the side of a slow-moving EX30, with the big SUV's lower crash frame section connecting with the side-impact bars of the smallest electric Volvo, preventing injury.

Australian-spec Volvo EX90s come with dual-stage airbags, a knee airbag, side airbags and a full-width curtain airbag, plus plenty of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS). These include an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system that can auto-steer to avoid you hitting a pedestrian or cyclist, rear cross traffic alert with braking, intersection braking (if it detects oncoming traffic), run-off road mitigation and a handy door opening alert.

Speed sign recognition, drowsy driver alert and blind spot and cross traffic systems are all standard.

Occupant sensing has also been upgraded for the latest-gen Volvo that can detect if you've left kids or animals within the EX90 and fire up the climate control to prevent heat stroke or hypothermia.

From launch the Volvo EX90 will come with a long-range roof-mounted LiDAR system that works with the cameras, radars and ultrasonic sensors to provide a safer semi-autonomous cruise control.

Despite aping a taxi sign, the LiDAR unit is said to be able to detect vulnerable road users in complete darkness at distances of up to 250 metres. It can also ‘see’ through some solid objects, unlike regular radar.

The same tech also allows auto-parking in parallel and perpendicular spots and in future can be updated using over-the-air updates to provide Level 3 hands- and eyes-off the road driving in geo-fenced areas like highways.

The 2025 Volvo EX90 will land in Australia two years and five months after it was first revealed because of huge delays triggered by issues with the state-of-the-art software employed. At least that’s the excuse that Volvo has proffered.

According to those who developed it, the pain for the delays will be rewarded by the knowledge accrued by the mostly in-house team of engineers.

Like the 2024 Polestar 3 that also rocked up late, the EX90 runs a powerful ‘NVIDIA Drive’ core computer that was created for the most advanced autonomous driving.

More good news is the 14.5-inch infotainment doesn't skimp on hardware and is powered by Qualcomm Technologies Snapdragon Digital Chassis that runs Google's Android Automotive and employs a useful 'Hey Google' voice assistant.

Furthermore, there's a clear 9.0-inch digital instrument cluster and a large head-up display that presents crucial driver telemetry and navigation maps.

The Volvo EX90 comes as standard with an NFC-powered card key, plus a digital key but unfortunately both worked poorly on all the cars we drove. Engineers claimed the software was in its infancy on the pre-production vehicles on test and we've been assured it will be fixed for production.

Wireless phone charging and high-levels of connectivity are present and correct, plus six high-output USB-C sockets.

Apple CarPlay is supported but expect Android Auto to rule the roost for full integration.

Volvo says it is in talks with Apple to expand CarPlay's reach within the infotainment, digital instrument panel and head-up display in a similar vein to what Porsche has already done with the all-electric Porsche Macan.

Not all the tech embedded in the EX90 is a success.

Adjustments for both the steering wheel and door mirrors is now incorporated within the infotainment system, which make them both fiddly, slow to adjust and distracting on the move.

Another irritation are the electric windows. You have to hit a button to lower the rears to convert the front driver and passenger switch which is fiddly and smacks of cost-cutting – something that shouldn’t be in question on a flagship luxury SUV.

Sharing its powertrain hardware with the 2024 Polestar 3 large SUV, the 2025 Volvo EX90 was created from the ground up to be a pure-electric luxury SUV and, for now, will be only powered by a huge 111kWh battery pack (107kWh usable) that feeds current to front and rear permanent magnet synchronous motors.

While the standard Volvo EX90 Twin Motor pumps out 300kW and 770Nm of torque, the quickest Twin Motor Performance churns out a jaw-dropping 380kW and 910Nm.

Each motor is matched to a single-speed transmission, although the rear motor gets a novel dual-clutch torque-vectoring rear axle that can channel 100 per cent of its torque to the outer wheel to boost handling dynamics and agility.

Volvo says the standard EX90 Twin Motor can launch from 0-100km/h in 5.9sec – faster than most high-performance hot hatches. Then there’s punchier Twin Motor Performance version that goes even harder, sprinting from rest to 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds.

Top speed is limited at 180km/h and the EX90 can tow up to 2200kg, which is a solid result for an EV.

The 2025 Volvo EX90 features a huge CATL-supplied nickel manganese cobalt battery that comes standard with a heat pump that is used to pre-condition the battery and climate control functions within.

Cruising range is impressive from the huge 111kWh (107kWh usable), with the Volvo EX90 capable of covering up to 600km for the standard version and 590km for the quickest Twin Motor Performance version.

As standard, the Volvo EX90 bags an 11kW AC charger and can charge up to 250kW using a DC fast charger, which isn't as quick as the very fastest in the segment.

That's because the big Volvo uses a 400-volt electrical architecture while others – such as Kia and Hyundai large electric SUVs – rely on a more powerful 800-volt set-up.

That said, the Swedish brand says its hardware can narrow the gap between it and superior 800V vehicles by being able to sustain a high level of charge for long periods of time, meaning a 10-80 per cent top-up takes 30 minutes.

Helping maximise real-world range, the Volvo EX90 features a low drag coefficient of just 0.29Cd, helping it slip through air surprisingly easy for a large SUV.

We're already massive fans of the way the 2024 Polestar 3 steers so you might expect more of the same from the 2025 Volvo EX90.

After all, it uses all the hardware from the Polestar 3, including its chassis, battery and e-motors.

In reality, that's not quite the case, with both cars set up by a different army of engineers with different priorities in mind.

It also doesn't help that the EX90 tips the scales around 200kg heavier than the Polestar 3 at an alarming 2818kg. That means with the seven average-sized Americans on board (80kg per person) the poor Volvo will be knocking on the door of 3.4-tonnes, suggesting a more heavy-duty approach to suspension tuning, rather than aiming for ultimate finesse like the Polestar 3 does.

In overseas markets, two suspension options will be offered, one with steel springs and another with a self-levelling dual-chamber air suspension that lowers for enhanced stability at higher speeds.

Aussie EX90 vehicles come with the high-spec air suspension that is combined with adaptive dampers capable of being tweaked up to 500 times a second on the move.

We drove the top-spec Twin Motor Performance version that (as well as extra power and torque) adds a dual-clutch rear differential for torque vectoring that works more effectively and seamlessly than most brake-operated systems.

It also means the Volvo EX90 rides on the largest 22-inch rims that we think won't work well in Australia, especially for a car obviously set up with a comfort bias. But before we reach some challenging roads it's hard not to be won over by both the levels of thrust and the utter silence offered by the big Volvo.

For those coming from the XC90 and their overworked 2.0-litre turbo-diesels, the big electric EX90 shrugs off its imposing weight and leaps off the line.

In the standard driving mode we wished there were more weight to the light and mostly lifeless steering, something you can remedy by selecting the Performance mode which adds weight, if not feel.

Find some challenging roads and you'll have to sacrifice comfort and stay in the Performance mode for the extra body control it brings, while the Pirelli EV tyres deliver impressively strong levels of grip.

Unlike the Polestar 3, a more conservative chassis tune means the clever diff's best efforts are less noticeable, at least on the mainly long-sweeping bends we drove. Maybe on tighter, twisting alpine roads it will pay off.

That said, both in town and on country roads the EX90 blends nimble handling with reasonable ride comfort.

A fractionally less busy ride quality would be appreciated on rougher surfaces, something we think smaller 21-inch or 20-inch wheels might bring, with one engineer suggesting the majority of all chassis tuning was carried out on the mid-size (but still large) 21-inch alloy wheels.

We didn't get the chance to drive the 2025 Volvo EX90 off road or even on dirt but imagine the combination of both a reasonable ground clearance of up to 212mm on air suspended cars and a pair of driven axles should bless the big battery-powered ability in the rough.

But the big Swede can only wade up to 450mm at walking speed and lacks a terrain response-style traction control, suggesting it hasn't been designed to be a natural off-roader.

The 2025 Volvo EX90 executes its most crucial aspect – interior design – with complete and utter success. It instantly wins you over with its open-pore wood, plush fabrics and an overwhelming feeling of quality within.

It provides a convincing impression of what designers dub 'modern luxury'.

It's hard not to warm to the feel of the plush Nordico synthetic leather or the optional wool blend seat upholstery (sourced from Australian jumbucks) and the general feeling of ligh and space in the cabin.

Speaking of the latter, all EX90s come with a full-width fixed glass panoramic roof that lets less than five per cent of UV rays through it and is claimed to feature similar levels of thermal absorption to a conventional steel roof.

Volvo says it will offer a fixed sunshade for warm climates like Australia but it lives on the accessories list so will likely cost extra.

Wherever you're sat within the Volvo SUV comfort is never far away. Even the third row can accommodate large adults for short distances. Boot space, even with all three seat rows in place, is fine with up to 310 litres available and another 65 litres lurking beneath the floor (in lieu of a spare wheel).

Fold the electrically-powered third row flat and the boot space rockets to 655 litres and with both the second- and third-row seats stowed and there's up to 1915 litres.

Upfront there's a handy 34-litre frunk that is an ideal size to stash charging cables.

When it comes to the competition, the 2025 Volvo EX90 has all its rivals licked.

That's mainly because there are no direct all-electric competitors currently offering three rows of seating, with the BMW iX and the closely-related Polestar 3 all being strictly four- or five seaters.

The only thorn in the side of the EX90 is the excellent seven-seat Kia EV9 that should cost at least $20,000 less than the big Volvo. But when it comes performance, range, refinement and luxury, the Volvo is in another league.

The EX90 faces some fierce sibling rivalry as the current Vovlo XC90 will now live-on and co-exist alongside its battery-powered sibling following a substantial facelift, when it will emerge with a full range of hybrid powertrains.

But unless you can't face the hassle of an EV, the new all-electric luxury SUV will easily out-class its near-decade-old dino-juice slurper in almost every respect.

In fact, we can imagine the new EX90 pinching sales from even more expensive luxury SUVs.

It might have been delayed two years but the new Volvo EX90 very much feels like it was worth the wait.

2025 Volvo EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance at a glance:
Price: $135,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: Dual permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 380kW/910Nm
Transmission: Single-speed with dual-clutch torque vectoring on rear axle
Battery: 111kWh lithium-ion
Range: 590km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 21.1kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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