Volvo SA's EX90 intro shows how not to launch new car 

This week Volvo launched its new EX90 flagship SUV, but media representatives spent more time being ferried up and down Cape Town's N1 in the aged XC60 than with the star car. 

The affair was a curious format for what represents a big moment for the Swedish marque as it forays into the full-size electric market for the first time. 

One almost got the impression Volvo's PR agency wanted to keep motoring journalists away from the newcomer, which has an eye-watering price of R2,650,000. 

Instead of taking the opportunity to give thorough, detailed insights on its strategies for the local market and ideas about how it plans to punt the EX90 effectively, the manufacturer kept the presentations to a bare minimum.  

The launch agenda allocated more hours to a candlelight concert than experiences with the vehicle.  

Over a week, the brand boasted about churning through 300 media at its EX90 launch.

Those of us lucky to secure seat time with the big Swede were given 15 minutes (30 minutes split between two drivers) over an unflattering and short route that included a section with messy roadworks.

I spent a good part of that fumbling with the infotainment. Remember previous rants about the compact EX30 being a frustrating piece of kit? The EX90 retains most of the user-unfriendly traits of its smaller sibling, amplifying them in certain respects. 

For example, now even the steering column adjustment is operated via a menu accessed through the screen, and instead of giving the driver four window switches to operate, there are two (to engage the rear windows you have to press a separate button). This is a luxury flagship, so why cut corners like this?

One hopes to experience the product in greater detail, however, because there seems to be redeeming qualities beyond those user experience quirks. It rides in a truly cushy fashion and being entirely electric delivers a silent, serene experience. 

The absence of an engine has also enabled clever packaging benefits, such as a front boot (frunk). 

In Mzansi the EX90 will be sold in high-tier Twin Motor Performance guise. That means you get the most potent powertrain and all the features as standard. 

It uses a 111kWh battery, supporting a pair of electric motors with an output of 380kW/910Nm. Range is claimed at about 600km and Volvo purports a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.9 seconds.

Volvo has managed a good effort with the EX30, boasting the honour of being the best-selling fully electric car in South Africa last year, with 406 units sold.

Providing further incentive to electric Volvo buyers is the inclusion of a free charging wallbox at a location of their choice, two years' free public charging and three years of free data for the in-car connectivity systems. 

Still, despite the sales performance of the EX30, the marque has been on shaky ground, having recently announced its dealership network was under review, with possible closures on the cards. 

This year Volvo plans to introduce the EX30 Cross Country, updated XC60 and XC90, while the new ES90 looks to be a real possibility.

If you are a Volvo enthusiast, these imminent additions are an encouraging sign. 

But then, enthusiasts are not necessarily customers. 

Volvo faces a tough task with a product such as the EX90 which must contend with formidable rivalry from products such as the BMW iX. 

That buck-toothed Bimmer may not look as attractive as the Volvo, but it delivers a far more polished user experience in addition to having a superior pedigree and the benefit of being under a marque with a stable presence in the country.