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| 2024 Volvo EX90 |
Starting at 997,000 Krona plus additional costs, the first-ever Volvo EX90 marked the new beginning for the Swedish carmaker as their road to becoming an all-electric carmaker is in full swing to keep up with the challenges of the new normal.
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| 2024 Volvo EX90 |
Beginning with the design, the EX90, when it was first unveiled to the world, was the first to incorporate the "new normal" Volvo design judging by the pixelated take on the Thor's Hammer headlamps and the squarish Volvo trademark taillights. Although the retractable door handles and creases made statements, the "new normal" exterior design is the template for future all-electric Volvos heading their way.
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| 2024 Volvo EX90 interior |
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| 2024 Volvo EX90 interior |
The same "new normal" Volvo principle applies to the interior. It features a 14.5-inch touchscreen powered by Android Auto that controls not just entertainment and navigation but almost the entire car, which can be cumbersome for anyone behind the wheel. What's also cumbersome is the steering wheel with touch-sensitive buttons, a rotary gear selector, USB-C ports, a digital instrumental panel that knows your name, and others.
Regardless of how many seats you have, from five to seven, the boot space can accommodate up to 1,915 liters with the passenger seats folded down. With all seats present, it can carry up to 365 liters. Decent enough to carry today's grocery shopping list or rather thrift store dump if you're into that. The sweet spot of the EX90? Almost impossible to say because most Swedish families may end up with this, but it still works rather well for escorting liberal democrats, woke capitalists, and other VIPs alike. It's business class with a greater cause.
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| 2024 Volvo EX90 |
The EX90 features three different configurations armed with the 107kWh lithium-ion battery pack such as the entry-level 279PS Single Motor, the 408PS all-wheel-drive Twin Motor variant, and the most powerful in the lineup, the Twin Motor Performance. The flagship variant produces 517PS of power and 910Nm of torque, sprinting from a 0-100kph time of 4.9 seconds. That's it. The driving distance in one full charge is about 590km. A real road-tripping crossover.
Asked about charging times, the EX90 will take about the length of an episode of your anime show to reach 80% or nearly half an hour to reach full charge while at home.
Although extremely regular to drive every day, not to mention being silent and comfy on the move, the EX90 is packed with a roof-mounted Iris LiDAR sensor from Luminar, five radars, eight cameras, two interior cameras, and 16 ultrasonic sensors, taking advantage of the crossover's cutting edge safety features Volvo has championed through the year. Although capped at Level 2 autonomy for the time being, the EX90 is the first that is hardware-ready for fully autonomous driving in the future. Whoa.
Like it or not, the EX90 is the poster Volvo of the new normal as its road to becoming an all-electric carmaker is in full swing. However, those who demand more should consider its sportier alternative to the EX90.
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| 2024 Polestar 3 |
This is the Polestar 3, the third Polestar-made vehicle and the second fully electric since the Polestar 2 midsize saloon. Priced at 960,000 Krona plus additional cost, it's cheaper to own than the EX90, although it's available only as a five-seater.
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| 2024 Polestar 3 interior |
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| 2024 Polestar 3 interior |
While the exterior is strikingly sexy for crossover standards thanks to its design inspired by the Precept Concept, although the sidelines and rear can be downright mistaken for the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the minimalist interior, the 9-inch digital instrument cluster, the 14.5-inch touchscreen, and up to 1,411 liters of boot space proves that the Polestar 3 is all about taking things seriously, whatever life throws at it.
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| 2024 Polestar 3 interior |
Offered only in a Twin Motor 4WD layout with 107kWh lithium-ion battery, the Polestar 3 is offered with a choice of a 489PS Long Range Dual Motor and the 517PS Performance Pack. Although the latter is the same as the one in the EX90's range-topper, this is faster than the EX90 Twin Motor Performance variant because the Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor Performance variant is 0.2 seconds faster than the EX90 and while the EX90 is as fast as a Japanese car on Japanese roads, the Polestar 3 goes flatout in 210kph.
Apart from the performance, the Polestar 3 features front double wishbones, rear integral link, dual-chamber air suspension, adaptive dampers, Brembo brakes, and torque vectoring, making this heavyweight Polestar worth driving everywhere. Makes you fizz behind the wheel, huh?
Like the EX90, the Polestar 3 is packed with numerous safety features that earned the right to become fully autonomous in the foreseeable future, with Level 2 autonomy the best it can do for now. It even comes with the Polestar-first Smart Eye that detects drivers' eye movements in the name of reducing driver distraction. Speedo boys consider it a buzzkill but whatever.
The Volvo EX90 and the Polestar 3 are two extremely different sides of the same coin. While the EX90 is all about being a civilized crossover daily, the Polestar 3 rewrites the rules of what a fully electric crossover should be. Either way, this is the new normal. Deal with it.
Photo: Volvo Cars/Polestar