Volvo EX90 first drive: not totally baked

Volvo’s flagship electrical SUV, the EX90, has been a very long time coming. And regardless that it’s hitting the highway a full yr not on time, a number of the standout expertise and options will nonetheless be in a “studying” section. Volvo is promising some revolutionary options, however the tech nonetheless feels a bit like a minimally viable product. 

We spent a couple of 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 stand 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 p.c on a 250 kW DC Quick charger in about half-hour. Whereas the EX90 is meant to return with bidirectional charging, the system received’t work till a later date through a software program replace. 

Volvo leaned arduous into Swedish minimalism with its design each inside and outside. Its understated inside is extremely enjoyable. A single 9-inch driver’s info display screen sits behind the steering wheel and might 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’ll be able to merely ask Google to alter your settings for a lot of issues, like mapping, radio options, and even temperature controls. 

The automobile has nearly no bodily buttons–only one massive scroll wheel on the middle console and some buttons (together with hazards) on the headliner. Every little thing else is frustratingly managed by means of 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 top, lights, suspension setup, mapping, audio, and extra. 

Whereas the system labored fantastic, it’s a ache in the event you simply want to regulate one thing easy, like wiper sensitivity or efficiency settings, as a result of it’s not less than a couple of 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 have been working carefully with Apple to excellent the tech (and combine CarPlay, which received’t be obtainable till later through 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 automotive 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 help workers plug in a laptop computer to get the automotive 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, referred to as Pilot Help. As an alternative of buttons to activate the function on the steering wheel, you must pull the drive choose lever on the suitable aspect down towards drive and maintain it for a second when Pilot Help is out there (a grayed-out steering wheel image seems within the driver’s info display screen). As soon as it’s on, you should use the lane-change assistant to modify lanes. Although the method is a bit sluggish, it’s higher and extra predictable than lots of the lane-changing assistant options on different autos. 

On the highway, the large SUV (it’s somewhat 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 whenever you put the air suspension into the default consolation mode. Whereas there’s a sportier experience obtainable, it’s arduous to foretell whether or not homeowners could have the persistence to dig by means of the 5 layers on the infotainment display screen to get there. In Efficiency mode, all the things 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 all the things from the driving force’s eye motion as to if you’ve left a toddler or pet within the automotive unattended. On the drive, whereas attempting to dig by means of menus to search out the drive settings, I had to have a look at the infotainment display screen, and inside a couple of brief 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 desire to scroll on their telephones quite than take note of the visitors forward of them, like most LA drivers, the EX90 could possibly be a wanted wake-up name. 

Quite a lot of 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 yr, performs 254 trillion operations per second to assist the EX90 handle all the things from security to infotainment and battery administration. Qualcomm is accountable for the inside tech, whereas Luminar’s lidar is accountable for the exterior adaptive and security options of the automobile. Every little 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 prime 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 obtainable, Volvo has stated the lidar will assist allow hands-free freeway driving — after which inevitably “unsupervised” Stage 3 automation. 

Each Luminar and Volvo say they’re centered on ensuring that the programs are foolproof and protected earlier than unleashing them on the general public. As to when that can be, Volvo received’t say, citing varied regulatory and security approvals in international locations the place the automobile can be offered. They observe that the expertise can be rolled out progressively and solely obtainable on sure divided highways beneath restricted circumstances, very similar to GM’s Tremendous Cruise system. There are some experiences that a number of the superior driving options will begin to be obtainable in early 2025. 

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