[Star Test Drive] Volvo EX90 and XC90: The Only Way to Choose the Best Volvo

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

One-line Star Review

The combination of 'Volvo' and '90' makes any choice the best one.

Good

- The overwhelming quietness and meticulous craftsmanship of the EX90

- The calm, orderly design and driving feel of the Volvo XC90

Bad

- Compared to the EX90, the XC90 now has a distinctly classic flavor.

- Today's Volvo is in a complex transitional period, with different platforms across vehicle classes and a range of powertrains from PHEVs to pure EVs.

Competitor

- Lexus ES: It may not show it on the surface, but it is clearly the biggest obstacle for the ES90.

- Audi Q5: No matter what price Volvo sets, Audi offers a 'more enticing' price tag.

Anyone who understands the automotive industry to any extent knows that this is truly a time of upheaval. Looking at Volvo makes it clear. Even without thinking about global Volvo, the cars sold by Volvo Korea are truly a rainbow of options. This is because they offer almost every powertrain, from internal combustion engine vehicles to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and pure electric vehicles.

Focusing on platforms, which are a key foundation of the vehicle body, is even more surprising. The Volvo S90 and XC90 use the SPA platform, a front-wheel-drive-based Scalable Product Architecture that accommodates internal combustion engines, mild hybrids, and PHEVs. However, the pure electric vehicles ES90 and EX90 are based on the SPA2, an EV-dedicated platform designed with high-performance centralized computing support in mind. Moreover, the Volvo XC40 uses CMA (Compact Modular Architecture), while the EX30 uses SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture). The fact that a single brand can offer so many platforms is unprecedented.

The Swedish automaker partnered with China's Geely Group to accelerate development. Attributing this solely to circumstances of selling in Korea would be an understatement; it is evidence that the current electrification trend is that dynamic. The decision to alternate between test-driving the EX90 and XC90 for this review was made with the hope that, in such a time of change, the choice would ultimately be guided by preference rather than anything else.

To get straight to the results, the EX90 shows superior performance in every aspect. It is larger, more modern, drives and brakes better, and offers a higher level of interior UI sophistication. However, the XC90's engine is exceptionally smooth, and the sound quality produced by its B&W speakers, along with the harmony between components, is unforgettable to a degree that is hard to ignore. Furthermore, personal memories accumulated over time with the XC90 overlapped, making it impossible to simply turn my steps toward the EX90.

EX90: A Symbol of Advanced Volvo

The car's catchphrase is 'the safest Volvo in history.' The basis for this confidence is clear. Five cameras and five radars work together with 12 ultrasonic sensors to detect surrounding objects. A monitoring system that tracks the driver's eyes and head movements can detect intervals of less than 1mm. Its Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) capabilities are also remarkable. Equipped with 'Hugin Core,' a core system developed in-house by Volvo, and NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin core computing, it delivers the most powerful computational performance in the brand's history. Even for a large vehicle class, its drag coefficient is just 0.29, a figure sharper than that of a typical sedan.

In Korea, the EX90 is sold in two trims: Twin Motor and Twin Motor Performance. In a previous test drive event, I drove the Twin Motor Performance, while this time I tested the Twin Motor. Given that the starting price exceeds 1 billion won, expectations for satisfaction were high, but I felt even greater satisfaction throughout the drive. First, the craftsmanship is quite good. In particular, in terms of design and materials, areas touched by hand were soft, while areas caught by the eye contained an exquisite sense of quality. The 'Sunlike LED' backlit wood trim, which exudes presence especially around dusk, is truly a masterstroke.

It is the most symbolic model among Volvos of the new era and a direct electrified successor to the XC90, which shaped today's Volvo. As such, it must be the most important model for Volvo. It demonstrates a level of refinement where it is difficult to find any flaws from start to finish. The 'Hugin Core' system developed in-house by Volvo and the NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin core computing unfortunately do not fully unleash their capabilities, but they still show overwhelming superiority in driving performance. True to its nature as an electric vehicle, it boasts outstanding acceleration and firm braking, along with agile handling in corners that makes one forget its size; this is the very embodiment of full-fledged future vehicle driving performance.

The numbers alone are impressive. The Volvo EX90 produces 456 horsepower and 68.4kg.m of torque, accelerating from a standstill to 100km/h in just 5.5 seconds. Its safety-limited top speed is capped at 180km/h, but thanks to its four-wheel drive, it maintains exceptional stability even when surging up to that limit. A key point is that, being an electric vehicle, the onset of power increase and the result of braking occur in an instant. Based on NCM batteries, it handles a capacity of 106kWh with an 800V system, meaning it is also equipped with cutting-edge specifications.

XC90 T8: Proving the Enduring Value of the 90th Series

When Thomas Ingenlath introduced the XC90, Volvo was confined to the 'mid-premium' bracket. The XC90 is the car that elevated Volvo to the premium ranks and laid the foundation for almost everything. Among its variants, the T8 is a PHEV model that incorporates electrification elements to improve efficiency and output. Its 1,969cc engine produces a maximum output of 317 horsepower, with a maximum torque of 40.8kg.m, driving four wheels through an 8-speed transmission. The harmony between the electric motor and engine is smooth, with almost no sense of power interruption, and it marks a 0-100km/h time of 5.3 seconds, faster than the ES90.

The interior felt less impressive because I had just finished test-driving the ES90, but my gaze was drawn to the Orrefors crystal gear knob, which helped calm my mind. Moreover, the XC90's characteristic generous spaciousness seemed to speak for itself, as if saying that the best Volvo is still the XC90. The engine is subdued. Even when increasing speed, its presence is not loud. It hides its rough breaths, as if trying not to reveal its hidden source of power. The front-wheel-drive-based AWD system certainly helps maintain vehicle balance during initial acceleration. Additionally, it played a significant role in maintaining the most ideal driving line by adjusting acceleration and braking on the inner wheels during cornering.

The XC90 is still active. As the face of the E-segment, it can faithfully fulfill its role in both the second and third rows, and with ample trunk space, it fully delivers as a family SUV. It has not yet finished its job to hand over all its ground to the EX90. This is because, although the shift toward electrification is fierce in each country, hybrids and electric vehicles are still competing for sales rankings.

What Volvo 90 Can Promise

Although the EX90 is superior in every aspect, the representative work of the Volvo 90 cluster is still the XC90. Here, the S90 and ES90 have thickened the lineup with sedans. The Volvo 90 series consists of vehicle models that are the largest and most luxurious, occupying the highest seat on the Volvo throne with top-tier equipment starting from air suspension. This is why one can say that any choice will lead to encountering 'the best Volvo.'

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original