The $80,000 Volvo EX90 Lower One Infuriating Nook

• Volvo is lastly launching its all-electric EX90 flagship after a collection of delays.
• The inside appears nice, however the window switches are an annoying instance of cost-cutting gone too far.
• It is not a dealbreaker, however we’ll need to see whether or not the EX90 is good sufficient on the highway to justify its lengthy gestation interval and lacking options.

The EX90 is Volvo’s long-awaited electrical flagship. It is the beginning of a brand new period for Volvo, with a brand new platform, new inside, new infotainment system and new security suite. Sitting inside one, it feels each bit as good as its $81,290 beginning worth would counsel. Till you have a look at the window switches. 

InsideEVs

The offending swap, my mortal enemy.

Volvo has copied my least-favorite element from the Volkswagen ID.4. Relatively than supplying you with 4 particular person switches for the automobile’s 4 home windows, Volvo provides you a left window management, a proper window management and a toggle button. The toggle switches the “focus” between the entrance and rear home windows. So if you wish to put down the entrance and rear left home windows, you press the left window swap down, toggle the main target to the rear utilizing the toggle swap, after which press the identical window swap down once more.

Which window you truly roll down if you first hit the swap modifications relying on the place you left the toggle swap. As a result of the indicator for which set of home windows you are controlling is an set of terribly skinny backlit traces positioned a centimeter aside, it is troublesome to inform at a look which home windows are chosen. On a sunny day within the shiny and ethereal EX90’s cabin, it is close to unattainable. Volkswagen at the very least lights up the phrase “REAR” in shiny lettering to indicate you what is chosen.  

At the least it appears good. I dig the “Sand Dune” paint coloration.

However do not get it twisted. Volvo’s model, whereas annoying, is way much less aggravating than Volkswagen’s. VW makes use of a capacitive contact button for the rear window toggle. The result’s that it does not all the time tackle the primary try. Whereas a two-step course of to roll down the rear window is annoying, a three-step course of when the primary try fails is unacceptable. 4 steps in the event you by chance roll down the fronts whereas trying to pick out the rears, or vice versa.

Why do they do that?

It is cheaper.

Automakers are pinching pennies as they reconfigure to promote EVs. Excessive battery manufacturing prices make EVs dearer to construct than equal fuel vehicles, and customers have proven that they don’t seem to be keen to pay the entire premium. So automobile corporations—already ruthless about reducing out pointless prices—at the moment are getting extra daring. For window switches, they argue the minor comfort is definitely worth the tradeoff. 

“How usually are you rolling down your rear home windows?” a Volvo spokesperson requested me. I am a foul goal for that query, as a result of I roll all 4 home windows down for a part of virtually each drive I take. I like contemporary air, I dwell in a light local weather and I can not stand the buffeting feeling you get if you solely roll down one window. 

Whereas I could also be an outlier, rolling down the home windows just isn’t some weird edge case. Individuals drive with the home windows down the entire time. Many individuals roll all of them down, some solely roll down their very own window. However large household SUVs carry large households, and their canine. Between youngsters rolling their home windows down and forgetting to roll them again up when the automobile parks, canine and toddlers, I think about the driving force’s rear window controls are used comparatively steadily in vehicles like this. 

Volvo

There’s not a lot else to complain about on this cabin.

Is it a dealbreaker? No. However if you’re launching an $80,000 flagship that is purported to spearhead your subsequent period, you are promoting the picture of final luxurious. While you elevate the value earlier than the automobile goes on sale, you construct these expectations increased. Slicing such an apparent nook is a bizarre be aware to begin off on. If the EX90’s nearly as good to drive because it appears inside, all could also be forgiven. However you may simply have to attend till our first drive drops to search out out whether or not Volvo pulled it off.