2024 Volvo EX90 Electric SUV Leans Hard Into Minimalist Looks With Maximum Tech
Volvo gave us a quick look at what’s likely going to be the EX60 as well.
The 2024 Volvo EX90 finally broke cover Wednesday after weeks of teasing and slow-drip images of its interior touchscreens and sensor tech. The seven-seat electric SUV sports a 111-kWh battery, dual motors making up to 496 horsepower, and a range of up to 300 miles with up to 250-kW charging. The EX90 is the first electric vehicle in a new range coming from Volvo; the automaker says it’ll unveil a new EV every year and will be all-electric by 2030, with half of its sales coming from online sales.
The exterior of the EX90 follows the forms set forward by the outgoing XC90 and lineup of electric Recharge vehicles that are like gas- or hybrid-powered counterparts; Volvo’s electric vehicles largely resembled combustion-powered cars except for a blanked grille and small differences inside and out. In fact, the EX90 will be sold alongside hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the XC90 at the outset, although Volvo didn’t talk about the next-gen XC90.
From the outside, the EX90’s sculpted bodysides and upright cabin are mimicked in the angular headlights and taillights, with a vertical array framing the rear hatch and vertical daytime running lights along the front. Inside, the minimalist approach continues with a button-less infotainment system, aside from a dial in the center console, and a steering wheel with touch controls. A column-mounted shifter appears to be the only physical drive control—no knob or dials for separate drive modes.
Volvo didn’t say how much the EX90 would cost but said it would start for less than $80,000 and would be assembled at the automaker’s plants in South Carolina for U.S. buyers and in China for that market and perhaps others. Volvo says it’s now accepting reservations for the EX90, which will arrive to buyers in the U.S. in early 2024. The EV may qualify for federal incentives, although it’s unclear how much it might. In a brief glimpse, Volvo showed what looked to be the EX60, but it said there would be more to talk about later.
Inside the EX90, Volvo showed off the center touchscreen that measures 14.5 inches from corner to corner and is powered by Google apps and services, including native Google Maps. (Apple CarPlay compatibility is included, too.) A driver information cluster is the only other screen in the EX90, eschewing other automakers’ wall-of-screen approaches to EVs. Neat.
The EX90 will include a sensor array that includes Lidar, although the company didn’t make many concrete promises about future self-driving EX90s. Previously, the automaker said its next-generation XC90 would include SAE Level 4 hardware but only said the EX90 would be ready for “unsupervised driving” in the future, which could mean SAE Level 3 or 4.
Volvo said the EX90 would be equipped with bidirectional charging, and power homes for short periods of time—something that’s been handy for other EV owners recently.
Other goodies include available Bowers & Wilkins sound including Dolby Atmos from up to 25 speakers, headrest-mounted speakers, smartphone-as-a-key functionality, 5G connectivity, over-the-air updates, and driver-attention monitors.
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