• Volvo presented its new 2024 EX90 SUV at a special unveiling in Toronto this week.
• The new EV marks the transition to a new era of electrification at Volvo.
• The company plans to introduce one new electric vehicle per year though 2030, by which time combustion engines should be absent from its offerings.
Toronto, ON - Volvo is preparing to introduce a number of next-generation electric SUVs, and it put on advance presentation of one of them this week. The 2024 Volvo EX90, with its new platform and plenitude advanced technologies, is being touted as the future of the brand.
The company already offers all-electric models, of course, namely the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. But the EX90 is a much more advanced EV, and it has been touted as such since it was unveiled in the fall of 2022.
The model will only make its market debut for the 2024 model-year, mind you. Its official launch could even come next year, in part because Volvo has another, smaller all-electric SUV to launch before then, possibly the EX30.
Still, this didn’t prevent Volvo from bring an EX90 to Toronto for a one-day show-and-tell. We took a quick trip to the Queen City to take a closer look at it.
First impression? Pretty positive. And a big reason for that is that Volvo has seriously shuffled its cards with this model, in terms of design, interior layout and technology (especially related to safety).
Recognizable styling
Anyone familiar with Volvos will have no trouble identifying the EX90. It features the brand's signature styling, as well as the familiar proportions of the XC90. Note that the lines of the newcomer are much more refined, if only because the electric configuration eliminates the need for a grille. It's also worth noting that the model is a little tall than the CX90, but a little longer. Like its combustion-engine sibling, the EX90 offers a three-row seating arrangement.
Striking at first glance is what’s found at the front of the roof, just above the windshield. The EX90 shown to us features a module evocative of those seen on self-driving cars currently in testing in pilot projects, though smaller. Volvo's module combines cameras, radar and lidar to provide a safety suite unlike any other Volvo product. More on that in a bit.
Also, note the door handles, which are flush with the body panels and deploy when the vehicle is unlocked. The concern with this kind of approach for Canadians is the possibility the handles might ice up in the winter and not open using the fob. Volvo knows winter though, so here you can slip your fingers under the handle to open it manually. A small detail, but it shows the seriousness of Volvo’s approach.
Finally, even with the large cargo space in the back, Volvo included small storage spaces under the hood.
On board
First observation on entry is the absence of leather. At the heart of the company's mission is the reduction of its footprint, and that means using new materials. Like Nordico, which Volvo vaunts as “a contemporary expression of Scandinavian values that sets a new standard for high-end interior design.”
What Nordico is, is a textile made from recycled materials such as plastic bottles, as well as organic materials from responsibly managed forests in Sweden and Finland. As for the woodwork (made from FSC [Forest Stewardship Council] certified wood), it's backlit for a rather rich effect.
All part of Volvo reimagining luxury for a more eco-conscious age.
As for the presentation, Volvo takes its already-impressive interior environments and goes another step farther. The dashboard feature two screens, a small, rectangular one for driver data and a larger 14.5 multimedia screen. That one stretches across the centre of the dash and handles all the tasks you can dream up. We mean that. Apart from the centre knob for adjusting audio volume, there are no buttons on the EX90's centre console.
So for better or for worse, for all commands you have to go through the touchscreen. It’s a system that doesn’t enchant everyone, but the trend seems irreversible throughout the industry and recalcitrants like me will have to get used to it. If there is any good news, it’s that the size of the screen means that the touch buttons are bigger and easier to touch without slipping up. Also, with the ever-improving voice functions, a lot of adjustments can be made with the simple spoken command.
Computer on wheels
On to the vehicle's central system.
Like many others, I've often used the term “computer on wheels” to describe modern vehicles. This time, it’s Volvo itself using the term, demonstrating how its future EV is anything but a traditional vehicle. In fact, the systems found in the EX90 are too numerous to list. There’s Google's integrated multimedia approach, NVIDIA DRIVE's Xavier and Orin artificial intelligence platforms, and Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon Cockpit platforms, for example – not to mention software developed in-house by Volvo engineers. That software handles most of the essential functions inside the vehicle, from safety to multimedia to battery management.
Of course, we'll have a chance to go into more detail once we test-drive the model, but to give you a taste, let's mention three safety-related features.
Its camera system allows the EX90 to spot objects or obstructions 250 metres in front of the vehicle, long before a human can discern anything, let alone react. And Volvo promises remarkable efficiency at this distance, to the point of correctly identifying a basketball on the road or an animal. This will be very useful at night.
High surveillance
The second feature is inside, on top of the dashboard. There another module with cameras and sensors monitors what's going on in the cabin. Among other things, the driver's attention level is closely monitored. If the EX90 notices you're tired at the wheel, it will inform you, and will gradually intervene more forcefully if needed. No not with a slap to the face, but if you don't respond to its warnings (from sleepiness or other, more dramatic causes), the system will stop the vehicle and call for help.
Finally, there’s a rear seat alert function more sophisticated even than found in current vehicles. The technology developed by Volvo will be able to detect movement in the back seat, even the breathing of a person or animal left behind after the driver has departed. The temperature can be adjusted as needed, but an alert will also be sent to the owner’s smartphone. In short, you'll have to do it on purpose to make this kind of mistake.
Oh right, the powertrain
With all the tech wizardry, it’s easy to forget the most important element of the vehicle: the powertrain will make it go. Initially, the EX90 coming to our market will have two motors fed by a 111-kWh battery. In all, maximum output is announced at 496 hp (using power mode) while anticipated range is 480 km in North America. As for recharging, Volvo says the SUV can get back to 80 percent charge (from 10 percent) in 30 minutes on a fast terminal (we're guessing a 350-kW outlet, but no specific mention was made).
Of course, All of that data is preliminary. There are many months to go before the model hits the market, plenty of time for changes.
The final word
Volvo is entering a new era with the gradual electrification of its entire lineup, an operation that will be completed in 2030. Ten years after, the company wants to attain full carbon neutrality. The race is on, already.
The Volvo EX90 will be a 2024 model, but as we were told in Toronto, its market debut could be around the turn of next year only, in part because the company is focused first on the arrival of what could be the EX30 this summer.
