Volvo on Wednesday revealed the 2024 EX90, a fully electric mid-size SUV with seven seats split over three rows.
It's due to start deliveries in early 2024 and will sit alongside the XC90 at the top of the Volvo lineup. Volvo said pricing will start below $80,000, and interested buyers can already pre-order one via the automaker's website.
Unlike Volvo's current C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge compact electric vehicles, which use a platform originally developed for internal-combustion engines, the EX90 has been developed from the onset for electric power. It rides on a newly developed EV platform that also underpins the 2024 Polestar 3 due at dealerships about the same time as the EX90. Both SUVs are also scheduled to be built at Volvo's plant in Charleston, South Carolina, where the Volvo S60 is currently built.
2024 Volvo EX90
Like the Polestar 3, the EX90 will come with a 111-kwh battery that should deliver approximately 300 miles of range. High-speed charging will allow the battery to be topped up from 10-80% in about 30 minutes, Volvo said. At launch, the EX90 will only be available with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain consisting of an electric motor at each axle. Together they will deliver 496 hp, matching the output of Audi's new tri-motor SQ8 E-Tron, and Volvo has indicated that more powerful options are planned for the EX90.
The exterior design isn't as dramatic as the Concept Recharge that Volvo rolled out in 2021 to preview the EX90. It has some new design features, though. These are aimed at improving aerodynamic efficiency. Volvo said elements, particularly at the front, have been made a bit rounder to help reduce efficiency-sapping drag. Flush door handles and wheels with an almost completely sealed design also help reduce drag. A lidar sensor is also mounted to the roof as a standard feature.
Volvo said the lidar can precisely measure ranges and is capable of detecting pedestrians up to 820 feet away, and will be used for electronic driver-assist features, including some planned fully autonomous features. Though fully autonomous features won't be available at launch, Volvo has already announced one called Ride Pilot, which will enable true hands-off, eyes-off travel on certain highways. Timing for Ride Pilot isn't clear, though the first market has been confirmed as California.
2024 Volvo EX90
2024 Volvo EX90
2024 Volvo EX90
Inside the EX90, there's a clean, uncluttered dash that looks like it was borrowed from a Tesla. Volvo purposefully pared back elements so the driver can focus on the road. This extends to the user interface, which features intelligent operation to ensure only the most vital information is shown or requested at any time. For added safety, Volvo plans to offer an occupant-detection system to ensure a child or pet can't get trapped in the vehicle.
For the materials used in the cabin, Volvo will offer new sustainably sourced wood and wool options, as well as a leather-like material called Nordico made from recycled plastic bottles and sustainable organic fibers. In addition, recycled nylon, including abandoned fishing nets reclaimed from the seabed, is used for the carpets.
Bidirectional charging, also referred to as vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-load charging, will also be offered in some markets. It means the vehicle can discharge electricity, either back into the grid, or to power a home, or to power an electric device where a power outlet isn't available, like at a camp or construction site. It could be used to charge other EVs, too. Volvo hasn't said if this feature will be offered in the U.S.
2024 Volvo EX90
Other features of the EX90, either standard or available, include a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system with Dolby Atmos suround-sound technology, remote access to the vehicle via a smartphone, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration.
Despite the impending arrival of the EX90, the XC90 is still selling near record levels for the nameplate. Last year Volvo managed to sell 38,657 examples in the U.S., which is the highest level for the current-generation XC90 and the second highest in the nameplate's history. As a result, the XC90 will stay on sale for a period after the EX90 arrives.
