The car’s computers also get to know the driver, Ljung Aust told Autocar, learning how they drive so the system can “know when your attention is elsewhere”. Emma Tivesten, Volvo’s senior safety research leader, confirmed these features can be turned off by the driver, but has warned against this.
“We’ll continue to innovate until cars don’t crash any more. All in order to protect more lives, in line with our purpose,” a Volvo statement read. “The EX90 is the start of a new era for Volvo Cars, taking our legacy of safety, quality and innovation into the future.”
But all this new technology will come at a price. The EX90 is expected to eclipse the current range-topping XC90 Recharge PHEV’s £76,525 price. Full details, including costs and release dates, will be revealed on 9 November, the Swedish firm confirmed.
The XC90 remains a consistently strong seller, even in the current, second-generation car’s seventh and final year on sale. In the first 10 months of 2021 alone, the XC90 accounted for around 6.5% of Volvo’s global sales, putting it third only to its Volvo XC60 and Volvo XC40 SUV siblings.
Recent patent filings suggest the EX90 will look more like the current XC90 than was suggested by the concept, which had a straighter-edged two-box silhouette reminiscent of estate cars such as the Volvo V70. When he was Volvo’s CEO, Håkan Samuelsson told Autocar that Volvo will gradually reduce its conventional estate offering – currently comprising various forms of the Volvo V60 and Volvo V90 – in recognition of the simple fact that “people really are fond of high seating positions”.
But Volvo says the electric XC90 successor will straddle the boundary between two segments to capitalise on the popularity of SUVs while differentiating itself from rivals and avoiding alienating buyers of lower-slung models. Page called it “a new type of vehicle” that “displays new and modern proportions that go hand in hand with increased versatility”.