The Volvo EM90 Is A Rare 2020s MPV We’re Hoping Might Have 500bhp Eventually

It’s rare to cover the reveal of a new MPV and get overly excited, and initially, that may seem the case with the new Volvo EM90. Though no doubt it looks like it’ll be a pleasant thing, an electric minivan doesn’t sound like it’d get your heart racing. However, thanks to the platform it sits on, it could turn out to be the ultimate sleeper.

You see, the EM90 shares its underpinnings with the Zeekr 009, a Chinese MPV, thanks to its Geely ownership. Again, not much to write home about in itself, but the 009 can be had with a 536bhp dual-motor setup. With that equipped, 0-62mph can be covered in 4.2 seconds - exactly the quoted figure of a Porsche 911 Carrera.

Emphasis on the fact the EM90 ‘could’ have that sort of power, as the Swedish firm has only disclosed details of a single-motor variant so far. That version offers 268bhp, though in an MPV surely weighing close to three tonnes, with 0-62mph taking 8.3 seconds.

This version of the EM90 also uses a 116kWh battery rather than the 140kWh in the range-topping Zeekr 009. It’s said to offer 459 miles between charges, though that’s on the Chinese CLTC standard, which tends to be more optimistic than the WLTP cycle we’re used to in Europe.

The most exciting bit of tech inside the car will be for rear passengers, with a 15.6-inch ceiling-mounted screen able to drop down and be used as a TV or for video calls. You’ll even have presets that adjust the rear seats, windows, air con and lighting for theatre and meeting modes, as well as even a bedroom mode if you’re spending the night in an EM90.

Other creature comforts will include dual-chamber air suspension and road noise cancellation tech using the 21-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system to cancel out unwanted frequencies.
 

China will be the first to get the Volvo EM90, and it remains to be seen if it will be coming to Europe or indeed the UK. If so, let’s hold out hope for that 536bhp powertrain…