The Volvo EX90 Wins the Gold for 2025
Published March 2025 / By Alexandra MilesThe award-winning Volvo EX90 — named the 2025 World Luxury Car — is expected to arrive in New Zealand soon. Christchurch drivers can look forward to experiencing the future of luxury electric vehicles with this premium seven-seater SUV. It impressed judges with its refined, comfortable, and minimalistic Scandinavian interior, cutting-edge safety technology, and sustainable design innovations.
The EX90 clinched the crown at New York’s International Auto Show. A panel comprised of 96 car journalists from over 29 different countries were convinced after extensive test drives. During these drives, they were able to fully appreciate the EX90's silent yet powerful performance, and ergonomic and luxurious interior designed for long, comfortable journeys.
“We’re pleased to see the EX90 get the recognition it truly deserves” . “It was up against some tough competition, but this award proves that the EX90 appeals to some of the most demanding customers across the world.” - Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive officer of Volvo Cars
The Essence of Scandinavia
Volvo’s design philosophy for the EX90 remains true to its roots, adhering to the core principles of Scandinavian Design. The philosophy of 'form follows function' ensures that every aspect of the EX90 serves a clear purpose.
Drawing inspiration from various sources, including yacht design, the EX90 showcases sleek, well-proportioned lines. The confident front end exudes presence on the road, while its smoothly rounded shape optimises airflow. Flush elements like side glazing further enhance the car’s aerodynamics, contributing to improved efficiency.
LiDAR
Integrating LiDAR (light detection and ranging) on the EX90 was a challenge, but easily worthwhile due to its contribution to safety when combined with cameras, radars, and ultrasonic sensors. Together, they provide a detailed image of what’s happening around the car. The LiDAR helps to detect vulnerable road users up to 200 metres away, even if in complete darkness.
The challenge of the LiDAR lay with its placement — maximising effectiveness requires positioning it high on the roof of the vehicle. To reduce aerodynamic drag while maintaining the car’s sleek silhouette, it’s been integrated into the centre of the roofline. It sits just above the windshield, housed under a low-profile cover that creates a nearly seamless appearance.
Interior Shapes
Another standout feature of the EX90 is its extended wheelbase and flat interior floor — made possible by short overhangs and a cleverly positioned battery, placed low between the wheels. Impressively, Volvo has achieved this while still maintaining a minimum ground clearance of 216 mm. This layout redefines interior space for passengers, creating a more open cabin with enhanced modularity, improved ergonomics, and greater design flexibility.
Inside the cabin, the EX90 offers exceptional quietness — placing it among the most serene vehicles in its class. Volvo has introduced progressive new materials that reflect its distinctive approach to modern luxury. One example is Nordico, a premium, leather-free upholstery crafted from recycled materials and bio-attributed sources, including forests in Sweden and Finland. With its smooth finish and elegant appearance, Nordico exemplifies sustainable sophistication. Enhancing the cabin further are advanced interior LEDs that closely mimic natural sunlight, and backlit FSC-certified wood décor, contributing to a refined and calming atmosphere.
A testament to its seven-seater configuration, the EX90 comes with a rare perk for its segment — ample boot space. With all seven seats upright, the EX90 has a load capacity of up to 310 litres. Behind the third row and with the third row folded down, storage capacity increases to 655 litres which makes the EX90 truly stand out among its seven-seater pairs.
The Drive Away
As Volvo continues to shape the future of mobility, the EX90 stands as a powerful preview of what’s to come—smarter, safer, and more sustainable driving, just around the corner.
Discover more about the EX90 or contact us for more information.