Volvo Unveils New EX90 7-Seater SUV, Electric Replacement for XC90

[Clark_Kent]

Originally Posted by br438

BIG emphasis on safe. massive. 3 hallmarks in the video were: Safety, Sustainability, Technology.

I feel like Safety is a baseline goal, not a hallmark. Different strokes... it's why I've never seriously shopped a Volvo - no soul, but I would bet that I've benefited from Volvo's comittment to safety and it's impact on the market.

Volvo invented the modern seat belt (3 point) and left the patent open for the industry to use. They built their brand on safety, it would be foolish to not lean into that. I have no issue with them calling safety out as a hallmark because it's in the context of reimagining what safety should look like in an automobile like they did in 1959 with their creation of the seatbelt.

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by M3WC

It is a luxury vehicle. Never was intended to be for an average American. Just like iX isn't for average American. You want average, wait for something like Honda Prologue which will be built on GM Ultium platform.

Doesn't look remotely luxurious for a 'luxury" vehicle

[AlexFL]

Originally Posted by stein_325i

And to be fair to Volvo, they've had this tablet design since the 2016 XC90, not exactly new for Volvo. While the design isn't revolutionary or original it fits Volvo's design theme and looks nice.

The exterior is decent, but I find the outgoing XC90 and Volvo design language has a more expensive and elegant look to it. Something about this EX90 is too plain, especially the side. Maybe other colors and trims will show this off better.

The XC90 interior looks quite different though - it has a fully integrated vertical central screen and a proper instrument cluster. This Volvo's interior looks very much like the one of Mach-E - looks rather sad for an 80k Volvo if you ask me. Having a plain looking interior with a free standing, poorly integrated central screen and a tiny instrument gauge has sadly become a common theme for most mainstream EVs. I can't tell whether this is a pure cost reduction measure or simply trying to follow Tesla's minimalism blueprint.

[Ximian]

Have a 2016 XC90 where we did an OSD with it. We're keeping it forever.

If you don't like the look of the EX90, it's because you're not who they're targeting with it. Do you know how often the people who actually buy XC90s talk about the way they look? Pretty much never.

Volvo is targeting people primarily concerned with safety, who want an interior made of sustainable and even vegan materials (why the pictured interior doesn't look particularly luxurious), where the car operates in an optimal manner when used daily. I was asked to fill out a few surveys by Volvo on my typical climate control settings, the fan speed, and the preferred noise level of the fan and then several surveys about my preferred seating materials along with explaining those preferences.

The results shared that I've seen place the importance of appearance towards the very bottom.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

Looks great to me! For those saying it looks boring...what do you expect for a 7 seat SUV? This is a vehicle designed for safe family duty, not tearing up the race track or being flashy around town.

Exactly.

[M3WC]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

Doesn't look remotely luxurious for a 'luxury" vehicle

It is Scandinavian minimalist styling. Not everyone's cup of tea. Volvo/Polestar does have BMW/Merc level materials and build quality in their more expensive vehicles.

[dreamingat30fps]

It seems like this type of design would be the obvious evolutionary next step. I mean when all cars had physical gauges, buttons, radios etc they all had the same basic design also. Gauges inside some kind of "visor" then your radio and other stuff in the center somewhere. Same basic concept forever. Then we got screens in cars and we went through some growing pains trying to figure out how to fit these things in the dash. Remember BMWs infamous double humps? Now I think we have had screens in the dash figured out for a while and we get some cool designs.

Then came tesla and threw a big ass ipad in the middle of the dash and called it a day. I mean the model s follows a pretty standard interior design... just with an oddly large screen in the middle instead of a small screen and buttons. I think what we see now is just an evolution of that. People want bigger and bigger screens and more screens and I think we are in the growing pains stage of figuring out how best to integrate all these screens.

It's like pre-smartphone cellphones that had all kinds of crazy designs (even though the basics were the same). Then out came the iphone and all we have now are basically screens in varying sizes.

[Mingwan]

It’s a more interesting proposition now they’ve gotten rid of the pos powertrain packages.

[stein_325i]

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by M3WC

It is Scandinavian minimalist styling. Not everyone's cup of tea. Volvo/Polestar does have BMW/Merc level materials and build quality in their more expensive vehicles.

The Volvo interiors are generally pretty nice. This one is hot trash. Can’t imagine paying $1500/month for a plain old boring EV grocery getter. Seems nuts

[AlexFL]

Originally Posted by stein_325i

Attachment 3030014

So what is their plan? This will definitely eat into Polestar sales numbers. Their products are so similar in design. I don't understand the corporate strategy here.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

The Volvo interiors are generally pretty nice. This one is hot trash. Can’t imagine paying $1500/month for a plain old boring EV grocery getter. Seems nuts

But you're ok paying $1500 for a plain old boring ICE grocery getter? Because when I think Volvo I think grocery getter not exciting sports car.

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

But you're ok paying $1500 for a plain old boring ICE grocery getter? Because when I think Volvo I think grocery getter not exciting sports car.

No, but there’s just something about the iPad-centric interiors that look and feel so cheap. What’s differentiating an $80k Volvo interior from a $30k Hyundai if they both have similar screens and leather seats? The interior literally looks like every single other EV that isn’t a Taycan.

[AlexFL]

The EV business is a lot like the PC business. Different brands, prices and specs but built around the same exact motherboard from Taiwan.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by dgoldenz

No, but there’s just something about the iPad-centric interiors that look and feel so cheap. What’s differentiating an $80k Volvo interior from a $30k Hyundai if they both have similar screens and leather seats? The interior literally looks like every single other EV that isn’t a Taycan.

I guess. I think the big screens are here to stay and we will be getting more and more of them. I think we are still figuring out how to incorporate them into the interior design. Have you seen the MB hyper screen or whatever they call it? Personally I think it hideous, but it looks fancy and more "expensive".

While this Volvo design is very simple and plain I don't think it looks cheap. It's a very nice clean design IMO and the materials at least appear to be good quality. I'm not sure the target Volvo owner would prefer the MB hyper screen... but the people that do can always get a MB instead or a BMW. The new 7 series interior is pretty crazy looking.

[M3WC]

Originally Posted by AlexFL

The EV business is a lot like the PC business. Different brands, prices and specs but built around the same exact motherboard from Taiwan.

Very true. Like the recent savagegeese review of EQE. EV's will be differentiated by their gimmicks. They will all essentially drive the same. Hopefully Porsche has some tricks up their sleeves, to give their EV's some personality.

[dgoldenz]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I guess. I think the big screens are here to stay and we will be getting more and more of them. I think we are still figuring out how to incorporate them into the interior design. Have you seen the MB hyper screen or whatever they call it? Personally I think it hideous, but it looks fancy and more "expensive".

While this Volvo design is very simple and plain I don't think it looks cheap. It's a very nice clean design IMO and the materials at least appear to be good quality. I'm not sure the target Volvo owner would prefer the MB hyper screen... but the people that do can always get a MB instead or a BMW. The new 7 series interior is pretty crazy looking.

When I see large screens all I think is fingerprints and glare everywhere that would drive me nuts.

[RichF90M5C]

Originally Posted by Sophisticated Redneck

Freaking tablets.on.everything. Can design engineers actually do their job anymore and not just cut and paste?

I surely hope this all goes sideways the way digital dashes from the 80's did but my gut tells me it here to stay. People are different now and seal clapping for the mundane while the bean counters cream their shorts over the cost savings and still charge a premium. A small ray of hope with VW going back to some physical buttons but I have my doubts. Damn you Elon for unleashing the "just stick a tablet in it" plague upon us.

We need an agreement, clap and let me buy this gentleman whatever he’s drinking emoji.

[RichF90M5C]

When road deaths as a result of tablets in cars become commonplace, which believe me they will, manufacturers will take an about turn. I cannot fathom how using a phone is illegal, yet fiddling around on a tablet to heat your seats is acceptable. It truly is utter madness.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by RichF90M5C

When road deaths as a result of tablets in cars become commonplace, which believe me they will, manufacturers will take an about turn. I cannot fathom how using a phone is illegal, yet fiddling around on a tablet to heat your seats is acceptable. It truly is utter madness.

Oh brother. They're less disruptive than farting around with a click wheel with 8 axis and ten year old UI. We'll all be fine.

[stein_325i]

[Clark_Kent]

Originally Posted by stein_325i

When I watched the launch last week I swore the presenter (I think it's the CEO) said 600km on a full charge. The video you posted supports what I thought I heard. That's about 373 miles. That's worth noting because Volvo keeps advertising the range as "up to 300 miles". Is the range of 600km only for the EU market?