Volvo EX90 first drive: not quite ready yet

Volvo’s flagship electric SUV, the EX90, has been a long time coming. It’s a year behind schedule, but some of its standout technologies and features are still in the “learning” phase. Volvo is promising some innovative features, but the technology still feels like a minimally viable product.

We spent a few hours behind the wheel of an early version of the Volvo EX90 on California’s Newport Beach. Our tester was the Twin Motor Performance version with Sand Dune exterior.

The EPA says the EX90 will get up to 310 miles of range from its 111-kWh battery pack. The Twin Motor Performance version will make 510 horsepower and 671 lb. ft. of torque, while the lower trim will make 402 horsepower and 568 lb. ft. of torque.

Volvo says both cars can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in around 30 minutes on a 250kW DC fast charger. The EX90 will be offered with bidirectional charging, but this system will be enabled later via a software update.

Volvo has leaned heavily towards Swedish minimalism, both inside and out. The understated interior is incredibly comfortable. Behind the steering wheel is a single nine-inch driver information screen that can be changed to show speed, range and map information. There is also a very sharp head-up display that can be similarly customized.

Volvo runs its infotainment system on Google’s Android Car platform, meaning you can simply ask Google to change settings for many things, like maps, radio functions, and even climate control.

There are very few physical buttons in the car. There is just a large scroll wheel on the center console and a few buttons on the headliner (including a hazard button). Everything else is controlled via a 14.5-inch touchscreen mounted vertically on the dashboard, which is annoying. Like a Tesla, this includes adjusting the steering wheel, side mirrors, seats, rain-sensing wipers, glove box opening, trunk height, lighting, suspension settings, mapping, audio, and more.

The system works well, but it’s annoying to have to go through at least a few menus deep when you need to adjust something as simple as wiper sensitivity or performance settings. Volvo assumes these are features that owners can set and forget. The EX90 can use a smartphone as a digital key, but a physical fob is also available.

Unfortunately, the digital key we tried was buggy at best. Volvo says it’s working closely with Apple to perfect the technology (and will integrate CarPlay, which will be available later via a software update), but the version we tried was unreliable. More than once, we had to open the Wallet app, find the EX90 virtual key card, and place it on the wireless charging pad before the car recognized that the key was in the car. Several people attending the drive had to do the same. Some even had to hook up a laptop to a Volvo support staff member to get the car to recognize the key. It’s not at all confidence-inspiring.

Volvo also took a page out of Rivian’s playbook with Pilot Assist, the EX90’s advanced adaptive cruise control feature. Instead of a button on the steering wheel to activate the feature, you’ll need to pull the drive selector lever on the right down toward Drive and hold it down for a moment when Pilot Assist becomes available (a grayed-out steering wheel symbol appears in the driver information screen). Once on, you can use lane change assist to change lanes. The process is a bit slow, but it’s better and more predictable than most lane-change assist features in other vehicles.

On the road, the large SUV (slightly larger than Volvo’s XC90) doesn’t feel out of place. The cabin is remarkably quiet and comfortable. It’s surprisingly calming, with muted colours and minimal distractions. Switch the air suspension to its default Comfort mode and you won’t feel any jolts or bumps on broken pavement. There’s a sportier ride, but it’s hard to tell if the owner has the patience to dig through five layers of infotainment screens to get there. Performance mode tightens things up a bit, but this isn’t a car for chasing canyons.

The EX90 also has new interior sensors, including a radar system that detects everything from the driver’s eye movements to whether or not a child or pet is left in the car. While driving, I had to look at the infotainment screen while trying to dig through menus to find a driving setting, and within a few minutes the car was beeping to let me know I was distracted. The system is a little sensitive, but not intrusive, and for drivers like most LA drivers who foolishly prefer to scroll through their phones rather than pay attention to traffic ahead, the EX90 could be the wake-up call they need.

Several big-name suppliers, including Nvidia, Google, Qualcomm, and Luminar, make up the EX90’s suite of safety and technology features. Nvidia’s ORIN computing platform, which the company released this year, performs 254 trillion operations per second, helping the EX90 manage everything from safety to infotainment to battery management. Qualcomm handles the internal technology, while Luminar’s lidar handles the vehicle’s external adaptation and safety features. Everything has to communicate seamlessly with each other, which is one of the main reasons why the EX90 has been delayed in its launch.

That weird-looking chunk on the top of the windshield is Luminar’s new Halo lidar, and along with the Polestar 3, the EX90 is one of the first cars to be outfitted with it. Unfortunately, the company says it’s still in learning mode, gathering data on real-world conditions before “turning it on.” Volvo says the lidar, once it’s live, will enable hands-free highway driving, and eventually “unsupervised” Level 3 automation.

Luminar and Volvo both say they are focused on making sure the system is complete and safe before releasing it to the public. Volvo wouldn’t say when it will be released, but it has received various regulatory and safety approvals in the countries where the car will be sold. They do note that the technology will be rolled out gradually and will only be available on certain separated highways under limited conditions, much like GM’s Super Cruise system. Some advanced driving features are also reported to be available as early as 2025.

Despite some technical issues and some TBD features, Volvo’s EX90 is moving the ball forward. As a minimum viable product, the EX90 is still pretty good. With future updates and bug fixes, it will become a premium car with all the promised frills that Volvo wants.