Gallery
Pros
Cons
The 2025 Volvo EX90 has arrived as a new flagship vehicle for the Swedish brand, representing the pinnacle of what it has to offer.
The EX90 is a swanky new three-row electric vehicle (EV) with some impressive specs, a gorgeous interior, and a lot of hyped-up tech. But with sky-high expectations to live up to, it ends up falling a bit short in some key areas.
Styling 9 / 10
Volvo is a master of quietly luxurious, handsome, and practical design, and the EX90 shines with a clean and uncomplicated style that will age gracefully and look great for many years to come. The proportions are correct, the details are thoughtful, and the lighting hints at its high-tech nature.
The cabin embodies Scandinavian simplicity with a beautiful, chic interior that’s also practical and well-built. The materials all feel like they should in a six-figure SUV, a big accomplishment since many of them are made from sustainable or recycled sources. The backlit wood trim adds some warmth to the cabin at night, the wool-blend fabric used throughout adds some upscale texture with a tailored look, and the design is clean and understated.
Fuel Economy 9 / 10
The EX90 is rated to get between 483 and 499 km of range, depending on wheel size. That puts it in a competitive spot in its segment, with similar range to the recently launched Cadillac Vistiq. Its battery has a usable capacity of 111 kWh.
Efficiency is rated at 24.9 kWh/100 km combined, and after 545 km of mixed testing, the indicated average was 21.0 kWh/100 km. That’s pretty good, especially considering the EX90 has so much computing power and good old-fashioned knock-the-wind-out-of-your-lungs power.
Power 10 / 10
The Volvo EX90 Ultra tested here uses dual electric motors for a total system output of a whopping 510 hp and 671 lb-ft of torque. Volvo says that’s enough to rocket this three-row SUV from zero to 100 km/h in a sports car-like 4.9 seconds, giving drivers that instant, slingshot acceleration you can feel in your stomach. There aren’t too many cars out there you won’t be able to pass, and this SUV moves more quickly than anything with three rows has a right to. Of course, launching you and your family into space at every green light is going to kill your efficiency.
The EX90 accepts ultra-fast charging speeds of 250 kW, which should top up the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in about half an hour in ideal conditions. Most public fast charging stations offer between 50 and 150 kW.
One-pedal driving is included, but it can only be turned on or off rather than have the strength of the regenerative braking adjusted. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but once you can comfortably modulate the pedal, it’s consistent and provides plenty of braking to bring this EV to a complete stop.
Driving Feel 8 / 10
The MVP of the driving experience is the adaptive air suspension (standard on Ultra trim, optional on the Plus) that smooths out rough roads to the point where it feels like the EX90 is gliding. It’s great at absorbing broken pavement, which makes for a very comfortable ride, but the suspension also keeps it composed in a corner.
The steering is very light, which can be adjusted to be firmer via the settings, but it still lacks any feeling. It’s also a bit difficult to park, especially with one-pedal driving activated, and the strange top-down parking camera warps your surroundings, making the EX90 appear on the screen as larger than it actually is.
Practicality 9 / 10
The EX90 makes great use of all the space and flexibility an EV platform provides. The interior has many options for small-item storage, including a huge compartment under the armrest and another large one under the centre console between the driver and passenger footwells. The frunk is decently sized, but the trunk holds just 324 L when all three rows are in use.
Luckily, when the third row is stowed, cargo space opens up to 697 L, and a massive 2,135 L with both back rows folded to reveal a flat load floor. There’s also a huge underfloor storage compartment in the trunk. A button in the trunk allows the EX90 to squat down on its air suspension to ease loading heavier items, which is a nice touch.
The third row can be folded or put back into place electrically via buttons in the cargo area or on the door jamb next to the second row, tumbling the headrests automatically. The second row is manually operated. I wish the doors opened wider to ease entry and exit, and to make it easier for parents strapping their young ones in or installing car seats.
User-Friendliness 5.5 / 10
The majority of the EX90’s functions are centralized in the huge tablet-style touchscreen, which introduces some usability challenges. Besides physical buttons being more user-friendly and less distracting to use while driving, I experienced serious glitchiness with the infotainment system freezing that required two hard resets by holding the volume knob down for 45 seconds.
This is an unfortunate user experience regardless of price. The worst part is that the first incident happened as soon as I picked up the EX90, meaning I was faced with driving away without being able to adjust the mirrors or steering wheel, which is initiated via menus on the touchscreen and completed with buttons on the steering wheel. Luckily, after those two resets, the system didn’t freeze again, but the radio would never load on its own and had to be forced, and the climate control system would sometimes randomly turn on maximum heat even though it was a hot summer day outside.
While the Google-based system comes with some inherent usability perks (because everyone knows how to use Google Maps), the shortcuts on the bottom tray of the screen change contextually based on what the system thinks you’ll need. It seems clever, but it’s frustrating for shortcuts to change locations and not be where you last saw them. Even the glove box must be opened via the touchscreen.
The key system also needs explaining. An NFC card that users should always have on hand can be used to unlock and start the vehicle by tapping the door handle and then placing it on the wireless charger. It’s accompanied by a plastic tag that acts like a key fob that enables “keyless entry,” except it has no buttons and must be recharged every 21 days or so by placing it on the wireless charger, according to the user manual.
With the tag on your person, the doors will unlock as you approach, the vehicle will start when the brake pedal is pressed, and the doors will lock as you walk away — no tapping required. Drivers can also set up their phone with NFC as a key, but there’s no redundant physical backup if none of those options are available.
The EX90 truly requires a dig through the user manual. It feels like Volvo tried to simplify the user experience so much that it ended up causing more problems than solving issues. Even how the interior door handles operate needs to be explained to passengers, and I couldn’t figure out how to activate cruise control without first consulting the user manual (it requires a press down on the gear selector stalk while you’re in drive).
Features 8 / 10
While the infotainment runs on a Google-based operating system, Android Auto is not yet available, while wireless Apple CarPlay is included. The native Google Maps navigation system is a breeze to use and makes it easy for drivers to find charging stations, allowing them to filter for speed, availability, compatibility, or payments. If you enter a fast charging destination, the car preconditions the battery for more efficient charging, and it shows you how much range you’ll have left when you reach any destination.
To help ease range anxiety, it shows a maximum and minimum range so drivers can understand the best and worst-case scenarios. Drivers can see the map and navigation instructions on the information display, but only if using Volvo’s native Google Maps, not via phone mirroring. All of this runs on a 5G data connection that’s free for four years, but there’s no information yet on how much it will cost to renew the subscription once that time is over.
Some other highlights include a head-up display, wireless phone charging, headlight cleaners, 120- and 240-volt plugs, soft-close doors, and massaging front seats.
The EX90 is equipped with the hardware for bi-directional charging to power your home or the grid (vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid, respectively), but Volvo says this feature isn’t ready yet and won’t be available until late 2025. Volvo says vehicle-to-load functionality is also coming for the next model year. I don’t love that Volvo has promised many great features that simply aren’t ready or available yet, but over-the-air updates should be able to install them seamlessly when the features are ready.
Safety 9 / 10
Volvo says this is the safest vehicle it has ever made. The somewhat unsightly lump on top of the windshield houses the LiDAR sensors, which are more accurate than cameras and radar on their own, and allow the EX90 to be more spatially aware. This system can see as far as 250 metres ahead, while radar and camera-based systems typically only see one or two car lengths ahead. This system combines with driver monitoring and is supposed to be learning all the time, getting better the more you drive.
Beyond the typical safety features like blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, the EX90 also offers two advanced features that, hopefully, you’ll never have to use. If a driver becomes incapacitated and is unresponsive to prompts from the system, it will turn on the hazard lights, pull the vehicle over when it’s safe, and call for help. It also has an advanced occupant monitoring system that uses sensors to detect if there are children or pets left inside. If you walk away while there are occupants detected, the car will sound its horn, send you notifications via your phone to check the car, and keep the climate control system running to keep the interior safe and comfortable, depending on the outside temperature.
The adaptive cruise control system works very well to monitor the SUV’s surroundings and keep a safe distance between you and the car in front, but the distance is not adjustable and the EX90 leaves so much room between vehicles that you end up getting cut off all the time or appear to others as driving too slowly. The steering for the lane tracing also feels a bit jittery at times, and a smoother operation would make me feel more confident using it.
Comfort 8 / 10
Like most other three-row vehicles, the third row is best left for kids, but there’s plenty of room in the first- and second rows for even tall occupants. The second row slides on a rail to make more room for third-row passengers or more cargo, and it can tumble forward in one easy motion. It’s easy enough that most bigger kids should be able to do it on their own. The middle seat in the second row also has an integrated booster seat, and there are enough charging ports for every occupant.
A six-passenger configuration with second-row captain’s chairs is also available for an extra $600. A heated steering wheel and a heat pump are standard, along with heated front seats and a heated second row.
There are no grab handles in the front or second row, so kids and people with mobility issues might need a bit of extra help getting in and out. Otherwise, the cabin is super quiet, which combines with the smooth ride to ensure a peaceful drive.
Value 7 / 10
The base 2025 Volvo EX90 Plus starts at $110,000, and the Ultra trim adds $5,600 to the price. Destination is $2,770, and with an upgraded audio system and ventilated front seats (wrapped in a leather alternative made from recycled plastic bottles, materials from sustainable forests, and recycled cork), the as-tested price comes to $123,820 before taxes. Considering the high-tech platform that provides generous power and range, the lovely interior, and huge suite of safety technology, the price seems worth it; however, without numerous promised features, some buyers might feel shortchanged, especially if it’s as glitchy as it was during my test.
The Verdict
Volvo seems to have shot itself in the foot by releasing a vehicle that wasn’t yet ready to live up to the high expectations set by the EX90’s six-figure price tag. While the 2025 Volvo EX90 gets a lot right, and the brand has worked out a lot of the issues initially reported, it still has some work to do to make this SUV the game-changing EV it promised. As it stands currently, the EX90 is still an excellent vehicle that offers what most families will ever realistically need, but it’s held back from its full potential by a few issues that are hard to ignore.
