New Volvo EM90 signals the return of the MPV
Are we staring down the barrel of a new era of ultra-sophisticated, luxury electric MPVs? Volvo seems to think so and wants to get in on the ground floor with the EM90. It’s an all-new name, for a first-foray into an all-new segment for Volvo. It should almost go without saying, this is not a machine destined for our shores, at least not yet. It’s a car aimed squarely at China, where it will go on sale first.
Although it is quite unlike any Volvo we’ve seen before, it’s identifiable with all of the latest styling tropes of the Scandinavian marque. Those pixel-like hammer-shaped front lights give it kinship with the latest EX30 and EX90 SUVs as do the similarly-shaped rears. Being electric from the ground up means there’s no grille, though there is vestigial jewellery to make sure the EM90 doesn’t just have a blank face.
Otherwise this is about as van-like as it gets, with very little bonnet thanks in part to its skateboard architecture with the battery under the floor. To the sides we have conventional doors for front occupants but sliders reveal the rear seats, of which in this configuration there are just four.
Yes, the EM90 is intended to be a spacious and luxurious express for a driver and five adults, with lounge chairs and comfort controls for all passengers. There’s even a large 15.6-inch fold-down infotainment screen for the middle row that features things like ‘Meeting Mode’.
Volvo reckons the EM90 can be all things to all passengers, from a meeting room to a bedroom, a theatre or a music venue – the latter thanks to the 21-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system. Up front, there’s also a 15.4-inch infotainment screen in the middle that handles most driver and passenger controls.
In terms of powertrain, this is a long hauler, with a 116kWh battery pack allowing for 458 miles of range on a full charge. It can also be charged up to 80 per cent from zilch in as little as 30 minutes. That battery powers a 271PS (200kW) motor, which can hurry the EM90 to 62mph in just 8.3 seconds. Yes, a luxurious multi-purpose barge with the accelerative potential of a 1990s hot hatch.
So why aren’t we getting it? Well, our executives simply don’t have a taste for it yet. This is a vehicle designed to shuffle important people across vast expanses of the Asian continent. It’ll also cost the equivalent of £91,520 when it goes on sale. So no, Dad might not be looking at a trade-in from a Zafira, even if it’s a VXR…
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