Earlier this week Volvo Cars Australia brought together their entire vehicle range for an exclusive event for select media. Aptly it was held at Caoura Cliffs, a luxury wedding venue in the Southern Highlands, offering panoramic Shoalhaven River views, rolling hills, and rugged bushland.
That’s because Volvo is an emotional brand that prides itself on building cars for life to attract and retain customers into the Volvo family. Volvo fosters this loyalty by updating both their new and older vehicles to keep them as current for owners as possible and also offers a lifetime warranty on their extensive range of replacement parts.
That family has recently expanded with the all-new ES90 being released in Australia and the EX30 Cross Country becoming the first electric vehicle to carry the ‘Cross Country’ name, which Volvo first introduced in the 1990s for the higher riding versions that were aimed to get people even closer the Swedish wilderness. Designed to cope with the demanding Scandinavian climate, Volvo’s Cross Country cars perform in a wide variety of road conditions, from muddy tracks and ankle-deep snow to highway driving, with the comfort and convenience elements that Volvo drivers have come to expect.
ES90
The star of show at the recent vehicle walk-through was the all-new ES90, a rear-wheel drive electric vehicle in a class of its own blending the looks of a sedan with the practicality of an SUV. It is the fourth fully electric model in the Australian product line-up, joining the EX30, EX40 and EX90 as Volvo Cars continues the journey towards full electrification.
The ES90 profile is what immediately stands out as does the car’s confident and distinctive stance, with a slightly raised ride height to provide the driver with a more commanding view of the road. The flowing roofline balances elegant looks with interior space and contributes to excellent aerodynamics, boosting overall efficiency and electric range. The Ultra spec boasts air suspension and an electrochromic sunroof in addition to a long list of standard features on both variants.
The ES90 is designed to evolve over time and is powered by next-generation core computers that represent an eightfold improvement over the previous generation. It’s the first Volvo car with 800V technology, for a longer range and faster charging than any electric Volvo before. And naturally, it’s designed with our pioneering safety tech at its core, in a package that is set to be another Scandinavian design classic from Volvo Cars.
Inside, the focus is on premium comfort, authentic materials and purpose-driven design, in line with Volvo’s Scandinavian identity and design principles that are the hallmark of a true Volvo car. Thanks to its long wheelbase of 3.1 metres, the ES90 provides very generous legroom for second-row passengers, making it an exceptionally comfortable place to travel for adults as well as children.
The new Volvo ES90 is available for order now and comes in two variants – ES90 Plus Single Motor with the MRRP $88,880 and the ES90 Ultra Single Motor carrying a MMRP of $107,990. Deliveries are expected to commence in early 2026.
EX30 Cross Country
The EX30 Cross Country is designed for people who want big experiences from their small, fully electric SUV. It takes the successful recipe of the Volvo EX30 and adds rugged ingredients, making it perfect for the growing number of people who want to explore beyond their crowded cities. Volvo has also launched a new experience package for customers who buy the car, with access to accessories, gear and information aimed at giving you the full potential to explore the great outdoors.
The Cross Country is higher off the ground compared with the standard EX30, to help you navigate rough terrain more easily. It also has special, bigger wheels, with the option of an 18-inch all-terrain accessory tyre to make those regular countryside outings even easier. Naturally, the EX30 Cross Country also comes with all-wheel drive, making it more than capable of handling the tough and slippery conditions that are part and parcel of life outside the city.
The new Volvo EX30 Cross Country is available for order now and comes in five colours: Cloud Blue, Crystal White, Onyx Black, Sand Dune and Vapour Grey and has the MRRP of $69,990.
EX90
The EX90 is Volvo’s halo electric vehicle, a seven-seat SUV based on the SPA2 platform that Volvo call a ‘software defined car’ that can download updates for an even wider range of vehicle features. This once again will keep this car relevant to customers for many years to come.
Powered by a huge 111kWh battery pack, EX90 was designed to be the most powerful fully electric SUV ever built by Volvo Cars, and Australian customers will be able to choose from two powertrain variants. The Volvo EX90 Plus Twin Motor delivers 300kW and 770Nm of torque and can launch from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds. The Volvo EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance supplies a massive 380 kW and 910 Nm, and can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds.
Inside the cabin, the Volvo EX90 epitomises the luxury and understated Scandinavian design that Australian customers have long admired. Volvo’s renowned seats feature plush Nordico upholstery. The high-end Bowers and Wilkins high fidelity audio system is arguably the best audio system in the large SUV segment, featuring 25 speakers, including a ‘3D surround sound’ experience that delivers a studio or concert-like experience inside the cabin.
Volvo Cars’ well know commitment to sustainability is reinforced in the EX90 which contains 15 per cent of recycled steel, 25 per cent of recycled aluminium and 48kg of recycled plastics and bio-based materials, the highest level of any Volvo car to date. I will be driving an EX90 in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for a detailed review then.
MRRP for the Volvo EX90 Plus Twin Motor starts at $124,990 and the Volvo EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance starts at $134,990, and both include a five-year/75,000km service plan. Both variants on sale now.
XC90
The XC90 updates are even more extensive with every panel redesigned except for the front doors and all of the interior from the front seats forward being redesigned. The reconfigured cabin makes the new XC90 even more practical in response to feedback from current XC90 owners. The designers have created additional storage space in the centre console, including an additional cupholder, and placed the wireless phone charger behind the central tunnel, separate from the main storage area, for greater convenience. The XC90 can also be specified with one of the best-sounding audio systems for a car, the Bowers & Wilkins High Fidelity audio system that can replicate the acoustics of a stage, a concert hall or a jazz club.
The seven seat, All-Wheel Drive XC90 is offered in two variants, XC90 Ultra B5 Bright a 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol mild hybrid engine mounted to an 8-speed automatic transmission and the XC90 Ultra T8 Dark (Plug-in Hybrid) that couples a 107kW/309Nm permanent synchronous magnetic electric motor to a 233 kW/400Nm 4-cylnder petrol engine, which features booth e-boost and turbocharger technology. MRRP for the Volvo XC90 Ultra B5 Bright is $104,990 and the Volvo XC90 Ultra T8 Plug-in Hybrid $130,990. Both variants on sale now.
XC60 & XC40
The XC60 is the highest selling Volvo model ever produced and was awarded Driven Women Magazine’s Car of the Year in 2019. It has recently received a light refresh with a new wheel and front grille design, an interior update with a larger infotainment screen and a new Volvo UX. The XC40 UX will also be updated later this year, bringing this vehicle’s infotainment experience up to date with other Volvo models.
Like Swedish design principles, Volvo cars is not looking to clutter the Australian market with many variants of their model range. Their philosophy is to choose the most relevant powertrains for Australia and deliver them with a high-spec for customers to then select from. To learn more about the entire Volvo range visit your preferred Volvo retailer.
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.