Introduction to the 2026 Volvo EX90
The petrol, diesel and hybrid-powered Volvo XC90 has been a massive part of Volvo's success story over the past two decades, appealing to family buyers that like the big SUV's seven-seat layout. The EX90 follows the same recipe, though with fully electric power. This is Volvo's flagship, and it looks every inch of that, from its imposing exterior to its gorgeous interior.
Pros & cons of the 2026 Volvo EX90
Pros:
• Fabulous cabin
• Seven full-size seats
• High quality
Cons:
• Range could be better
• Performance model is a bit OTT
• Too much touchscreen reliance
Exterior & design of the 2026 Volvo EX90
• Looks as expensive as it is
• Sober colour options
• Cool light design
Volvo's design language for its electric models is ultra-clean and devoid of any overt decoration, so the EX90 gets vast, but carefully sculpted, areas of plain metalwork, highlighted by the cool 'Pixel' style lights at the front and rear. There's a gorgeous bit of mechanical movement too, as when you select dipped beam headlights, the Pixels split and separate, to reveal the main beam LED projectors behind them. It's almost like a pop-up headlight of old.
Our Ultra spec test car came with handsome 22-inch alloy wheels, finished in a combination of diamond-cut pale metal and gloss black inserts.
Dimensions of the 2026 Volvo EX90
Length: 5,037mm
Width: 2,039 (mirrors folded)
Height: 1,744mm
Wheelbase: 2,985mm
Paint colours for the 2026 Volvo EX90
Vapour Grey, a very flat, almost matte hue is the standard, no-cost colour for the EX90. All the other options cost an extra €1,250 and consist of Onyx Black, Crystal White, Denim Blue, Platinum Grey, Aurora Silver (which has almost a pink tint), Sand Dune and Mulberry Red.
Of those choices, all of which are suitably sober and mostly quite dark, we'd go for either Mulberry Red or the rather lovely Sand Dune, though admittedly the latter is quite a bright colour for such a large car.
Interior, practicality, tech & comfort of the 2026 Volvo EX90
• Excellent quality
• Proper seating for seven
• Superb comfort
Volvo really is knocking it out of the park with its cabin designs, and the EX90 is no exception, with a mixture of high quality, minimalist design and the usual Volvo levels of comfort for the brilliant seats.
Getting comfortable in the driver's seat
Noone does seats quite like Volvo, and as this is the most expensive Volvo, you'll be expecting something special. You won't be disappointed.
The front seats use a little cube-shaped controller, mounted on the side of the seat, for adjustments and this can be configured, tapping on the big screen, to either adjust the seat in the main planes - up, down, forward, backward, backrest angle - or in more minute areas such as the side bolsters, seat angle, headrest etc.
It's a slightly fiddly control to use at first, but you do get used to it, and the seat itself (heated and ventilated in our test car) is gloriously comfortable and supportive.
However, while there's also plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel, allowing you to find a very comfortable driving position, the fact that this is done by going one or two menus deep on the screen, and then using buttons on the wheel, is deeply frustrating, at least for those of us who like to occasionally tweak our driving positions on a long journey.
The fact that the eight-inch driver's instrument panel is attached to the steering column is a bonus, though, as no matter where you position the wheel (and it's a proper, no-nonsense, fully-round wheel too) you'll have a clear view of your instruments (with a head-up display backing them up).
Infotainment and technology
Volvo's 14.5-inch touchscreen, mounted vertically on the dashboard, looks great and quite imposing, by touchscreen standards. The only physical buttons you will find are for stereo volume and track skipping, plus the column stalks behind the steering wheel (the right hand one is the gear selector) and some small buttons in the ceiling which control the interior lighting. Everything else is on the screen.
In one sense this is good - Volvo has worked hard to get the early-build kinks out of its touchscreen, and the underlying Google-based software means that everything is sharp, both graphically and in terms of response time. It's just that there's too much which is reliant on that screen, including the likes of turning on the dipped-beam headlights and fog lights, which seems a step too far. Bring back some physical buttons, please Volvo.
The rest of the screen is pretty mighty, though. The built-in Google Maps, into which you can sign and bring with you your favourite and recently searched locations, is super-slick, and it works with the car's battery too, pre-conditioning it when you enter a fast charger as a destination, or adding in necessary charging stops when you plan a long journey.
And then there's the stereo - Volvo has long been one of the best car brands around for audiophiles, but for the EX90 it's really pushed the boat out with an (standard on our test car) 1,610-watt, 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo that includes speakers in the headrests (so you can take a phone call while your passengers keep listening to music).
It includes Dolby Atmos for surround sound, and the ability to replicate the soundscape of sitting in the famed Abbey Road recording studio. I've never been to Abbey Road, but I'll take Volvo's word for it, and the sheer quality of the sound really takes some beating.
Practicality around the cabin
With this being a big car, you'll be expecting some big practicality, and the EX90 steps up to the plate. There are large door bins up front, There's a large storage area under the front-seat armrest and an even bigger open space down on the floor and under the centre console, which is hard to reach from the front seat, but which is ideal for stashing backpacks and so on.
The centre console also includes two cupholders under a sliding cover, and an angled wireless phone charger with a grippy, rubberised surface. The glovebox is roomy too, but this is another item that can only be opened via the touchscreen.
Rear-seat passenger space
One thing you will notice in the back of the EX90, in the middle row, is that the outer two seats are pressed quite firmly up against the doors. This isn't great for elbow room, but what it does do is liberate enough space so that there's a real, proper seat in the middle.
Impressively, although it is narrower than the outer two seats, that middle rear perch is spacious enough for even one of my substantial bulk to be able to get comfortable, thanks in part to the flat rear floor.
If you've only two in the back, there's a helpful armrest in that centre rear seat, with covered cupholders so you won't be dropping your elbow into the void every time. There are also handy seatback nets, as well as rear seat temperature and heated seat controls and USB-C sockets. The front headrests are also quite slim, so you get a decent view out.
Those middle rear seats tilt, recline, fold and slide so you can juggle the space around as needed, and access to the third row is surprisingly good.
Once in that third row, with the middle row all the way back on its runners, I have just enough legroom (I'm 185cm tall) and I'd have quite generous legroom if the middle row were budged up a bit.
Headroom in row three is a little less impressive, but it's adequate, and it'll be entirely fine for the kids who will most likely be sitting back here.
Fitting child seats to the Volvo EX90
You get four ISOFIX anchors in the EX90, which are located in both outer middle row seats and in both of the third-row seats. That's especially useful for parents, although it will certainly be a bit of a struggle to fit larger ISOFIX seats into the third row, as you'll have to lift, turn and twist to get them in.
Boot space in the Volvo EX90
With 690 litres of load volume, up to the luggage cover, the EX90 has plenty of boot space, even if it's not quite class leading. There is a nice flat floor though, which continues right through to the backs of the front seats if you fold them all down, but annoyingly, although there is a substantial under-floor storage area, there's still not quite enough room to tuck away that luggage cover.
There is a useful 'frunk' in the nose though, which is large enough for you to stash charging cables, and the main boot has some useful additions such as neat foldaway luggage hooks.
There's also, for models with air suspension, buttons in the boot which mean you can get the EX90 to 'kneel' at the back, making it slightly easier to load up heavier items.
Towing with the Volvo EX90
The EX90 has a maximum 2,200kg of braked trailer weight capacity, so it's a good option for those needing to tow. Just remember that towing has a significant effect on your electric range, and that it can make stopping for charging en route trickier.
Safety in the Volvo EX90
You'd expect a Volvo to get a good safety rating, and not only does the EX90 take home a full five-star score from Euro NCAP, but it also gets 90+ per cent scores in both adult occupant and child occupant safety.
An 82 per cent rating for vulnerable road user protection is also very impressive, especially for such a big, heavy vehicle. Volvo includes all manner of high-tech safety aids in the EX90, from a roof-mounted LIDAR scanner (that odd lump on top of the windscreen, which is apparently being phased out in future Volvo models) to the 'WHIPS' anti-whiplash system, to run-off-road mitigation, which sounds banal but which is actually a system to help prevent and protect against incredibly violent crashes where the car swerves off the road and impacts with a tree - well above and beyond the standard of Euro NCAP. Read the full Euro NCAP report on the Volvo EX90 here.
Performance of the 2026 Volvo EX90
• Rear- or four-wheel drive options
• Performance model has massive power output
• Smooth and comfortable to drive
The entry-level Volvo EX90 comes with a 333hp rear-drive single-motor layout, and a 92kWh battery, for an official range of up to 572km. Then there's a Twin Motor model, with a 106kWh battery and two electric motors, giving you four-wheel drive and 449hp, and finally at the top of the range there's the Performance Ultra version, our test car, which is packing a whopping 680hp.
Driving the Volvo EX90 in Ireland
Words by Neil Briscoe, published on 4 March 2026
You'd think having 680hp in a big family SUV would be a bit pointless... and you'd be right. I mean, it's great for boasting to your friends and all, but actually this most powerful of EX90s feels sometimes a bit ill at ease.
It's not that the car can't handle its power - it can, entirely so - but performance like this in a car like this just ramps up to cognitive dissonance, and the sometimes-savage surge of acceleration that you get feels out of place, even if it's exceptionally impressive. The rear-wheel-drive EX90 might be much slower, but it's a better-balanced car overall.
However, there's no denying the thrill that you can occasionally get from fully opening the taps on the EX90 Performance Ultra, and the 4.2-second 0-100km/h time is enough to put the mockers on more than a few petrol-powered sports cars. All with seven seats and a big boot.
And, of course, you can just restrain yourself. Be gentle with the accelerator and the EX90 settles into a pleasantly languid driving style, with exceptional levels of comfort and refinement. The only potential downside is that, running on air suspension, the EX90's big-bump comfort levels are generally really good, but as with many air setups, it can get occasionally caught out by smaller bumps at lower speeds. It's not a major problem though.
The steering isn't the sharpest around (if you want that, check out the EX90's close cousin, the Polestar 3) but the big Volvo has inherently good chassis responses, so it's more capable when faced with a tight and twisty road than you'd think. It does feel its size in town, though, and at two metres across even when the mirrors are folded, small car parks are a no-go.
Range, battery, charging and running costs of the 2026 Volvo EX90
• Two battery sizes
• Up to 624km of range
• Exceptionally fast DC charging
The EX90 comes with a choice of battery sizes and has fantastically quick DC-charging capability too.
Battery options and official range
In entry-level rear-wheel-drive form, the EX90's 92kWh battery offers an official range of 572km, while the bigger 106kWh battery in the Twin Motor models will stretch that to 624km for the standard version, and 602km for the Performance model.
Real-world range and efficiency of the Volvo EX90
Real-world range has often been an issue for Volvo's EVs, and the EX90 is no exception. Against the official 602km WLTP range, we were getting, at best, 450km, which isn't terrible, but it would be nice to have slightly more of a range cushion from a battery that big.
Blame lots of long motorway miles during our test drive for that, and for our average energy consumption of 25kWh/100km against Volvo's figure of 19.2kWh/100km.
Charging up the Volvo EX90
If the real-world range isn't fantastic, the Volvo EX90 more than makes up for that with some seriously fast DC charging when you're out and about. With a maximum speed of up to 350kW, the EX90 can do a 10-80 per cent top up in as little as 22 minutes, which is going some.
There's 11kW AC charging too, and vehicle-to-load if you need to use the EX90 as a big, rolling power bank.
Servicing the Volvo EX90
Volvo generally recommends that its fully electric models need a full service every two years or 30,000km. The car's on-board diagnostics will, in any case, tell you when you need to book a service, even alerting you through the Volvo phone app if you have it installed. There's a Volvo Service Plan option, which allows you to roll the cost of servicing for one, two, or three years into the car's finance payments.
Volvo EX90 warranty
Volvo's standard warranty in Ireland is a three-year, 100,000km offering, and the EX90's battery is separately warrantied for up to eight years or 150,000km. The EX90's paint is covered for three years too, and there's a 12-year anti-rust warranty as well.
Irish pricing & rivals to the 2026 Volvo EX90
• Appropriately expensive
• Still better value than most rivals
• Two trim levels
The EX90 is not a cheap car, with even the most basic version - the Plus Single Motor at €99,040 - coming within touching distance of €100,000. As soon as you're into a Twin Motor Plus model, you've broken that six-figure barrier with a price of €106,140. Choosing the high-powered Performance option pushes that out to €124,040.
A BMW iX is a comparable price overall, although ultimately a little more affordable at the entry level, while the high-performance M model costs a chunky €140,665 - neither of which are available as a seven-seater.
If you want a luxury brand seven-seat electric SUV, then really the only other option is the Mercedes EQS SUV, which is genuinely lovely inside, but which has a price that starts where the EX90's ends.
The only fly in the EX90's ointment is that there are some impressive seven-seat electric SUVs which are much cheaper - the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Kia EV9. True, neither has a premium badge and equally neither can match the Volvo for cabin design and quality, nor performance, but both are well worth considering if you want to save some cash.
Verdict - should you buy the 2026 Volvo EX90?
While the XC90 remains on sale for those of a more traditional mindset, the EX90 is a proper, true flagship for the Volvo brand. True, a little more useable range would be nice, but this is a car with a rare mixture of abilities - supercar performance, luxury car comfort, family car space and practicality. That's a heady mixture, and a deeply desirable one too.
FAQs about the 2026 Volvo EX90
Does the Volvo EX90 replace the XC90?
No, one complements the other. The EX90 is Volvo's flagship, showing off its latest and greatest EV tech and performance, while the XC90 has been refreshed and updated so that it can stay on sale alongside the EX90 as a hybrid-engined alternative for those not quite ready to take the electric leap just yet.
Does the Volvo EX90 have a frunk?
Yes, it does and it holds 44 litres, so you can easily fit your charging cables in.
Can I fit three car seats in the back of the Volvo EX90?
You can do better than that, you can fit four. There are four ISOFIX points in the rear of the Volvo EX90 - two in the middle row, and two in row three - and not only that but the centre rear seat is wide enough that you should be able to fit a booster cushion using the seatbelts. Volvo also offers the option of built-in pop-up booster cushions for the rear seats which make life very easy.
Want to know more about the 2026 Volvo EX90?
If there's anything about the new Volvo EX90 we've not covered, or you'd like help in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
