First Drive: Volvo’s EX90 is an electric SUV with 374 miles of range and next-generation tech

What is it?

Some two years after it was first unveiled, the wait is finally over: Meet Volvo’s most expensive car ever – the EX90. The 374-mile-range electric SUV features a raft of technological innovations, is made with a host of sustainable materials, boasts seven seats and has one of the best stereos ever fitted to a car.

What’s new?

It’s taken Volvo quite some time to get this car ready for sale – and after a few days behind the wheel, it doesn’t feel completely finished. On the launch, several cars experienced glitches with the software while one couldn’t even retract its electric-powered rear seats. Perhaps some of that’s partly due to the fact that this is a complicated computer on wheels. Volvo says it will be able to push out over-the-air updates to fix much of the gremlins, but early adopters need to be prepared that a few gadgets might not be fully functional just yet.The EX90 is dominated by a 14.5-inch central screen that takes care of pretty much all functions. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a traditional button in the car. Even simple things, like wing mirror and steering wheel adjustments must be made via the screen. It’s a little fussy and does require you to take your eyes off the road for what feels like a little too long. That’s a little hard to stomach, considering Volvo’s quest for safety.

You don’t even get a key with the EX90 – opening the doors and starting the car is facilitated by your phone or a card. Impressively, though, Volvo has used some 50kg of recycled materials in the car with the seats fashioned from recycled bottles and bio-materials from sustainable Swedish trees.

What’s under the bonnet?

This Volvo is powered by a twin motor set-up which either offers 402bhp and 770Nm of torque, or in Performance specification some 510hp and 910Nm of torque. In the fastest guise, it will hit 60mph in 4.9 seconds while the top speed is pegged at 112mph.It has a 111kWh battery that takes around 15 hours to charge on a 32amp AC charger.

What’s it like to drive?

The first thing you’ll notice in EX90 is the noise, in particular a lack of it. It feels wonderfully well insulated from road noise and is positively serene to drive.While the steering lacks feel, the twin motor set-up is swift and glides you along effortlessly and the air suspension works hard to dull road imperfections.

How does it look?

It’s mostly a handsome car with smart front and rear light designs and has managed to retain a classic Volvo SUV stance. You’ll have to forgive the taxi-esque barnacle on the roof, though. That’s a sensor that’s currently only collecting data – data that’s not being fed to the car’s internal systems.That will come later down the line with an over-the-air update, apparently, but sadly it has to stay.

What’s it like inside?

Inside, the EX90 is stunning. Designers have used the space beautifully with superb design touches, including subtle Swedish flags in the chrome trim and on the seats. The huge screen features Google Assistant that offers voice control for most things, and while a few buttons here and there would be preferred by many, it feels like a big tech step forward for the brand.The new seat materials – wool, or ‘Nordico’, a leather replacement made from recycled materials – give it a positive Ikea-like feel, but special mention must go to the stereo system. This is a Brit-designed, 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins set-up that comes as standard and is probably one of the best audio systems ever fitted to a production car. The surround sound quality is near home cinema levels and has to be heard to be believed.

What’s the spec like?

Standard specification includes all the usual luxuries you’d expect on a £100k car and includes that superb stereo, soft close doors, panoramic sunroof, air suspension, LED headlights and four-zone climate control. Interior sensors can even ensure you’re keeping your eyes on the road and it won’t let you lock the car if you’re left with children or animals inside, thanks to sensors that detect their presence.The EX90 is available to order now with payments starting at around £1,500 per month on a lease for the top-of-the-range twin motor Performance model.

Verdict

The EX90 is certainly impressive, but in parts, it did not feel completely finished. Volvo says the car’s 5G connectivity means it can be constantly improved over time with updates, just like updating the software on your smartphone. While that might be the case, those first buyers shelling out £100k might feel a little shortchanged to get a car that’s not 100 per cent finished.

It’s also hard to work out who the target buyer for this car is. In fact, we asked Volvo representatives on the launch and they struggled to describe one to us too. While clearly a huge leap forward for the brand, we can’t help thinking at this price point, EX90s might be a relatively rare sight on UK roads – and should really be finished properly before launch.