Volvo EX90

FIRST DRIVE Volvo is entering the super-lux SUV arena with its new £100k EV, and we've been behind the wheel

- Richard Ingram

EX THERE'S no getting around it, the Volvo EX90 is an expensive car, with prices starting at a whisker under £100,000. But while that's a lot, the big electric SUV has very few rivals. Neither Audi nor BMW offers an EV with seven seats, and the Mercedes EQS SUV is £30k more.

The Volvo is currently only available in Twin Motor and Twin Motor Performance guises, too, with single-motor models coming later. Those will offer more modest performance, with a lower price and could easily be the pick of the range.

On the road, the EX90 is comfortable and remarkably refined. So refined, in fact, you'll feel the inexplicable need to turn the volume down on the world when you step out of the car. Close everything up and you feel cocooned; along with the light-coloured materials and clean dashboard, the SUV is a relaxing place to while away the miles.

Yes, the 22-inch wheels and wide tyres give off a distant hum at motorway speeds, and there's a little whistle from around the door mirrors. But all-in, the big Volvo is very civilised. The ride isn't flawless (again, probably due to those wheels) but the EX90 doesn't fidget, and tends to feel pretty tied down.

However, no amount of electronic trickery can completely disguise the 2.7-tonne kerbweight, which is noticeable in the bends. The standard-fit air suspension controls it, but there's always a sense that you're carrying significant heft into tight corners. Still, as long as you manage to scrub the speed sufficiently (there's an intuitive one-pedal drive mode, and strong brakes) then you'll have no trouble slingshotting out the other side.