Volvo Car Malaysia (VCM) has announced that it will be launching the fully electric EX90 and plug-in hybrid XC90 facelift soon. The company isn’t providing much in the way of details for now, merely stating that “both models will be made available for local purchase with a date to be announced via the brand’s website.”
“Regardless of whether you want the best-ever safety technology in a fully electric vehicle, or whether you want to upgrade to the latest version of our iconic SUV awarded multiple times over, there is a ‘90’ flagship model to best suit your life and your lifestyle,” said Chris Wailes, managing director of VCM.
For those interested in the EX90, you can now register your interest at this link. The SUV made its global debut in 2022 but deliveries only commenced in 2024. Malaysia is set to be one of the first Asia Pacific markets to get the SPA2-based electric vehicle (EV) after Thailand.
In terms of powertrains, the EX90 is offered with two all-wheel drive configurations. The first is known as the Twin Motor and packs 408 PS (402 hp or 300 kW) and 770 Nm, while the second option is the Twin Motor Performance with 517 PS (510 hp or 380 kW) and 910 Nm.
Both feature a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery with a gross energy capacity of 111 kWh (107 kWh usable), enabling a WLTP-rated range of 600 km (Twin Motor) or 590 km (Twin Motor Performance). For charging, the EX90 supports a maximum AC input of 11 kW, which will get the battery fully charged in approximately 10 hours.
With DC fast charging at a peak rate of 250 kW, a 10-80% state of charge is reached in about 30 minutes. It remains to be seen which variant we’ll get, but the company did confirm lidar and the brand’s Superset tech stack for our market.
As for the XC90, Malaysia’s first plug-in hybrid vehicle to be locally assembled (in 2016) received a facelift in September last year that brought with it an updated yet familiar design. The current XC90 here is offered with plug-in hybrid (T8 AWD) and mild hybrid (B5 AWD) powertrains, and we expect these to be retained for the newer model.
The facelifted XC90’s T8 AWD powertrain consists of a 2.0 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine that serves up 310 PS (306 hp or 228 kW) and 400 Nm of torque. This is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the rear axle gets an electric motor rated at 145 PS (143 hp or 107 kW) and 309 Nm.
Together, the total system output is 455 PS (449 hp or 335 kW) and 709 Nm. Compared to the pre-facelift model we have here, power is actually down – the older model packs 462 PS (456 hp or 340 kW) – with torque remaining unchanged. As such, the 0-100 km/h time has gone up by 0.1 seconds to 5.4 seconds, while top speed stays the same at a capped 180 km/h.
The B5 gets a 2.0 litre turbocharged and supercharged inline-four with slightly higher outputs of 250 PS (247 hp or 184 kW) and 360 Nm – current Malaysian model is rated at 249 PS (245 hp or 183 kW) and 350 Nm. Armed with an eight-speed auto gearbox and mechanical all-wheel drive system, the B5 AWD needs 7.7 seconds to complete the century sprint and tops out at 180 km/h, identical the pre-facelift model.
We’ll bring you more information about the Volvo seven-seaters as they become available. In the meantime, which of the two are you looking forward to the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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