With a dual motor setup, Volvo EX90 SUV’s 111 kWh battery promises 480 km of range from a single charge
Swedish brand, Volvo is synonymous with safety. The company has its roots firmly held in place in making family cars that are safe to the core. Volvo doesn’t shy away from demonstrating its safety aspects in innovative ways as well. For years, Geely-owned Volvo is neck deep in developing self-driving tech as well.
In the push towards EV future, Volvo has promised one EV launch each year till the end of the decade. By that time, Volvo aims to only sell electric cars. In the company’s portfolio, this is equivalent in size and appeal to an XC90.
Volvo EX90 SUV Debuts
EX90 debuted in Stockholm today and it embodies Volvo’s design DNA and stays true to Volvo’s ethos. Some of which are minimalism, safety and progression. Volvo even claims that EX90 is their safest vehicle to date, thanks to tech that is set to get smarter and safer over time.
Design-wise, it looks like what an electrified version of XC90 would look like. It ain’t no bad thing as XC90 had some of the best road presence despite being smaller than full-size SUVs like Cadillac Escalade. Front fascia now gets a closed-off grille and its whole minimalist design exudes class and sophistication.
Thor’s hammer DRLs now extend downwards and neatly merges into its bumper. Side-profile and rear profile are kept simple and are not likely to split opinions. Now might be the best time to address the elephant in the room. Volvo EX90 SUV comes with a bulb on top of its roof that houses its cameras, sensors, radars and other computing elements.
It reminds us of the Black cabs of London, but this seems to be a conscious choice from Volvo. This position allows for a constant 360-degree view and spots objects and potential threats from hundreds of meters. EX90 SUV is the first vehicle from Volvo to come fitted with all necessary hardware to facilitate “unsupervised driving” in the future.
Powertrain & Features
Like other Volvos, EX90 is starkly minimal and its center stage is a portrait-oriented 14.5” touchscreen system powered by Google software and has 5G connectivity and a phone key too. A landscape-oriented display forms its instrument console. The bulb gathers real-time data which is processed from a Snapdragon processor and visualised by Unreal Engine, a 3D tool on which many AAA game titles are also based.
EX90 is the first Volvo to get headrest-integrated speakers (usually associated with convertible cars) as a part of Bowers & Wilkins system. Owing to Volvo EX90 SUV’s massive size, a 111 kWh battery is offered which is based on a new platform. It makes 496 bhp of power and 910 Nm of torque from a dual motor setup.
Company claims 300 miles (480 km) of range on a single charge. It is not yet certified though. There is no official charging power number. Volvo claims 10% to 80% in just 30 minutes from a fast charger, of course. Exact pricing is not known. However, Volvo states that a “well-equipped” trim will cost under $80,000 (approx Rs 65.34 lakh). Pre-orders are open and will be delivered in 2024.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
