In 2023, new energy vehicles will accelerate to rewrite the market structure, and the once most stable MPV market will also usher in tremendous changes. Buick GL8, which has dominated the high-end MPV market for many years, is losing ground. However, in the field of million-level ultra-luxury MPVs, Japanese MPVs represented by Toyota Alphard still have a strong influence.
Are they really unshakable? No, whether it is Alpha or Wilfa, the brand has always been the main appeal of top-level people when buying million-level SUVs. As for comfort and safety, Japanese MPVs are not satisfactory. In other words, fully luxurious and high-value MPVs are actually very scarce, and top-level people are in urgent need of a unique luxury MPV.
Just last month, Volvo's new flagship pure electric MPV EM90 was officially launched. Its arrival is to set a new standard for million-class MPVs. Today, we came to the Volvo Shanghai Jing’an Fusion City Experience Center and experienced the unique new luxury experience of EM90 up close.
Unique Nordic luxury
It is true that luxury MPVs are very popular among domestic consumers, but whether it is a Toyota Alphard or a Mercedes-Benz Vito, the overall configuration of these models is completely inferior to some SUVs priced at 30,000 to 400,000 yuan, and they do not even have high-end audio, aviation seats and sufficient safety features. sex, which has also led to the development of MPV modification into a huge industry in China.
The mismatch between experience and price is a major pain point for luxury MPVs, and it is also an extremely unreasonable market phenomenon. According to Volvo, a luxury MPV should not only have a brand label, but also have product value that exceeds user expectations. The EM90 is built based on this concept.
First of all, in terms of design, Volvo EM90 (Inquiry | Pictures | Parameters) brings a unique Nordic style design. EM90 adopts a square and upright overall shape, which establishes the overall majestic and dignified aura. In the details, EM90 continues Volvo's usual excellence in craftsmanship.
For example, the new Quake headlights adopt a split design. The upper daytime running lights and steering module are composed of 16 LED light blocks on one side. The smart matrix headlights are hidden in the fog light area below, which is low-key and restrained. , also has adaptive far and low beam and follow-up steering functions.
EM90 also adds dot-shaped decorations around the car logo on the closed front face. These decorations use chrome surfaces to emphasize the sense of luxury. They also have built-in light-emitting units. All light units on the front face will show ripples when the lock is unlocked and closed. The shape is equivalent, as if people are under the Nordic starry sky, creating a full sense of ceremony.
Volvo officials said that the EM90 pays tribute to Volvo's legendary multi-purpose vehicle Duette, and when we come to the side of the car body, we can indeed find some shadows of Duette, such as a large number of straight lines that are the same as those of the 70 years ago, and the further enlarged EM90 The visual volume is majestic and creates a larger and more organized interior space.
Coming to the rear of the car, based on the family-style L-shaped taillights, EM90 goes one step further and adopts vertical taillights extending in both upward and downward directions. Together with the wide rear section, it creates a dreamy feeling of modern buildings intertwined with reflections in the water. .
In short, EM90 continues Volvo's consistent simple and capable design style. It does not have a large chrome-plated front face and a pair of sharp-looking lamps like its competitors. While others are trying their best to attract attention, the restraint of EM90 is precious. This is precisely what makes Scandinavian aesthetics so fascinating. The style of EM90 is not as simple as imagined, nor is it enough to just reduce the complexity of the lines. It's like making a painting without drawing anything. Of course, a blank piece of paper won't work, and the rendering with thick ink and heavy colors will seem a bit too much. Just right, it should depict an artistic conception, and the remaining blank space will give people unlimited space for imagination, which is why ink painting is so popular. The Swedes have integrated this style into MPVs. Compared with the peers around them who like to show off their skills, the calm and restrained EM90 can make people feel more peaceful. This is the refreshing luxury that only Volvo can have.
Modification and upgrade? EM90 does not require
The elegant and simple style also continues in the EM90's interior. The interior also uses a large number of straight lines to emphasize the minimalist style. Together with the light color scheme and large space, it creates the unique comfort and relaxation of a luxury MPV.
Compared with its competitors in the same class, which had to be modified to remove the plastic feel in the later stage, the EM90's original materials are fully used. A large amount of genuine leather and soft materials make people feel like home the moment they enter the car. And the most exquisite Orris crystal gear lever in history can come back to reality. This is actually a refined and high-end Volvo.
The EM90 also comes standard with state-of-the-art Bowers & Wilkinson audio, with a total of 21 speakers in the car and a full amplifier power of 2460kW. There are even up to 8 speaker units installed in the second row of passenger seats. This is an audio quality that cannot be matched by later modifications. experience.
The details are the real deal. Volvo always believes that details can better convey the perception of luxury, and this is especially true for EM90. The wood grain veneer of EM90 uses FSC certified expensive real wood. This wood comes from severe cold areas and has only a 100-day production period a year. Therefore, its density is very high and its texture is more delicate, adding a warm and jade-like touch and look to EM90.
Such decorative panels surround the entire cabin, and every passenger can experience Volvo's meticulous attention to detail. More importantly, as many as 10 real wood veneer panels have built-in ambient lighting units. The light shines through the wood grain to show the texture of the bamboo forest, looming, perfectly integrating the representative elements of both China and the West. In addition, EM90 is equipped with a 2.16-square-meter ultra-large panoramic canopy with electric sunshades, and ambient light strips on both sides that can move with the rhythm of music, making people feel like they are under the aurora.
Speaking of ambient lighting, Volvo does not provide a 64-color or 256-color lighting system like other models, but only provides 6 colors such as Nordic Aurora, Archipelago Glow, and Midsummer Light Year. From Volvo's perspective, stacking is very simple, but subtraction is difficult. They hope to find some colors that allow users to enjoy the most natural and pure lighting atmosphere and stay away from light pollution that disturbs people's minds. This is Volvo, it won't give you everything, but it will give you the best.
Of course, seats are the core of the comfort of a luxury MPV vehicle. The second row of Volvo EM90 uses ergonomic aviation seats, which are designed with a 7-layer structure and have a thickness of more than 120mm, which can achieve strong support and slow rebound, achieving Soft but not saggy, the ultimate comfort without getting tired after sitting for long periods of time. The functionality is even more extensive, with folding table tops, cup holders, seat ventilation, heating, massage, one-click reclining, and TV entertainment systems all provided. Third-row passengers can also enjoy convenient features such as zero-gravity sponges, cup holders, charging ports, and air conditioning.
Don’t worry about space. After the front row is adjusted according to my height (176cm), there is no pressure at all in the second row when crossing my legs. Thanks to the 1100mm extra-long slide rails in the second row, passengers in the third row can easily enter and exit. When traveling with a full load, the second row retains two fistfuls of legroom, and the third row passengers still have one fistful of space available. With the infinitely adjustable backrest and seat support comparable to that of the rear row at home, long-distance travel is completely comfortable. Will be tiring.
Whether it is a business reception or a family trip, the trunk space is also related to the car body. When all three rows of seats are fully loaded, the trunk of the EM90 can still accommodate three or four checked suitcases, so users don’t have to worry about not being able to fit their luggage.
EM90 is also equipped with a Nordic smart cockpit. There is a 15.6-inch rear cabin smart screen in both the front and rear seats. The rear door panels also have smart control panels for adjusting windows and air conditioning. The new car system is also equipped with mainstream smart technologies such as voice control, navigation, and music, and supports a variety of scene modes such as car washing, parking, resting, theaters, and meetings. The UI/UE design also has a strong Nordic style. The user experience is simple and fresh.
Build the safest MPV
Safety has always been a problem for MPVs. In recent years, the doors cannot be opened after a collision, the A-pillar is bent after a collision, etc., which have frequently brought the safety of luxury MPVs to the forefront. Such fatal flaws are even more This is unacceptable to Volvo.
Safety is Volvo's pursuit since its founding a hundred years ago, and safety is the greatest luxury. Thanks to the improvement of active and passive safety technology, today's Volvo can finally create an extremely safe MPV model for consumers.
EM90 is built based on Volvo's World Tree intelligent safety system. This is a complete intelligent safety system based on Volvo's native pure electric platform, which is more in line with the characteristics of the electrification era.
In World Tree, safety has further expanded from traditional active and passive safety to four different spaces: people-oriented, outside the car, body and inside the car. Compared with the previous active and passive safety, Yggdrasil's safety dimension is more subdivided, and intelligent means are applied in details to resist more possible dangers.
In terms of passive safety, EM90 adopts a high-strength cage body specially developed for electric vehicles, a full-stack self-developed BMS battery management system, and a new safety standard design for the battery system. The pilot assistance and driver monitoring systems further proactively protect driving safety.
In the car, EM90 uses a large number of healthy and environmentally friendly materials, combined with high-efficiency air conditioning filters and active air purification technology, which can completely eliminate any "uncomfortable" smell in the car.
Power performance is also a safety element that cannot be ignored. Abundant power means better ability to avoid danger. EM90 is equipped with a maximum power of 200kW, a maximum torque of 343Nm, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers in 8.3 seconds. At the same time, EM90 is equipped with a 116kWh battery pack, with a CLTC range of up to 738 kilometers.
It can be said that, whether in terms of active and passive safety or material health, EM90 has redefined the standards of the market segment, allowing luxury MPVs to truly break away from the pure brand halo and become a people-oriented product born for users.
As a young man, I am not the target user of EM90, but this store visit experience made me fall in love with EM90. It is safe, luxurious, comfortable and smart. This combination of features and product capabilities truly built for high-net-worth individuals have never been seen in other million-level MPVs. I even fantasize that one day I can own an EM90 and take my family on trips with peace of mind and comfort. This kind of fantasy is exactly what a luxury car should be like.
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