The 2025 Volvo EX90 electric SUV will feature an advanced radar system for interior safety and a range of up to 500 kilometers on a single charge. The three-row family SUV will hit the market later this year.
But owners will have to wait for software that enables a number of key features, including another world first for a production car: front lidar to detect obstacles — people, vehicles and animals — up to 280 meters away in the dark and in virtually any weather.
The six- and seven-seat EX90, which closely resembles Volvo’s popular EX90 petrol and plug-in hybrid SUVs, is key to the Swedish brand’s electrified strategy.
The car will be built in Charleston, South Carolina and should qualify for full state and federal EV subsidies, unlike Volvo’s smaller, China-made EX30, whose U.S. launch has been delayed.
Prices for the EX90 range from $79,995 to $89,345, excluding a $1,295 destination charge.
Sales are expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2024.
2025 Volvo EXC90 Trim Levels and Pricing
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Volvo EX90 Twin Motor Plus: $79,995
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Volvo EX90 Twin Motor Ultra: $84,345
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Volvo EX90 Twin Motor Performance Plus: $84,995
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Volvo EX90 Twin Motor Performance Ultra: $89,345
Source: Volvo. Prices exclude $1,295 destination charge.
Driving impressions
The big new electric car is quiet, smooth and powerful.
All-wheel drive is standard, as is a 111-kWh battery pack that offers usable range and reasonably quick recharge times for family road trips. Electric motors at each axle produce 402 horsepower in regular models. Software tweaks increase output to 510 horsepower in the Performance trim, which adds $5,000 to the price.
I spent a day driving a fully loaded EX90 Twin Motor Ultra Performance through hills, freeways, and neighborhoods in Southern California. My test car had a sticker price of $89,345.
Acceleration is excellent: 4.7 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h for the performance model, 5.7 seconds with the standard setup.
The EX90 is about 3 inches shorter than the combustion-engined XC90s. Its larger battery pack makes it considerably heavier — 5,981 pounds in the case of my lavishly equipped vehicle, which included an adaptive air suspension.
It drives like a big car, but the adaptive air suspension in my test vehicle smoothed out rough surfaces. The steering was direct.
Volvo offers a sport mode, but it’s so deeply embedded in the operating system that I was never aware of it during my day behind the wheel.
My test car was fitted with 22-inch Euro-spec summer tires, but neither ride quality nor road noise were an issue.
Good materials, complicated controls
The interior is conspicuously modest, if that’s possible: the trim is made from sustainably harvested, open-pore wood, the carpets and other surfaces are made from recycled PET from soda bottles, and the upholstery is made from a wool blend.
It all looks and feels great too.
The front and middle rows are comfortable. Legroom in the third row is very limited — for short trips or small children. The cargo area behind the third row is also tight.
An advanced radar system warns the driver of abandoned people or pets when walking away from the SUV.
Volvo’s minimalist approach to controls has had mixed results. A small rectangular screen directly behind the steering wheel provides key information: speed, range, navigation, speed limit. A clear head-up display complements the small screen, while touch points on the steering wheel arms operate cruise control and audio.
There’s also a volume knob in the center console, but everything else lives on the 14.5-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen. It keeps the primary climate control functions – temperature, fan, seat heating and cooling – always available, but many other functions are several levels down.
I found the touchscreen to be unresponsive, often requiring multiple taps on the screen to activate a function.
In addition, Apple CarPlay will not be available until Volvo releases an over-the-air update.
Key Features of the 2025 Volvo EX90
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Six or seven chairs
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Four-wheel drive
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Radar detection of rear seat occupants
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Lidar front object sensing expected in 2025
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Integrated child seat
You will eventually get these features
The EX90 comes with hardware for several functions that do not work at first.
That includes the industry’s first lidar system, which can identify objects more than 900 feet in front of the EX90, regardless of lighting or weather conditions. Software to activate that system is expected in 2025.
Software that enables bidirectional charging, meaning the vehicle can power your home during a power outage, will also be available later.
Apple CarPlay will also be a late addition. Android phones should be fully compatible from the start, as Volvo uses the Google Automotive operating system.
How fast? How far? How much?
The large 111-kWh battery delivers 296-308 miles of range, according to Volvo. It can be charged at up to 250 kW, a rate that will take the battery from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes. Overnight charging at 240 volts — the way most EV owners do the bulk of their charging — should deliver a full battery every morning.
Pricing starts at $79,995, which is steep, but the base model (called “Plus”) comes with a lot of extras.
If you opt for Ultra, which starts at $84,345, you get the following features:
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Air suspension
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Active chassis control
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Massaging the front seats
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Standard 21-inch, optional 22-inch wheels
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Optional 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio
The Performance Package is available on both Plus and Ultra models. It costs $5,000.
The EX90 is one of the few luxury three-row EVs on the market. The Tesla X and Rivian R1S are its main competitors. The price and features are favorable.
What could be better?
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The price includes hardware for lidar detection of objects up to 275 meters (900 feet) away, but that system won’t work until Volvo releases an over-the-air software update, likely sometime in 2025.
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The EX90’s reliance on touchscreen controls makes some common tasks too complicated.
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Minimal legroom in the third row.
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The touchscreen should be more sensitive.
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Apple CarPlay not available at launch.
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The phone-as-key function was inconsistent. Sometimes the doors would unlock automatically when I approached the vehicle, sometimes they wouldn’t. Another tester failed completely, leaving him stranded on the side of the road.
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There is no sunshade for the full-length sliding glass roof. Despite the tint to block infrared radiation, the interior glass gets hot on sunny days.
The EX90 brings electric power — in large quantities in the Performance models — to Volvo’s historic core target group: practical, safety-conscious buyers.
It is one of the first luxury electric vehicles with three rows on the market. Thanks to its range and charging possibilities, the car is suitable for all types of journeys and for everyday use.
2025 Volvo EX90 at a glance
Mid-size electric SUV with all-wheel drive and three rows
Base price: $79,995 (excluding $1,295 destination charge)
Tested model: Twin Motor Performance Ultra
Price as tested: $89,345 (excluding $1,295 destination charge)
Drivetrain: One electric motor on each axle
Transmission: One speed direct drive
Power: 510 horsepower; 671 pound-feet of torque
Estimated range: 296 miles
Battery: 111 kWh
Charging limit: up to 250 kW
Charging time: 250 kW DC — 10%-80% in 30 minutes; 240v AC charging time only 11 hours.
0-60 mph: 4.7 seconds
Top speed: 180 km/h
Wheelbase: 117.5 inches
Length: 198.3 inches
Width: 77.3 inches without mirrors, 83.2 inches with mirrors
Ground clearance: 8.5 inches base, 9.4 inches maximum with air suspension
Luggage Space: 11.4 cubic feet behind third row; 23.6 behind second row; 45.5 behind front seat
Curb weight: 5,981 lbs
Assembled in Charleston, South Carolina
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.comFollow him on Twitter @brand_phelanRead more at cars and sign up for our cars newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2025 Volvo EX90 has looks and tech, but key features are delayed
