Volvo EX90 first drive: not totally baked

Volvo’s flagship electrical SUV, the EX90, has been a very long time coming. And though it’s hitting the street a full 12 months delayed, a number of the standout know-how and options will nonetheless be in a “studying” part. Volvo is promising some modern options, however the tech nonetheless feels a bit like a minimally viable product. 

We spent just a few hours across the Newport Coast in California in an early model of the Volvo EX90. Our tester was a Twin Motor Efficiency model with a Sand Dune exterior. 

The EPA says that the EX90 will rise up to 310 miles of vary from the 111 kWh battery pack. The Twin Motor Efficiency model places out 510-horsepower and 671 lb. ft. of torque,  whereas the decrease trim will make 402-hp and 568 lb. ft. of torque. 

Volvo says that each ought to cost from 10 to 80 % on a 250 kW DC Quick charger in about half-hour. Whereas the EX90 is meant to come back with bidirectional charging, the system gained’t work till a later date by way of a software program replace. 

Volvo leaned laborious into Swedish minimalism with its design each in and out. Its understated inside is extremely stress-free. A single 9-inch driver’s info display sits behind the steering wheel and may be modified to point out pace, vary, and mapping info. You additionally get a really clear heads-up show that may be equally custom-made. 

Volvo runs its infotainment system on Google’s Android Automotive platform. Meaning you possibly can merely ask Google to vary your settings for a lot of issues, like mapping, radio options, and even temperature controls. 

The automobile has nearly no bodily buttons–only one giant scroll wheel on the middle console and some buttons (together with hazards) on the headliner. Every thing else is frustratingly managed by the principle 14.5-inch touchscreen set vertically into the sprint. Like Tesla, this contains adjustment for the steering wheel, side-view mirrors, seats, rain-sensing wipers, glove field opening, trunk peak, lights, suspension setup, mapping, audio, and extra. 

Whereas the system labored positive, it’s a ache in case you simply want to regulate one thing easy, like wiper sensitivity or efficiency settings, as a result of it’s a minimum of just a few menus deep. Volvo assumes that these options can be set-it-and-forget-it for homeowners. The EX90 can use your smartphone because the digital key — although you get a bodily fob, too. 

Sadly, the digital key we tried was buggy at finest. Whereas Volvo stated they had been working intently with Apple to excellent the tech (and combine CarPlay, which gained’t be out there till later by way of software program replace, both), the model we tried was unreliable. Greater than as soon as, we needed to open up the Pockets app, discover the EX90 digital key card, and place it on the wi-fi charging pad to get the automobile to acknowledge that the important thing was within the automobile. A number of folks on the drive occasion needed to do the identical; some even needed to have Volvo’s assist workers plug in a laptop computer to get the automobile to acknowledge the important thing. Not precisely confidence-inspiring.

Volvo additionally took a web page out of Rivian’s playbook with the EX90’s superior adaptive cruise management options, known as Pilot Help. As an alternative of buttons to activate the function on the steering wheel, you need to pull the drive choose lever on the suitable facet down towards drive and maintain it for a second when Pilot Help is obtainable (a grayed-out steering wheel image seems within the driver’s info display). As soon as it’s on, you should use the lane-change assistant to change lanes. Although the method is a bit gradual, it’s higher and extra predictable than most of the lane-changing assistant options on different autos. 

On the street, the large SUV (it’s slightly bigger than Volvo’s XC90) doesn’t really feel ungainly. The cabin is notably quiet and comfy. With the muted colorways and minimal distractions, it’s surprisingly calm. It doesn’t really feel rolly or jarring on damaged pavement while you put the air suspension into the default consolation mode. Whereas there’s a sportier trip out there, it’s laborious to foretell whether or not homeowners can have the endurance to dig by the 5 layers on the infotainment display to get there. In Efficiency mode, the whole lot will get barely extra amped up, however that is no canyon carver. 

The EX90 additionally will get new inside sensors, together with a radar system that senses the whole lot from the driving force’s eye motion as to if you’ve left a toddler or pet within the automobile unattended. On the drive, whereas attempting to dig by menus to search out the drive settings, I had to take a look at the infotainment display, and inside just a few quick moments, the automobile chimed, letting me know I used to be distracted. The system is a bit delicate however not intrusive, and for drivers who stupidly want to scroll on their telephones somewhat than take note of the site visitors forward of them, like most LA drivers, the EX90 might be a wanted wake-up name. 

Quite a few well-known suppliers, together with Nvidia, Google, Qualcomm, and Luminar, comprise the EX90’s suite of security and tech options. Nvidia’s ORIN compute platform, which the corporate rolled out simply this 12 months, performs 254 trillion operations per second to assist the EX90 handle the whole lot from security to infotainment and battery administration. Qualcomm is answerable for the inside tech, whereas Luminar’s lidar is answerable for the exterior adaptive and security options of the automobile. Every thing has to seamlessly talk with each other, which is among the main causes that the EX90 has been so delayed in attending to market. 

That strange-looking lump on the high of the windshield is Luminar’s new Halo lidar, and together with the Polestar 3, the EX90 is among the many first autos to get it. Sadly, it’s not purposeful as a result of it’s nonetheless in studying mode, the corporate says, gathering information about real-world situations earlier than being “turned on.” When it’s out there, Volvo has stated the lidar will assist allow hands-free freeway driving — after which inevitably “unsupervised” Degree 3 automation. 

Each Luminar and Volvo say they’re centered on ensuring that the programs are foolproof and secure earlier than unleashing them on the general public. As to when that can be, Volvo gained’t say, citing numerous regulatory and security approvals in international locations the place the automobile can be bought. They notice that the know-how can be rolled out regularly and solely out there on sure divided highways underneath restricted situations, very like GM’s Tremendous Cruise system. There are some studies that a number of the superior driving options will begin to be out there in early 2025. 

Regardless of just a few tech hiccups, and a few TBD options, Volvo’s EX90 is driving the ball ahead. At the least viable product, the EX90 remains to be fairly good. Future updates and bug fixes will make it the posh automobile that Volvo hopes it is going to be, with all of the promised bells and whistles.