Volvo EX90 review

Is the Volvo EX90 a good car? 

As the brand's flagship car, the Volvo EX90 goes big on technology but retains some Scandinavian design to give it a unique presence in the premium SUV market. The interior quality is as you’d expect from a Volvo; it’s bright, airy and not as subdued as many of its German rivals. That, combined with the excellent amount of space and useful standard kit list means the EX90 will work well as family transport, so long as you’re reserving the rearmost seats for small children only. It’s also ludicrously quick for a family-orientated SUV in ‘Performance’ trim, but we suspect the pick will be the single-motor version coming later, which should address our concerns about pricing and efficiency. 

How much does the Volvo EX90 cost?

The EX90 aims to bring Volvo into a new premium realm - backed up by its pricing which starts at just under £100,000. With seven-seats and pure-electric power, the Volvo doesn’t actually have that many close rivals. Neither Audi nor BMW offers an EV with seven seats, while the Mercedes EQS SUV costs £30k more than the Volvo. Looking below, there are the Kia EV9 and the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 9 that provide all-electric motoring for seven, although they may not have the prestige a Volvo buyer will be looking for. 

Granted, the Volvo is currently only available in Twin Motor and Twin Motor Performance guises, with single-motor models coming later down the line. These combine more modest performance with a lower price – and we suspect they could be the pick of the range. If you want to prioritise range over straight-line speed, they could be worth waiting for.

There aren’t really any trim levels to speak of at the moment – just a single EX90 Ultra variant, which comes loaded to the gunwales with kit, including a 14.5-inch central display, nine-inch instrument binnacle, front and rear heated seats, a 25-speaker Bowers and Wilkins stereo, and wireless phone charging. There’s stuff like pixel-LED lights, 22-inch wheels and a heat pump, plus – this being a Volvo – loads of safety equipment.

Speaking of safety kit – some of the EX90’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) will be activated in May 2025 – a few months after the first customer deliveries. While initial test cars didn’t come with Apple CarPlay, we’ve been told this feature will be available in early 2025.

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The dual-motor EX90 is probably quicker than necessary given how relaxed the rest of the car looks and feels. The ride settles down at speed, although we suspect the 22-inch standard wheels do it no favours around town. Volvo is priding itself on the fact the EX90 will be able to receive over-the-air updates on a six-week basis so we hope further amendments can be made to its four-corner air-suspension in future to prioritise the EX90’s ride comfort over its already well-rounded handling characteristics. Read more about the Volvo EX90's electric motors, performance and drive…

Volvos have never been the most frugal option traditionally. Despite its monster battery, the EX90 was never going to challenge any efficiency records, and with our poor test returns we’re a bit disappointed with the EV flagship in this area. A rapid 250kW charging rate does give us hope that the Volvo wouldn’t be too much hassle to live with, though. Read more about the Volvo EX90's range, charging and running costs…

You wouldn’t know it when you first jump into the EX90, but Volvo has ladled on the technology in its range-topper. The mini driver’s screen works superbly well and displays key information in an innovative way without being distracting. The central screen is responsive and laid out in an elegant way - although it perhaps incorporates too many of the car’s functions; the XC90 is more ergonomic in this regard. The EX90 quite rightly feels like a more expensive and premium offering than its ICE counterpart. Read more about the Volvo EX90's interior, design and technology…

While you won’t be left wanting for luggage space in the EX90, it’s not quite as accommodating as a Kia EV9 and the third-row seats are fit for only small children. For middle-row and front-row occupants, however, the levels of comfort and space are great and overall quality is apparent for all that step foot inside the big Volvo. You wouldn’t know it when you first jump into the EX90, but Volvo has ladled on the technology in its range-topper. The mini driver’s screen works superbly well and displays key information in an innovative way without being distracting. The central screen is responsive and laid out in an elegant way - although it perhaps incorporates too many of the car’s functions; the XC90 is more ergonomic in this regard. The EX90 quite rightly feels like a more expensive and premium offering than its ICE counterpart. Read more about the Volvo EX90's boot space, comfort and practicality…

We’ll have to return to this once Volvo releases its Euro NCAP scores, but for a brand that prides itself on safety, we expect impressive scores from the EX90. We’re keen to try out the brand’s new Lidar system, too, which should be one of the best on the market. Read more about the Volvo EX90's reliability and safety…

Volvo EX90 alternatives

Because of its high price tag, the Volvo EX90’s rivals comprise the BMW iX, Mercedes EQE SUV and the Polestar 3 - which shares the same platform. Not all of those cars can offer the same seven-seat practicality as the Volvo, however the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 are worth considering for pure-electric seven-seater buyers.