Review: Volvo EX90 Ultra
The electric take on Volvo’s most famous model is calm and confident.
After driving the Volvo ES90 I had high hopes for the EX90. They are both based on the SPA2 platform which I was really impressed with in the ES90.
The good news is, the EX90 literally feels like a taller and larger ES90. So the good road manners, impeccable refinement and comforting build quality are all present. Offering an additional third row does make the EX90 more versatile, but the ES90 is surprisingly practical with its liftback. Even with the third row up, there is still a decently sized boot that can fit a pram and more.
From the driver’s seat though, it is pretty clear that the ES90 offers a superior experience. Thanks to its lower centre of gravity and a single motor at the rear, it just feels a lot more dynamic. Interestingly, it also seems to ride better than the EX90, feeling more cosseting and sorted. The additional weight and size of the SUV does come with costs.
The back seat experience of the ES90 is also more special than in the EX90. There’s a lot more legroom (the EX90 compensates by giving more headroom), and the rear seats are also reclinable. While the EX90 felt like a conventional large SUV, the ES90 felt like it could really take the fight to the Mercedes S-Class or BMW 7-Series.
With an update in 2026, which is included in this car, the EX90 now has a 800-volt electric system (versus 400-volt before), a dual NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin-based core computer and a suite of new connected safety, collision avoidance and driver support features, which brings it up to date to the ES90. The EX90 was launched earlier and, placebo or not, appears to have been released to the market not quite complete as opposed to the ES90.
If you need the 7 seats, then the EX90 is the way to go. But if you could sacrifice some of that optionality then in my opinion the ES90 is a better car overall.
Photos by Sean Seah
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