“2025 Volvo EX90: A 3-Row Electric Vehicle Shaping the Future While Balancing Key Priorities”

With my phone tucked away, I enter the Volvo EX90 EV. As I approach this stylish three-row SUV, the driver’s door unlocks, and the seat adjusts automatically to my preferred position, with the mirrors and steering wheel also setting themselves comfortably. All my favorites and climate settings recalibrate.

To be completely honest, this is how it is intended to function. However, during my initial experience with the EX90, I spent nearly 10 minutes navigating through various screen settings. Each time my driving partner and I switched places, we had to repeat this process. Similar to Tesla, Volvo has stripped away many physical controls, meaning there’s no quick access to adjustments; you can’t even modify them while stopped at a traffic light.

The reasoning behind this? Aesthetic minimalism. Externally, the EX90 maintains the classic Volvo look, with its trademark boxy and clean design. Internally, it leans towards a minimalist, almost stark approach—though still stylish—with classic Volvo features like Thor’s hammer lights and sharp taillights, all presented in a somewhat pixelated manner. Overall, it appears to be a natural progression for Volvo into the electric vehicle era without taking significant risks.

The heart of the EX90’s interior is its 14.5-inch touchscreen system, which is one of the standout features developed on the Google Android Automotive OS. This platform is beginning to standardize infotainment layouts across various manufacturers. However, Volvo presents a unique structure, placing climate control settings and navigation shortcuts at the bottom of the screen. With widgets and context-sensitive icons positioned just above, most of the display area is mainly dedicated to navigation, which can also be integrated into the 9.0-inch instrument cluster.

Those who are uneasy about Tesla’s complete transition to touchscreen controls might not appreciate Volvo’s approach. Nevertheless, the EX90 offers a configurable gauge display, a head-up display, and customizable touchscreen layouts, unlike Tesla vehicles.

Unlike Tesla, Volvo has retained physical turn-signal and shift stalks, and users can conveniently adjust the climate-control vents manually. I appreciate being able to reach out and adjust the vent myself—thank you, Volvo, for this thoughtful design element.

Volvo’s first software-defined vehicle

Volvo emphasizes the significance of its South Carolina-produced EX90, which is set to arrive at dealerships this fall, despite facing delays due to software challenges, as a software-defined vehicle. This indicates that the interface is expected to evolve over time with ongoing updates. Volvo highlights its technological partnerships with Google, Qualcomm, and Nvidia, suggesting that the EX90 marks the beginning of advancements that will extend into future electric vehicles. The company assures consumers that navigation data and over-the-air updates will remain accessible even if their 5G data subscriptions lapse, although it hasn’t disclosed the potential costs associated with this system beyond an introductory phase.

After several hours of driving and becoming more familiar with the technology, it became clear that Volvo has not overlooked its core mission in the EX90: ensuring that passengers feel comfortable, safe, and cared for, without being ostentatious about it.

Volvo has been moving towards a more premium experience, particularly since the release of the current XC90 family, and the EX90 seems to continue in this upscale direction. Despite the minimalist and sleek design of the interface and dashboard, the cabin of the EX90 feels opulent and sophisticated, at least in the higher-end Ultra trims I experienced during the launch event. The front seats are designed to accommodate various body types with extendable thigh bolsters; the second-row seating comfortably fits adults, and yes, even a tall person can squeeze into the third row, although entry and exit may be challenging.

2025 Volvo EX90 Performance

For 2025, the EX90 is available in two powertrain options, each offered in Plus and Ultra trims. The Twin Motor Performance model I drove features a dual-motor system generating 510 hp and 671 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to reach 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds. Twin Motor versions produce 402 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. Both options utilize permanent magnet motors, albeit with different outputs. A disconnect clutch enables the EX90 to operate as a front-wheel-drive vehicle during cruising and light acceleration, while the rear motor kicks in during initial launches. The AWD Performance mode serves as a sport mode by engaging the rear motor between speeds of 19 mph and 81 mph, improving cornering dynamics. There’s even a mode designed for off-road driving.

In terms of straight-line performance, the EX90 is remarkably quiet and accelerates as expected based on its specs. Volvo has effectively minimized cabin noise and vibrations without resorting to active noise cancellation; rather, clever engineering with specially chosen bushings, including fluid-filled mounts for the motor units, contributes to this tranquility.

Despite being approximately 6,100 pounds, making it the heaviest in the lineup, the EX90 surprisingly feels agile—though I can’t make broad statements about the entire lineup just yet. The Ultra model features an air suspension along with semi-active (multi-mode) dampers, allowing for a customizable ride experience with both soft and firm settings for ride comfort and steering feel. I personally preferred the soft settings for both adjustments, as they provided a more natural steering response and a smoother ride without sacrificing dynamic control when driving aggressively. However, I noticed some nosedive with the soft setting during hard braking.

One concern is the vague brake pedal feel and the limited regeneration braking options. Besides the “auto” setting, which I found unclear, drivers can either enable an aggressive one-pedal driving option or turn regeneration off entirely, resulting in a coasting experience akin to being in Neutral. While at a steep incline, I found it tricky to discern the friction point of the brake pads, as I could move the brake pedal a couple of inches without feeling where it engaged. Interestingly, Volvo has nailed the pedal feel in the XC40 Recharge, so this might just be an isolated issue. It would be beneficial to have an intermediate regenerative braking setting for passenger comfort.

A 300-mile range for EX90 in the real world?

The EX90 is equipped with a 111-kwh battery pack using lithium-ion cells made from nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC). Of this, Volvo ensures that 107 kWh is usable capacity. The vehicle can achieve a fast-charge from 10% to 80% in just 30 minutes, as long as a 250 kW connector or higher is used. Additionally, utilizing a 150 kW connector will only add five minutes to the charging session. With its 11-kW onboard charger, a full charge takes less than 10 hours on a 48-amp, 240-volt home charger.

The EX90 also offers impressive charging capabilities, and these will continue to improve as new accessories and software updates become available: bidirectional charging. Volvo plans to launch a unit later this year through a collaboration with dcbel, allowing EX90 owners to store home energy or possibly, in the future, return energy to their utility provider.

According to the U.S. EPA-cycle range estimates, the EX90 offers a range of up to 310 miles with 21-inch wheels, or 300 miles with the 20-inch or 22-inch wheels.

During my early experience, in warm 80-degree weather, the EX90 seems capable of delivering that range or even more. Over about 185 miles of driving in Orange County, across various traffic and road conditions, including highways and mountainous areas, I achieved nearly 2.8 miles per kWh—adding up to a roughly 300-mile range without focused efficiency considerations.

EX90 safety, Pilot Assist: Highly capable but cautious

While Volvo has modernized its interface, the company’s Pilot Assist driver-assistance systems take a notably cautious stance. Unlike competitors, Pilot Assist does not utilize mapped roads in the same way; instead, it integrates lidar technology, enabling the EX90 to detect pedestrians from as far as 250 meters, which offers a more comprehensive view of the environment beyond what camera systems can achieve.

In comparison to GM’s Super Cruise or Ford’s Blue Cruise, and certainly relative to Navigate on Autopilot, Pilot Assist adopts a much more conservative methodology. For example, initiating an automated lane change requires both hands to be on the wheel and may take considerable time, plus you can’t keep your hands off the steering wheel or its capacitive sensors for more than 14 seconds.

The base price for the 2025 EX90 starts at $81,290, which includes a $1,295 destination fee. The Plus model comes with numerous luxury features such as four-zone climate control, third-row air conditioning, a power-folding third row, a power tailgate, a heated steering wheel, and heated seats in the first and second rows. The top-tier Ultra models I tested, which include features like air suspension, massage seats, soft-close doors, and flush door handles, are priced above that, starting at $85,640 for Twin Motor and $90,640 for Twin Motor Performance.

Nonetheless, Volvo has remained true to its brand ethos. The previous XC90 helped owners feel comfortable, safe, and taken care of, all without making an overt statement about luxury. The 2025 Volvo EX90 continues to embody these values while confidently moving towards the future.

 

Volvo covered travel expenses for this first-hand test drive review.