Mat Watson reviews the Volvo EX90: Is this the new king of luxury EVs? 

I like to recommend Volvos to people. They’re comfy, stylish, safe and often cheaper than the German alternatives. However, the new EX90 could be about to change my tune on this Swedish brand.

It’s not quite what I was expecting in a few key areas, including some which I thought was a dead-cert for a Volvo. After spending a week with the EX90, I’m going to show you around the exterior and interior, tell you how practical it is and take it for a drive to see how it performs on the road.

Volvo EX90 prices and deals: the first shock

I want to start by talking about the price, because in the past Volvos were usually cheaper than key German competitors.

That’s not the case with the EX90 though, because this car starts from a whopping £80,000, and the car I’m testing costs £98,000. That makes it around £10,000 more expensive like-for-like than a BMW iX.

And that’s not all, because right now through Carwow you can save an average of £19,000 on a BMW iX, but there are currently no savings available for the EX90. That’s why it’s important to check out the latest deals through Carwow before you buy your next car. It could drastically alter your decision and save you a lot of money.

Volvo EX90 design: not quite a home run

The Volvo EX90 is not just an electric version of the XC90; it’s built on a totally different platform and doesn’t share a single body panel with that car.

Up front you have a blanked-off front grille with Volvo’s typical Thor’s Hammer headlights, making it look a bit like an enlarged Volvo EX30. You get pop-out door handles down the side which are actually quite nice to use, but I still prefer the normal handles you get on the XC90.

Alloy wheel sizes start from 21 inches, but this car has the 22-inch rims which I really like. Unlike the XC90, this car has black trim around the windows instead of chrome to give it a more modern look.

Finally we come to the back of the car where, once again, it looks a lot like the smaller EX30 with the C-shaped light design. However, I’m not sure the EX30’s design features translate very well onto a car which is a whopping 80cm longer. That car looks super cool because of its compact dimensions and squat stance, but this looks a bit bloated to me.

However, that’s not the biggest problem I have with the way this car looks. Up on the roof you may have noticed a big box poking out above the windscreen. That is the LiDAR sensor for the full self-driving tech. It’s pretty ugly to look at, but EX90s ordered from April 2026 onwards won’t have it. Volvo has had some issues with the supplier of this sensor, so it’s decided to just get rid of it.

Volvo EX90 interior and technology: things are looking up

Volvo knows how to make a minimalist interior, and the EX90’s cabin is just lovely. It’s not like a Tesla in the way it feels devoid of any features, this car has much more personality.

I love the curvy shape of the dashboard and the light wood material Volvo is using on the centre console and dashboard. There’s also no real leather in here, but it’s making me question if I actually need dead animal skin in my car because this synthetic stuff feels so good.

This top-spec car has the no-cost optional wool seats which I reckon are well worth having. They feel nice and soft, and I like how they look as well.

Moving away from the materials, the switchgear all feels really solid and nicely damped, although I’m not a fan of the fact you don’t get four window switches. You have to push a button to toggle to the rear windows, which feels mean in a car as expensive as this.

Pretty much everything in the EX90 is controlled through the massive portrait touchscreen, and it’s a tale of two halves. Starting on the positive side, it’s really zippy and responsive to your inputs, and the menus are pretty easy to navigate.

While I would like physical climate controls, these functions are locked to the bottom of the screen at all times for easy access. I also like the fact you get Google built in, meaning you can use apps like Spotify and Google Maps without pairing your phone.

However, I did notice an annoying glitch during my time with the car. I was in a tight car park and wanted to dip one of the mirrors to see the curb, and this has to be done through the screen. However, every time I pushed the button on the steering wheel to adjust it the menu would just vanish.

I also don’t like how Volvo has put the glovebox release on the screen, and I especially don’t like the fact the shortcut for it disappears when you start driving.

Small niggles aside though, the EX90’s interior is really nice. Volvo still knows how to make a lovely cabin.

Volvo EX90 space and practicality: it’s great for families

There are plenty of storage cubbies inside the Volvo EX90, including big door bins which can easily fit a 1.5-litre bottle and a massive compartment under the central armrest.

Moving to the middle row, it’s actually more spacious than the petrol-powered XC90. This means headroom is really good, and so is legroom. You can actually slide each seat individually to make even more space, and they recline as well. I also like the fact there’s no hump in the floor, which makes it easier to carry three people. That said, a Kia EV9 offers a touch more shoulder space.

The Kia is also better for people in the third row. It’s not too bad in the EX90, with acceptable legroom and decent thigh support, but the EV9 offers a lot more space for adults.

With all seven seats in place you have 324 litres of boot space, which is actually more than you get in a Volvo EX30. With the third row folded away you get 697 litres of space, which is more than 130 litres less than a Kia EV9. Despite this, I actually managed to fit one more carry-on suitcase under the Volvo’s load cover than I did in the Kia.

Driving the Volvo EX90: luxurious and relaxing, but there’s a catch

The Volvo EX90 is a really good long-distance cruiser. It does all the usual things you expect from a big, luxurious SUV which makes your journey nice and chilled-out.

It’s incredibly quiet at speed, and the seats are lovely as well. I could do mile after mile in these chairs and get out feeling refreshed.

Then there’s the suspension. I drove the top-spec Ultra version, and it has air suspension which does a really good job of smoothing out bumps in the road. It just feels expensive in the way it goes up the road.

However, lower-spec models don’t get this setup. They get traditional springs and dampers which aren’t as comfy or luxurious. With the standard suspension fitted, the EX90 isn’t as comfortable as a BMW iX, and it’s annoying that you can’t fit the air suspension as an option on the lower-spec car. You have to spend an extra £13,700 to upgrade to the range-topping model.

At least the EX90 is surprisingly easy to thread through city streets for such a massive SUV. You get really good visibility thanks to the massive windows, and the standard-fit surround-view cameras help as well.

I also found the turning circle to be nearly as tight as an Audi Q3’s, and that’s a much smaller car than this.

However, things aren’t so good when you hit a country road. I don’t expect a 2.7-tonne electric SUV to handle like a sports car, but the EX90’s steering is really vague and you never quite know what’s going on beneath you. A Hyundai Ioniq 9 handles better.

I also wasn’t hugely impressed with the range. The Twin-Motor car I tested has a claimed range of 375 miles, which would be impressive in a car as big as this. However, I saw a real-world range of 255 miles during my week with the EX90, which isn’t really good enough from a car with a 100kWh battery.

Mat’s final verdict on the Volvo EX90: should you buy one?

So then, what’s my final verdict on the Volvo EX90? Well I would avoid the current cars with the LiDAR sensor on the roof because you don’t want a car with a big ugly protrusion which serves no purpose.

As for the 2026 model year EX90 with that sensor removed, I would consider it. It’s a very lovely electric SUV, but it’s just a bit too expensive and the real-world range isn’t quite good enough.

Car change? Carwow!

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