Volvo has unveiled its new flagship vehicle geared with a next-generation “software first” electric drivetrain, the EX90.
The SUV is the most advanced vehicle Volvo has ever built featuring technologies such as bi-directional charging and lidar.
In-house electric powertrain
The EX90 sees Volvo’s all-new in-house developed electric foundation with the necessary hardware to support bi-directional power sharing, allowing the SUV to pump unspent energy back into the grid or into another electric car.
The vehicle will initially only be offered with one all-wheel-drive powertrain containing a 111kWh battery driving two electric motors, the combined output totaling 380kW and 910Nm.
The configuration makes possible a maximum driving range of 600km on a single charge, and a fast-charging cable takes the SUV from 10% to 80% in under 30 minutes.
The “Plug and Charge” app now being fully integrated into the software further aims to make it easier to take advantage of public plugs.
Next-generation safety
Keeping with the core of the Volvo brand, the EX90 is even safer than any of the manufacturer’s vehicles that came before it, being “designed to understand you and its surroundings to help keep you, your loved ones, and others in traffic safe,” said the company.
It’s equipped with a mix of cameras, radars, and lidar sensors that together “create a real-time, 360-degree view of the world.”
Not only will the Volvo monitor the road and your surroundings for hundreds of metres for any hazards and take action accordingly, it now also permanently scans the interior to detect when the driver is distracted, drowsy, under the influence, or otherwise inattentive.
If the driver seems to be dropping their attention, the EX90 is able to get their eyes back on the road with a “soft nudge”, and if they don’t react, it will stop itself safely on the side of the road and call emergency services.
The Pilot Assist advanced driver assist package has been enhanced with lane-change support, too.
Minimalism on another level
The cabin of Volvo’s new flagship continues the minimalist design aesthetic the manufacturer has become known for.
Disrupting the flow of the wood-paneled dash is a vertical 14.5-inch infotainment display running Google’s latest software, now providing voice assistance, Google Maps, Android Auto, as well as Apple CarPlay through a wireless connection.
Moreover, it will be the first Volvo to feature the 25-speaker Dolby Atmos surround sound system, as well as the first to debut phone key support.
The latter makes it possible to lock and unlock the car, pre-condition the cabin before getting in, and check charge levels directly from your smartphone.
Finally, in its pursuit of carbon neutrality by 2040, 15% of the steel, 15% of the plastic, and 25% of the aluminium that Volvo uses in building the EX90 are recycled.
The South African launch date and pricing of the new Volvo EX90 have not yet been revealed.
Volvo EX90
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