Family fortunes: Luxurious 7-seat Volvo EX90 priced for Australia, but is it worth the $20K premium over a Kia EV9?

February 6, 2025February 5, 2025 John Mahoney 222 Views 0 Comments ex90, volvo

The family-friendly 2025 Volvo EX90 seven-seat luxury SUV will be priced from $124,990 plus on-roads when it lands in Australian dealerships this April.

Sitting above the entry-level Polestar 3 ($118,000 – with less power, one motor and five seats), the most affordable Volvo EX90 Plus Twin Motor looks a snip beside more expensive German rivals, including the Audi Q8 e-tron ($153,984) and BMW iX ($136,900).

But it remains considerably more expensive compared to the Kia EV9 ($97,000).

Powered by a large 111kWh battery, the large SUV can travel up to 570km (WLTP verified) on a single charge, depending on which of two powertrains on offer in Australia you choose.

The entry EX90 Plus Twin Motor gets dual-motors and all-wheel drive as standard and produces 300kW and 700Nm of torque.

With that level of might, the EX90 can shrug off its imposing 2700kg kerbweight and sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds before topping out at a limited 180km/h top speed.

If that sounds too slow, Volvo will also offer you the EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance that dials up power to 380kW and the torque figure to more muscular 910Nm.

Against the clock the 0-100km/h dash falls to just 4.9 seconds.

The new EX90 also bags an 11kW on-board AC charger, while using a DC fast charger the big battery can accept a 250kW top-up, with a 10-80 per cent top-up taking 30 minutes.

The most powerful EX90 is a bit of a bargain compared to the closely-related Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack ($144,420).

Featuring the same platform, powertrain and tech, plus an extra row of seats, Volvo charges $134,900 for its new flagship – $9420 less than the Polestar.

Towing rates for both large SUVs is 2200kg.

Later on, a more affordable single-motor Volvo EX90 with 210kW could be made available in Australia to narrow the gap between it and the Kia EV9 and inbound Hyundai IONIQ 9.

Claimed to have been developed to be the safest Volvo ever, the new EX90 comes with the firm’s most advanced driver assist tech yet.

It blends cameras, radar, sensors and LiDAR with a powerful NVIDIA DRIVE processor and Volvo’s own software.

The new tech helps the EX90 on-board computers ‘see’ objects hundreds of metres ahead to give the driver plenty of warning.

If you still don’t react, the Volvo will act for you.

Inside, the EX90 is said to have a cabin that raises the bar for fit, finish, quality comfort and luxury.

Sustainability is also part of the equation and, instead of leather, high-end Nordico synthetic hide is employed that is made from recycled bottles, cork and pine tree oil.

The EX90 is also made of 15 per cent recycled steel and 25 per cent recycled aluminium, plus up to 48 per cent recycled plastics and bio-based materials.

As you would expect considering the six-figure price tag, specification is high, with both models coming with a full-width panoramic roof, a powerful 25-speaker premium 3D sound system and a large 14.5-inch infotainment system that runs Google-powered software.

Wireless Apple CarPlay is available, while the big EX90 offers the handy option to use your smartphone as a key.

Helping to sweeten the deal, when the 2025 Volvo EX90 SUV arrives this April the Swedish brand will kick in five years (up to 75,000km) of free servicing.