Electrified vehicles and sustainable interior materials have gone together for decades, but, with its new EX90 CUV, Volvo seriously ups expectations for eco-friendly content in hybrid or battery-electric vehicles.

The Swedish automaker’s new 3-row, all-electric crossover has almost 110 lbs. (50 kg) of recycled plastic and bio-based content. This includes upholstery made of recycled materials and carpets made from regenerated nylon; the CUV’s bio-attributed wood trim, backlit at night, is harvested from certified sustainable forests in Finland and Sweden.

Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX judges agree the appearance of our $94,000 EX90 tester’s cabin creates a new definition of luxury with the materials’ matte and textural nature. They also help the EX90 adhere to the restrained design aesthetic Scandinavians popularized and take home a 2025 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX trophy. (View slideshow: 2025 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX Winner Volvo EX90)

“Most BEVs tout sustainable materials such as real wood trim and textiles made with recycled plastic, but the Volvo EX90’s responsibly sourced interior materials – in light beige and gray shades complimented by satin silver metal accents in our test vehicle – ooze Scandinavian culture,” says Wards 10 Best judge Drew Winter. “They also give the driver and passengers a feeling they are part of the solution to global pollution rather than being part of the problem.”

The CUV excels on the technology front too, in part due to the automaker’s thorough redesign of its infotainment system’s user interface. The EX90’s icons are larger and the menu organization much improved from Wards 10 Best judges’ earlier user experiences with prior-generation Volvo infotainment systems.

The EX90 uses Google’s omnipresent Android Automotive operating system, to great effect. Volvo was one of the first legacy automakers to collaborate with Google for in-vehicle technology, notably by including Google Maps in its models.

The popular mapping app is a high point of the EX90’s user experience, with a handsome appearance and user-friendly shortcuts to help find local restaurants, coffee shops and charging stations.

Interacting via voice with Google’s on-board assistant is a treat. Before all the words escape one of our judge’s mouths, the assistant responds to a request to find a local coffee shop. What’s more, after a “no thank you” from our judge, the assistant immediately serves up a second location, showcasing the sophisticated nature of the feature.

Meanwhile, the 3-row crossover’s audio and visuals are a true feast for the eyes and ears.

The 14.5-in. (37-cm) vertical main display has incredible clarity – evidenced by the front camera’s on-screen graphics letting a driver know in inches distance to the curb, with one judge calling it “one of the best bird’s-eye views I’ve ever seen.”

Also showcasing the main display’s remarkable resolution is a short film highlighting the EX90’s stunning audible experience, thanks to its optional Dolby Atmos surround sound technology and 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system.

Other tech features in our test vehicle include a wireless phone charger, six USB-C ports, over-the-air updates and 5G connectivity.

In addition to advanced design and technology credentials, our test vehicle is comfortable with many soft surfaces and good storage space too, including a large bin underneath the cargo floor.

The driver’s seat has superior lumbar support, plus five massage settings, with three varying levels of intensity. But all seats are naturally as supportive as those up front. “The seats – from driver to the person who is back in that third row – all are ergonomically designed,” notes judge Gary Vasilash.

Judge Vasilash sums up the EX90’s interior and tech appeal best noting: “Perhaps what is most clever about the interior is that this is Volvo’s most-advanced vehicle, yet rather than making it seem as though it is something that would have occupants feel as though they are going on a space mission, it takes cues from Scandinavian modernist design of the 1950s, which, in a vehicle, is fresh and highly functional.”