Volvo EX90 reveals future of safety

If the future is already here, then apparently it’s Swedish, seven-seater, and has 25 speakers. Also: it sees in the dark, understands your voice, and brakes before you even know you need to. At least, that is the automotive future as envisaged by Volvo. Its new flagship, the Volvo EX90, is the most sophisticated electric car Volvo has ever built, and possibly the most overqualified family SUV in South Africa.

Launched near Paarl amid long-term roadworks that resulted in the event involving more presentation slides than seat time, the EX90 is, “the safest Volvo ever”. For that, we have the word of Tarcísio Triviño, managing director of Volvo Car South Africa. He told the media at the event, “You can imagine — the safest car ever, of the safest brand, should be safe.”

What makes it so safe, exactly? A high-tech concoction called Safe Space Technology. The star of the system is LiDAR — a laser radar system that scans the road 250 metres ahead with what Volvo says are 33 million computations per second. That’s faster than most arguments on X.

“There has been some few OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) that have had LiDAR,” said Volvo’s Felipe Yagi, “but they were only on top-of-the-range variants. The EX90 comes standard with it.”

It’s a first for any car manufacturer, globally, to include LiDAR across all variants. But it doesn’t work alone. Up to 12 cameras, along with radar and ultrasonic sensors, feed into what Volvo calls a full safety suite. It’s not just about avoiding accidents. The idea is to prevent them before they happen — to see the pedestrian around the corner or the car slamming on brakes up ahead, and step in when the human brain takes too long.

_{Photo courtesy Motorpress.}

And then there’s the brain inside the car itself or rather, two of them. 

“There are two chips in the car,” said Triviño, responding to a GadgetWheels question about NVIDIA’s role in the vehicle. “One computer is dedicated for the infotainment systems and sound alarms, and the other is for the capability of autonomous current.”

That’s not a typo. It’s how Triviño described the autonomy functions — which makes sense in a car that’s not pretending to drive itself, but is very much preparing for that day.

The EX90 runs on the new SPA2 platform and carries a 400-volt battery architecture, supporting fast charging up to 250kW. 

“From 10 to around 80 percent would take you roughly 30 minutes,” said Yagi. 

Range? “Around 614 kilometres on a diverse cycle.” Again, that’s the brochure number. What it does in Joburg traffic during load shedding with aircon and Spotify on full blast remains to be seen.

Not that you’d mind being stuck for a while. Inside, it’s all sustainable fabrics, minimalist Scandinavian design and a frankly outrageous sound system.

 “We have, in the EX90, an impressive 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system that is 1610 watts of power,” said Yagi.

That’s enough to run a suburban streetlight network — or just drown out the kids in the back seat.

Those kids sit in one of seven seats — all electronically adjustable — in a car that was clearly designed with long-haul comfort in mind.

The centrepiece of the cabin is a 14.5-inch touchscreen that controls nearly everything. “You are greeted by this beautiful 14.5-inch screen,” said Yagi. “Almost all of the functions are controlled from there.” Volvo’s system runs on Google Automotive Services, which means native integration with Maps, Assistant, apps and voice commands.

One oddity is the relatively compact, though cute, 9-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. When asked if this was a result of feedback from the EX30, which had no instrument cluster at all, Triviño was clear: “I would say that was not a result. We have a different kind of strategy behind it, due to the target of the people… and the technology that is on the EX90.” 

It is also complemented by a head-up display. So it’s not about less — it’s about not needing more.

From a South African perspective, perhaps the most practical part of the package is the local infrastructure bundling. Volvo is including a wallbox charger with each EX90 — installed at the customer’s home or office — and throws in two years of free charging through its partnership with GridCars. 

Three years of in-car data is also standard, with 10 GB of Vodacom data per month as part of the package. The EX90 is its own Wi-Fi zone, cloud connection and digital concierge. 

Even the key is future-forward. 

“We have three accessibility methods,” said Yagi. “One is digital key, the other is an NFC card, and the third is a key tag.”

If this all sounds like Volvo is trying to do a bit of everything at once — it is. But it’s not by accident. 

“We are launching five new cars this year,” said Triviño. “We expect to have a small increase in terms of volume this year, but after 2025, our expectation is to increase by 1,000 cars per year until we achieve 20% market share. That is our aim.”

In other words, this is not a tech demo. The EX90 is the tip of a very deliberate spear. It follows the EX30, which has been a quiet success story in South Africa. According to Triviño, Volvo has already “placed in the first and in the third position when it comes to EV sales.” He also claims a 50% share of EVs in the local premium segment.

These are bold numbers for a brand that’s still seen by some as slightly under the radar. But the EX90 itself will not go unnoticed. At 1.75 metres tall, with a wheelbase of nearly 3 metres and a design language that’s half spaceship, half minimalist lounge, it has presence. 

And then there’s the driving. Brief, yes. But enough to tell that this is not just a large, quiet box with some tech bolted on. The steering is clean, the braking regenerative, and the acceleration — a claimed 4.9 seconds from 0 to 100km/h — surprisingly athletic for a vehicle that weighs as much as a rhinoceros in body armour.

Price and availability

The Volvo EX90 Ultra Twin Performance retails at R2,650,000. It comes in 8 colours and two interior trim options. The price includes a 3-year/60 000 km maintenance plan, a 5-year/100 000 km warranty, 8-year battery warranty, and 5-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance. 

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.