After weeks of teases and previews, Volvo drew back the curtains on the 2024 EX90 in a virtual event this morning. The newest and largest member of Volvo's growing family of electric SUVs is scheduled to hit the road in fall 2023, bringing with it not just the next evolution of Scandinavian vehicle design, but also the next generations of the automaker's driver aids and infotainment tech.
At first glance, the EX90 looks a lot like what it is: a next-generation, all-electric version of the automaker's current XC90 seven-passenger SUV that will live alongside its combustion-powered sibling before ultimately replacing it when Volvo completes its planned transition to a fully electric lineup in 2030.
Familiar design elements like the sculpted hood, Thor's Hammer LED light signature and vertical taillights that end in a C-shaped flourish can still be found in the EX90's design, but new details bring the electric SUV's design into the future. For example, the T-shaped Thor's Hammer is now made up of chunky segments that light up in sequence with the LED fog lights when the SUV is started. Activating the headlamps causes the DRL's horizontal segments to open like eyelids, rotating out of the way to reveal the LED headlamps and high-beam projectors.
The motorized horizontal segments of the Thor's Hammer light signature open to reveal the headlamp projectors.
Peer closely at the top of the windshield and you'll spy the subtle hump of Volvo's first lidar sensor on a production vehicle. Lidar, camera and radar sensors are all tied into an Nvidia Drive AI computing unit that powers Volvo's next generation of driver-aid technology and are the first step towards "unsupervised driving" for which Volvo says the EX90 is "hardware-ready." For now, drivers will need to keep their eyes on the wheel, so the EX90 is equipped with a suite of interior sensors and cameras that monitor driver eye-gaze direction and concentration.
Inside, the EX90 continues Volvo's trend of a simple dashboard design featuring light, natural materials and punctuated by a pair of large displays. Front and center is a massive 14.5-inch vertical display powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Platform and Unreal Engine 3D graphics. Android Automotive OS and Google services once again form the core of the Volvo user experience, bringing Google Maps, Google Assistant and Play Store apps on the road via a standard 5G data connection. The EX90 will also come standard with phone-as-key tech with multiple user profiles. Apple users will also be able to enjoy standard wireless CarPlay connectivity.Â
The EX90 will be powered by a 111-kilowatt-hour, underfloor battery (107-kWh usable) with a target range of up to 300 miles on the EPA test cycle, though final numbers haven't yet been certified. The SUV will support DC fast charging with the ability to boost from 10% to 80% charge in around 30 minutes at a 250-kW station. This will also be the first Volvo EV to support bi-directional charging, paving the way for vehicle-to-home or even vehicle-to-vehicle charging.
At launch, motivational duties will be handled by Volvo's Twin Motor Performance electric all-wheel drive system, which mates a 200-kW rear motor with a 180-kW front motor for a combined, rear-biased 517 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque. Later, it will be joined by a Twin Motor spec with a less powerful 120-kW rear motor and a front-biased 408-hp combined output.
Deliveries for the first 2024 Volvo EX90 units are expected to start in the US in fall 2023 with preorders opening today on Volvo's website. US-bound orders will be built at the company's plant outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Pricing hasn't been finalized but will start, according to Volvo, "well-equipped at under $80,000."
