Volvo EX90 could be worthy competitor to R1S

[iansriv]

At least the headlights are better. I will concede that.

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[larrydallas]

Reserved. Order #125xx.

2020 R1S order holder here with a “2024” estimated delivery date. I’m still furious at the ridiculous push-out for LA Silver R1S batches and the extreme lack of transparency or even remote empowerment with the Rivian “black box delivery lottery circus”. Saying this brings me no joy, but if Volvo does this right and beats my R1S delivery, they’ll very likely get my money.

EDIT: To add more color, I understand the two vehicles are somewhat different audiences, but clearly overlapping. I’m not a hardcore off-roader or need the assumedly larger hauling capacity of the R1S. Sure, I was excited to perhaps get more “adventurous” and try some new activities, but 98-100% of my time will be road miles. Volvo has a history of making luxury SUVs. I like the LiDAR and HUD options and the color options suit me ever so slightly better. Wife will likely enjoy the EX90 more, too, and having real dealerships isn’t going to hurt. I just won’t be taking it off-roading - something I’ve never done and probably won’t miss (but might a little).

 

[Khaos]

Reserved. Order #125xx.

2020 R1S order holder here with a “2024” estimated delivery date. I’m still furious at the ridiculous push-out for LA Silver R1S batches and the extreme lack of transparency or even remote empowerment with the Rivian “black box delivery lottery circus”. Saying this brings me no joy, but if Volvo does this right and beats my R1S delivery, they’ll very likely get my money.

EDIT: To add more color, I understand the two vehicles are somewhat different audiences, but clearly overlapping. I’m not a hardcore off-roader or need the assumedly larger hauling capacity of the R1S. Sure, I was excited to perhaps get more “adventurous” and try some new activities, but 98-100% of my time will be road miles. Volvo has a history of making luxury SUVs. I like the LiDAR and HUD options and the color options suit me ever so slightly better. Wife will likely enjoy the EX90 more, too, and having real dealerships isn’t going to hurt. I just won’t be taking it off-roading - something I’ve never done and probably won’t miss (but might a little).

I'm exactly the same boat as you and now have a Preorder on both. Realistically though because I live on Canada, my guess is Volvo wins the race to get my money

 

[dleewla]

95% of R1S owners use case is going to be driving around town and on highways. the stuff the R1S can do most of us will hardly ever use so from a utilitarian point of view the EX90 makes a lot more sense.

i think tech wise its a draw between the R1S and EX90. R1S obviously wins with the off-road capabilities with its suspension. the driver assist and autonomous features Volvo is going to win hands down. in my mind Rivian is in basically last place among all major car manufacturers right now. safety tech Volvo wins. if they can keep the price in the $80k-90k range, this is going to be a very compelling option.

 

[Gamma rays]

95% of R1S owners use case is going to be driving around town and on highways. the stuff the R1S can do most of us will hardly ever use so from a utilitarian point of view the EX90 makes a lot more sense.

i think tech wise its a draw between the R1S and EX90. R1S obviously wins with the off-road capabilities with its suspension. the driver assist and autonomous features Volvo is going to win hands down. in my mind Rivian is in basically last place among all major car manufacturers right now. safety tech Volvo wins. if they can keep the price in the $80k-90k range, this is going to be a very compelling option.

I agree the price is going to be key. However, if the safety features turn out to be as good as advertised, I certainly won't mind paying a small premium for it. As far as off-road capability, I can't imagine myself doing any with the R1S (if I ever get one) other than driving on some unpaved dirt/gravel roads.

GR

 

[Prime]

Not crazy about how this looks. Polestar 3 while not 3 row looks nicer and has better tech.

 

[Gamma rays]

Not crazy about how this looks. Polestar 3 while not 3 row looks nicer and has better tech.

Curious what tech on P3 is better than EX90?

GR

 

[Prime]

Curious what tech on P3 is better than EX90?

GR

Frameless side windows, air particle filter with realtime visualization of contaminant levels, 250kw charging, 5G internet connectivity for infotainment. Thats just naming a few, maybe the EX90 will inherit a few more by the time they launch, but Polestar has been propped up as Volvos R&D branch so the vehicles will have features that Volvos wont have at least in their first generations.

 

[Friscorays]

Tiny frunk (little over 1 cubic foot) with rear storage looking pretty small as well. Bland styling. Bland exterior colors. Portrait interior center display. Slow as far as EVs go. Unimpressive range. Easy pass.

 

[Madsen203]

If Volvo won’t Jack up market rate at time of delivery, 100% would go with Volvo.

 

[larrydallas]

Tiny frunk (little over 1 cubic foot) with rear storage looking pretty small as well. Bland styling. Bland exterior colors. Portrait interior center display. Slow as far as EVs go. Unimpressive range. Easy pass.

Frunk admittedly looks small, although much of it is dedicated to a “tire repair kit/warning triangle”, so might be more useable if you take out the divider. “Bland styling/colors” is a matter of opinion. I suppose I’d call it classic Volvo: aiming for a more sophisticated, understated look - one my wife prefers over more aggressive truck styling that’s become popular in the US. As for “slow and unimpressive range” it doesn’t seem all that much different than the Rivian, which perhaps is also “unimpressive”.

I do like the better tech: LiDAR, HUD, etc. And the safety features are impressive for families if Volvo can deliver on the hype. Also helps that Volvo is 100% stable with a network of real dealerships and a generally more solid delivery process that makes me confident I’ll get one in a less opaque manner. I got a phone call from the local dealership within two hours of placing my pre-order online asking if I had any questions and giving me their insight on delivery expectations. It’s hard to argue that, as a startup auto manufacturer, Rivian has been absolutely horrible at setting customer expectations and delivering on them.

Perhaps not your thing, but I can see EX90 convincing me to cancel my R1S pre-order if it can get to me in late-2023 or very early 2024.

 

[camaroz1985]

Folks who were waiting for the EV9 or Ioniq 7 would definitely jump on board with the EX90. Lots of folks who want a normal 3 row SUV that’s no different from an ICE SUV.

The Rivian R1S is more like Tesla… not a traditional car or SUV per se. I can imagine your middle aged soccer mom being turned off by the tech.

I would consider my wife in the group that would be fine with EV9, Ioniq 7 or EX90. She prefers something that looks more "normal". She doesn't really have any requirements for a vehicle and adapts to whatever she has to drive. Her daily drivers over the last 3 years have been a Suburban 2500, Chevy Volt, VW Atlas, and now VW ID.4. She likes the size and seating position of the ID.4 the most but wants something with a 3rd row, thus our interest in any EV that is 3 rows (but I couldn't get her to just take the leap and go with the R1S). We know that the 250 mile range of the ID.4 works for us, so anything beyond that for a vehicle in this segment is acceptable. Of course more is nice, but I wouldn't pay more to get longer range.

Given that I would drive it about half the time (basically whenever we take it on a longer trip instead of the R1T), I tend toward the higher autonomy tech and more luxury focused EX90. For us it will come down to availability and value, not necessarily cost, but that of course is a component.

 

[Bristlecone]

I would consider my wife in the group that would be fine with EV9, Ioniq 7 or EX90. She prefers something that looks more "normal". She doesn't really have any requirements for a vehicle and adapts to whatever she has to drive. Her daily drivers over the last 3 years have been a Suburban 2500, Chevy Volt, VW Atlas, and now VW ID.4. She likes the size and seating position of the ID.4 the most but wants something with a 3rd row, thus our interest in any EV that is 3 rows (but I couldn't get her to just take the leap and go with the R1S). We know that the 250 mile range of the ID.4 works for us, so anything beyond that for a vehicle in this segment is acceptable. Of course more is nice, but I wouldn't pay more to get longer range.

Given that I would drive it about half the time (basically whenever we take it on a longer trip instead of the R1T), I tend toward the higher autonomy tech and more luxury focused EX90. For us it will come down to availability and value, not necessarily cost, but that of course is a component.

Put a deposit on the EX 90, number 12k something. Have a preorder on the R1S, January 2022 supposedly coming sometime in 2024. I've had a Volvo xc40 Recharge since May 2021, love it, so kind of inclined toward a second Volvo electric. One fairly big consideration is whether the EX 90 will be eligible for the federal tax credit. Another is how good it will be as our mountain car, where the road to our cabin is quite rough Forest Service road. Clearance is the same as our 4Runner which it would replace. A relative is already interested in buying my R1S if we don't want it. So a question: If I take delivery of the R1S, sell it pretty quickly to the relative because I will be getting the EX 90, can I still get the federal tax credit on the Rivian( I have the binding purchase contract).

 

[Friscorays]

....“Bland styling/colors” is a matter of opinion..... As for “slow and unimpressive range” it doesn’t seem all that much different than the Rivian, which perhaps is also “unimpressive”.....

Styling and colors are of course subjective but black, white, blue, tan and various shades of silver / gray are really bland choices IMHO.

Slow for an EV is not so subjective: Rivian 0 to 60 is 3.2s all day long while Volvo quotes 5.7s (4.7s for the "sporty" option). Real world, that is a night and day difference.

Wouldn't minimize the difference in storage capacity. Just over 1 cubic foot frunk for the Volvo is laughable compared to 11 for the Rivian. 68 cubic feet rear storage for the Volvo compares to 100 or so for the Rivian. Judging from what I've seen so far, the third row of the Rivian would also appear to be a much more pleasant place to be as compared to the Volvo.

All the safety gadgets are fine I guess but I'm counting on the benefits of Rivian's four motors to do more to keep me out of trouble than any of that; especially as I don't anticipate ever making use of any level of automated driving until I am forced to.

Didn't mention pricing but will be interesting to see what all the desirable options add up to and can't help but wonder how the wool interior option will hold up after a year or two of use.

I have been a fan of Volvo in the past but this really has zero appeal for me.

 

[SeaGeo]

250kw charging, 5G internet connectivity for infotainment.

The ex9 has at least both of these.

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