WeeklySA_AdminCOMING SOON: Volvo EX90 a hugely impressive upmarket electric SUV, well-built with lavish accessories – but at a cost
By Ali Mphaki
First the good news. Volvo SA has confirmed their flagship new Volvo EX90 will debut on South African soil at the latest early next year.
Then the not-so-good news. The flagship model will not come cheap. So boys and girls brush up your wallets and prepare to splash on what is a hugely impressive upmarket large electric SUV which is lavishly equipped and well built earning its stripes as the Swedish brand’s largest electric car to date.
Was supposed to be unleashed almost a year ago in line with Volvo’s electric ambitions before the year 2030, now that it is here the wait may just be worth it for both Volvo’s enthusiasts and would-be friends.
Volvo’s original plan was to get its new flagship in production toward the end of 2023 so that dealers might have models in showrooms early this year. There’s also the reservation list, which filled so quickly that Volvo shut it down sooner than anticipated. However, after the car’s November 2022 reveal, Volvo engineers confronted unexpected complexities with its software stack. In May 2023, the automaker officially delayed the start of production until the first half of this year.
The Volvo electric drive has so far churned out exciting products like the pocket-rocket EX30, the exceptionally drivable EX40, and now its the big brother EX90’s turn..
You cannot mistaken the EX90 for anything else but a Volvo. The newcomer is immediately recognisable just as its ICE counterpart the XC90 cause they share same shape.
The major difference being at the front, where the EV has no grille unlike its fuel-driven sibling. Tail-lights are split into sections, roundish units found on the old XC90 are imported into the newcomer,
Inside is a haven of tranquility, the light-coloured materials and clean dashboard – in line with the brand’s minimalist approach.
Word is out that unlike the Volvo EX30 where everything gets shown on the central infotainment, the EX90 comes equipped with a driver’s display which lends itself for more friendlier usability.
The EX90 is offered in two derivatives, the entry-level Twin Motor model riding on all four wheels and the Twin Motor Performance model which bumps power up to 510bhp.
Volvo SA, we told, are toying with the idea of bringing one model the Twin Motor model, but will confirm this closer to date of launch.
WIth a large 107kWh battery, locals need not worry as the Twin Motor EX90 offer more and more kilometres to drive anywhere as per its quoted range of 374 miles. And when it comes to that bane of EVs – the charging, Volvo says the EX90 is capable of reaching from 0 – 80 percent in around 30 minutes.
If doing it the Eskom way be prepared to wait for approximately 8 hours. And wait for it, the Volvo EX90 despite its bigger size can be pretty fast.
The entry-level model Twin Motor will gobble the 0-100 km/h sprint in 5.9 seconds, whilst the Twin Motor Performance will cover same in a blistering 4.9 seconds.
No doubt Volvo is calling out the many for its electric products, but reality is that few will be chosen thanks to the price tag.
What is in no doubt is that.the Volvo EX90 is poised for an interesting encounter with the likes of BMW iX, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV as well as the forthcoming Range Rover Electric.
As football commentators are wont to say…whenever rivals meet there is no therefore..
Motoring: Briefs
CAR SALES DOWN
PRETORIA: Reflecting on the new vehicle sales statistics naamsa | The Automotive Business Council said that the positive July 2024 new vehicle market performance could unfortunately not fuel a sustained rebound in the August 2024 sales performance.
Aggregate domestic new vehicle sales in August 2024, at 43,588 units, reflected a decrease of 2,266 units, or a loss of 4,9%, from the 45,854 vehicles sold in August 2023. Overall, out of the total reported industry sales of 43,588 vehicles, an estimated 35,503 units, or 81,5%, represented dealer sales, an estimated 12,4% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3,3% to the government, and 2,8% to industry corporate fleets.
The August 2024 new passenger car market at 30,022 units had registered an increase of 891 cars, or a gain of 3,1%, compared to the 29,131 new cars sold in August 2023. Car rental sales accounted for a sound 16,7% of new passenger vehicle sales during the month. Domestic sales of new light commercial vehicles, bakkies and mini-buses at 10,709 units during August 2024 had recorded a decrease of 2,941 units, or a loss of 21,5%, from the 13,650 light commercial vehicles sold during August 2023.
NEW NISSAN PATROL SA DEBUT
Following the recent reveal of the new Patrol, CAR has reached out to the folks at Nissan to find out when the seventh-generation model will make landfall in South Africa. From what we understand, the box-fresh version will arrive here in 2026, with the model line-up likely offered with both V6 engine options.
Speaking of the powertrains, as a reminder, the box-fresh Patrol ditches its forebear’s (298 kW/560 N.m) naturally aspirated, 5.6-litre V8 petrol in favour of not only a new 3.5-litre, twin-turbocharged V6, but also a V6 petrol engine making do without forced induction. Equipped with the former, the new Patrol is the most powerful series-production version of its namesake ever built by the Japanese automaker, with the 3.5-litre petrol unit churning out 317 kW and 700 N.m of torque. The 3.8-litre atmospheric V6 produces 236 kW and 386 N.m.
In addition, as opposed to the previous iteration’s seven-speed automatic cog swapper, the new Patrol models send power to all four corners via a nine-speed self-shifter. Six driving settings, including a 4WD transfer mode interlock system, and adaptive air suspension are standard fitment on the new Patrol package.
BMW ENTERS HYDROGEN SPACE
A new player is about to enter the hydrogen game as BMW has confirmed plans to roll out a fuel cell electric vehicle in 2028. To bring the project to fruition, it’s expanding its existing collaboration with Toyota, one of the few other automakers that still believes hydrogen has a future. While the Japanese brand has been selling the Mirai for a decade, this will be BMW’s first hydrogen car people will actually be able to buy.
Since the vehicle won’t be launching for another four years, BMW refrains from going into details. However, it does say the hydrogen model will be a version of an existing product. Munich’s latest hydrogen project is based on the X5. That being said, logic tells us a hydrogen SUV would not be a production version of the iX5. This generation of the luxobarge is already in the second half of its life cycle. By 2028, it will have been replaced by the next-gen vehicle.-Motor1.Com
VOLVO SHARP U-TURN
ANOTHER best-selling carmaker has abandoned its plans to only sell EVs by 2030 – with three reasons behind the shock U-turn. The firm joins Ford as the latest industry giant to back off its ambitious Net Zero targets despite tightening legislation in the UK. Swedish brand Volvo, beloved by millions of Brits for their economical and stylish family SUVs, has watered down its self-imposed targets after concluding that full electrification was a step too far.
The company admitted that it would not meet the target this week as it plans to retain some hybrid models beyond the initial 2030 deadline. Instead, it now expects to be able to stretch EV sales to 90% of its total output by that date. The remaining 10% will be whittled down over the subsequent five years, in time to comply with the EU’s stringent carbon emission laws.
