2025 Volvo EX90 First Drive Review
Volvo's all-new flagship electric SUV comfortably doubles down on safety and technology.
Ron Sessions
In 2017, Volvo was among the first car companies to commit to an electric future, and the new 2025 EX90 is proof of that pledge. Highlights of the new three-row electric SUV include ample power and driving range, a thoughtful interior full of conveniences, and the latest infotainment and safety technologies. The result is a delightfully polished new Volvo flagship.
The 2025 Volvo EX90 is available with Twin Motor and Twin Motor Performance electric drive systems and Plus or Ultra trim. Base prices range from the low $80,000s to the low $90,000s, including the $1,295 destination charge to ship the SUV to your local dealership from the final assembly plant near Charleston, South Carolina. The EX90 joins Volvo's existing three-row SUV, the gas-powered XC90, at the top of the company's lineup.
For this EX90 review, I spent a day testing a Twin Motor Performance Ultra equipped with optional 22-inch wheels and a Bowers and Wilkins surround-sound system in Southern California. Its manufacturer's suggested retail price was $94,640, including the destination charge.
Ron Sessions
The 2025 Volvo EX90 Is an Entirely New Volvo
Although the EX90 is all new, it is instantly recognizable as a Volvo, thanks to familiar design elements such as the Thor's Hammer headlights and vertical taillights mounted on the rear roof pillars.
Volvo's Twin Motor electric drive features two motors that provide standard all-wheel drive. The base powertrain delivers 402 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, and upgrading to the Twin Motor Performance configuration boosts output to 510 horsepower and 671 lb-ft. Volvo claims acceleration to 60 mph takes 5.7 seconds for the Twin Motor and 4.7 seconds for the Twin Motor Performance. When properly configured, the EX90 can tow up to 4,850 pounds.
The electric motors draw power from a 111-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery under the passenger compartment floor. Volvo says it delivers up to 308 miles of driving range, is DC fast-charging capable at up to 250 kilowatts, and recharges from 10% to 80% in as little as 30 minutes.
The EX90 also features bi-directional charging, which makes it a potential electrical piggy bank for powering a home during a blackout, recharging camping equipment and electric scooters, or even rescuing another EV.
Ron Sessions
Volvo also introduces a pair of customizable displays in the EX90. The driver gets a 9.0-inch landscape-format digital display, while a portrait-style 14.5-inch center touchscreen provides access to infotainment, navigation, and more.
The center screen features Google built-in with Google Maps, Google Assistant conversational voice recognition, and access to the Google Play Store. This system also supports wireless Apple CarPlay, and the optional Bowers and Wilkins premium audio system boasts 25 speakers.
New digital key technology enables unlocking and starting the EX90 using the Volvo app on your smartphone. EX90 buyers also get an NFC key card that performs the same functions. The standard wireless phone charger acts as a docking station for the phone or key card.
Ron Sessions
The Volvo EX90 Is the Strong and Silent Type
My evaluation route included local and residential streets, limited-access tollways, and a winding two-lane highway that twisted over a mountain range. To me, the drive demonstrated that this Volvo is built to high standards. I found it a pleasure to drive, and thanks in part to the Ultra trim's acoustic window glass, exceptionally quiet inside.
As you might guess, the EX90 Twin Motor Performance is satisfyingly quick and responsive, and you can easily haul it back down from speed by stepping on the brake pedal or activating the one-pedal-drive feature and lifting your foot off the accelerator. The deceleration rate is not adjustable, but Volvo chose a setting that shouldn't agitate close-following drivers behind the SUV.
Despite the test vehicle's 22-inch wheels and low-profile tires, the standard air suspension and the Ultra trim's active damping delivered a smooth ride with impressive absorption of most road impacts.
Upon startup, the active air suspension is in a soft setting. I found that softness contributes to minor bounding on uneven pavement, body lean in sharper turns, and a weeble-wobble effect due to the heavy lithium-ion battery carried low in the chassis.
Ron Sessions
Drivers can adjust the suspension to a firmer setting for a sportier feel through the driving dynamics menu on the center screen. The steering effort is also adjustable, but I don't think adding extra weight to the otherwise light-effort default setting is worth the bother.
With 22-inch wheels, the EX90 Ultra will travel an EPA-estimated 300 miles on a full battery. After 155 miles of driving, my test model's trip computer indicated 48% of battery charge remaining, which pencils to a hypothetical 303-mile range on this trip.
That's good for an EV weighing more than 3 tons, especially since my evaluation included hard acceleration runs, twice climbing about 2,000 feet on twisty mountain roads, and continually using the climate control system to battle summer temperatures approaching 100 degrees.
Ron Sessions
The EX90 Is a Tech-Savvy Rolling Sanctuary
As you might expect of a Volvo, the EX90 features a long list of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). However, the new flagship SUV takes the ADAS to a higher level with improved sensing technology, including one lidar, five radars, 16 ultrasonic sensors, and 10 cameras (two infrared).
These sensors and cameras continually feed data into a new AI-driven onboard supercomputer to help prevent collisions. For example, the roof-mounted lidar unit can sense a pedestrian up to 250 meters ahead, about the length of 2.5 football fields, even at night. That is far beyond what the human eye can detect.
Other potentially life-saving technology includes a pair of infrared cameras to detect an inattentive driver and radar sensing that can pick up the slightest movements inside the cabin after the EX90 is switched off and locked, such as when a child or pet is left behind.
In the EX90, Volvo's Pilot Assist adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist system adds a new automatic lane-change feature. When the driver signals a lane change, sensors ensure it is safe and Pilot Assist steers to help the driver execute the maneuver.
Ron Sessions
From the driver's seat, Scandinavian minimalism has its pros and cons. The EX90's interior looks clean and contemporary, but consolidation or integrating functions into the center touchscreen has eliminated many of the physical controls. For example, to adjust the exterior mirrors or the tilting and telescoping steering wheel, you must dig into the display's menus. I feel this adds complexity to the user experience.
A seven-passenger seating configuration is standard, and the optional second-row captain's chairs reduce the headcount to six. No matter where you sit, the EX90's cabin is bright and cheery, partly due to a standard panoramic sunroof. However, although the roof glass is tinted, I thought it transmitted too much heat, so I recommend springing for the extra-cost sun shade.
I found the EX90's front seats to be superbly comfortable and supportive in all the right places, and the Ultra trim includes massagers and adjustable side bolsters. The second-row bench seat is almost as comfortable.
For adults, the comfort ends at the EX90's third-row seat. I found it hard for grown-ups to squeeze into, and legroom is only sufficient if the second-row occupants pull their seats far forward. Small children will likely be alone in finding the third row comfortable.
In-cabin storage space is decent, and the EX90 supplies a maximum of 67.6 cubic-feet of cargo space with the second and third-row seats folded flat. There's concealed storage under the cargo floor, and the front trunk is a great place to stash the EV's charging cable.
Ron Sessions
The EX90 Offers Eco-Luxury and Invigorating Performance With a Swedish Twist
With the 2025 EX90, Volvo brings a uniquely Scandinavian take on design and sustainability to the fast-changing electric luxury SUV segment. It will face off against a host of competitors, including the BMW iX, Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis Electrified GV70, Mercedes EQE SUV, Rivian R1S, and Tesla Model X.
In my opinion, Volvo has checked all the boxes for safety, technology, and performance. Unless you plan to use the SUV's rear seat regularly, I think the EX90 is a promising choice.
Volvo provided the vehicle for this 2025 EX90 review and paid for airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Ron SessionsRon Sessions is a seasoned vehicle evaluator with more than three decades of experience. He has penned hundreds of road tests for automotive and consumer websites, enthusiast magazines, newsletters, technical journals, and newspapers.
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