Goodbye XC90! 2023 Volvo EX90 electric SUV confirmed with safety, powertrains, timing and more details revealed

The Volvo XC90 has been a staple of the seven-seat premium SUV set for just shy of two decades. The first generation lumbered on for 12 years before it was replaced in 2015 and that second-gen model marked a major shift for Volvo, signalling a reset for the brand.

Volvo is set to change things up yet again with the replacement for the XC90, which is now confirmed to adopt a slightly different moniker - EX90. The ‘E’ signifies the new model’s status as a battery electric vehicle.

The new-gen BMW X5 competitor is also going to up the ante when it comes to safety. Volvo’s reputation for safety innovation is well documented, but the Chinese-owned Swedish carmaker says the EX90 will take things to the next level.

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But will the EX90 be as successful as the two generations that came before it? Will Australians embrace a fully electric large European SUV? Here is everything we know so far about the Volvo EX90.

What will the Volvo EX90 look like?

Volvo has confirmed it will reveal the EX90 on November 9 this year, so we have a few more weeks before we see what the XC90 replacement will look like.

However, some clues relating to the exterior design can be found in the Concept Recharge that was revealed in mid-2021.

The concept’s designers created a new shape for an SUV under the philosophy of ‘less but better’. The concept retains the elevated seating position and layout of an SUV, but with a sleeker shape.

Volvo's Concept Recharge from 2021.

Thanks to the placement of the battery pack under the floor, it will have a longer wheelbase and therefore a more spacious cabin.

Patent images uncovered from the European Union Intellectual Property Office reveals more about the EX90’s design, while the render from kolesa.ru above shows what the production-ready model could look like.

What powertrains and platform will the Volvo EX90 use?

The current XC90 is built on Volvo’s 'Scalable Product Architecture' (SPA) that also underpins the XC60, S90/V90 and S60/V60. It is an internal combustion engine platform that can accommodate hybrid and electric powertrains.

The EX90 will use an all-new dedicated electric vehicle architecture that, like the existing platform, will be scalable to suit different model sizes and body types.

Volvo is remaining quiet on the specifics of the new platform - possibly dubbed SPA2 - but it will be a skateboard style setup.

Details relating to electric driving range and efficiency will likely be revealed in November.

Patent filing renders of the Volvo EX90. (Image credit: EUIPO)

What safety features will the Volvo EX90 have?

Volvo is sharpening its reputation for vehicle safety even more with the EX90, with the company saying in a release that the “standard safety in the EX90 will be beyond that of any Volvo before it”.

In fact, Volvo says its research suggests the company’s software and sensors “can help reduce accidents that result in serious injury or death by up to 20 per cent,” while crash avoidance could be reduced by up to 9.0 per cent.

The focus will be on driver distraction and alertness with the EX90 taking driver attention alert systems to the next level. Cameras and sensors will be fixed on the driver to monitor their eyes and grip, and if things are not as they should be, the system will alert the driver a number of ways. If the driver is unresponsive, it will bring the EX90 to a stop and call for help.

The EX90 employs 16 ultrasonic sensors, eight cameras, five radars and LiDAR, that are all powered by Volvo’s computing platform and software, and work together “to create a 360-degree real-time view of the world”.

Volvo says the LiDAR will be capable of detecting even small objects hundreds of metres ahead on the road, during day or night, while pedestrians can be detected at 250 metres when traveling at 120km/h.

The current Volvo XC90 SUV.

How much will the Volvo EX90 cost?

Volvo is a way off announcing pricing for the EX90, but the current XC90 is priced from $92,990, before on-road cost, for the entry-level B5 AWD and it tops out at $121,990 for the T8 Ultimate AWD plug-in hybrid flagship.

Given the higher cost of the PHEV, and the fact that the EX90 will be electric only, it’s a fair bet the new model will be pricier than the model it replaces. That means it could start from where it currently ends - about $120,000.

Other all-electric premium SUVs in Australia include the BMW iX that’s priced from $135,900, the Jaguar I-Pace from $142,580 and the Audi e-tron from $138,323.

When is the Volvo EX90 going on sale in Australia?

It is expected to go on sale in Europe mid-to-late 2023, but the Volvo EX90 will land in Australia in either quarter two or quarter three of 2024, according to a Volvo Australia spokesperson.

While the current XC90 will live on and remain on sale alongside the EX90 in some markets, CarsGuide understands the XC90 will be dropped when the EX90 arrives as the carmaker pushes to meet its ambition to be totally electric by 2030.