Right about now Volvo was planning to be well into its electric-only future.
That hasn’t happened, but it hasn’t stopped the arrival of a classy new Swedish EV flagship in Australia.
It’s the EX90 and, apart from its top-end position, it’s claimed to be the safest car in the company’s history. And that history tracks back to the invention of the three-point safety belt, long before Geely of China took control of Volvo’s future.
The battery-electric newbie is the futurist sidekick to the EX90 combustion car, promising everything you would expect from a seven-seater luxury-mobile from a proven Swedish brand.
Volvo has even added a special sound mode, ‘Abbey Road Studios’, to make things even better in EX-mobiles supplied with the truly excellent Bowers & Wilkins sound system.
But back to the basics.
The EX90 is the headliner of an all-new EX series that will eventually become the only choice – or non-choice – in Volvo showrooms.
It’s big and boxy, as you would expect, with electrical underpinnings that include a massive 111 kilowatt-hour battery, twin electric motors, all-wheel drive and a 0-100km/h sprint claim as low as 4.9 seconds.
On the transport front, it has a giant box body with three rows of roomy seats, all the plush luxury you want and need, and even heated and ventilated massage seats in addition to the giant glass roof.
But … and here we go again with a familiar rant. Just about everything is operated inside the infotainment system, without easy buttons, which means even adjusting the outside mirrors requires a visit to the 11.2-inch – not sure why they’re not metric measurements, but it’s the same as wheel sizes in inches – touchscreen.
The climate controls are also touchy.
The overall effect of the EX90 is minimally Scandi, in soft colours with a roomy look and feel.
Underway, it rides surprisingly well for something so big and – let’s be honest – porky. It is smooth at highway speeds, quite quick from the lights, and has good overtaking power with good grip thanks to all-wheel drive.
It has a wall of torque, but it needs it. Why? Because the huge battery means the EX90 weighs 2.7 tonnes. Just for emphasis, read that again. And remember that’s about the same as a ‘merican’ F150 pick-up truck.
Also, although Volvo claims a range of 570 kilometres, you won’t get anywhere near that at a constant highway cruise. Things are actually better around town, where stop-start driving and use of the car’s ‘one-pedal’ driving mode boost regenerative braking and tops-up for the battery.
Thankfully, I didn’t need to test Volvo’s claims on safety, but can report that the dreaded ADAS electronics only provide a minimal disturbance without the ‘bings and bongs’ of many lesser cars.
So, overall, the EX90 is good and better than good. It deserves to find plenty of friends in Australia, but is likely to be a hidden gem because of the Volvo badge and its premium position and pricing.
Price: from $124,990
Position: 7-seater SUV
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder hybrid, 380kW/910Nm
Gearbox: single speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Range: claimed 570km
Safety: 5-star EuroNCAP
The tick: big, safe, good