It’s Safety, Not Just Luxury, That Won Volvo a World Car Trophy

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Last Updated on: 24th June 2025, 12:07 am

Volvo EX90 Crowned World Luxury Car of 2025

Sweden has the lowest road traffic fatality rates in the European Union and the rest of the world — 2.0 per million inhabitants, or about 200 road fatalities in 2024, down by 4 deaths since 2020. Sweden’s success in reducing traffic fatalities is largely attributed to its “Vision Zero” approach, which aims for a road system with no fatalities or serious injuries.

A significant contributor to Sweden’s safety record, and perhaps its most well-known secret, is its homegrown automotive giant: Volvo.

At the 125th New York International Auto Show, the all-electric Volvo EX90 was awarded the “2025 World Luxury Car” title, which recognizes the EX90 for its blend of sophisticated Scandinavian design, advanced technology, and a serene, comfortable interior. This recognition fundamentally highlights Volvo’s successful push into the premium electric vehicle market with a complete suite of safety innovations that aim to have the most significant and lasting impact.

“We’re pleased to see the EX90 get the recognition it deserves,” says Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive officer of Volvo Cars. “It was up against some tough competition, but this award proves that the EX90 appeals to some of the most demanding customers across the world.”

As early as 2010, Volvo already implemented safety policies to guide its designs. These EV-focused policies address safety concerns brought forth by powering and operating EVs. The comprehensive program has been steadily refined since then.

Key concerns for Volvo include robust battery protection, aiming to encapsulate and structurally shield the lithium-ion battery pack from crash forces, with the placement of the battery away from crumple zones noted as a key strategy. Additionally, the battery’s extra weight significantly affects vehicle dynamics, potentially altering the car’s handling and requiring adjustments to braking and stability control systems.

Finally, the EX90 addresses additional hazards, such as the risk of short circuits not normally found in ICE vehicles, and the problem of the battery’s post-collision gas discharge, which can create battery runaway fires. These issues are directly addressed with solutions like automatic power cut-offs, electrical reinforced battery casings, and gas evacuation ducts.

Volvo wants the EX90 to be the safest Volvo ever produced, with internal projections estimating that its advanced systems could reduce accidents resulting in serious injury or death by up to 20 percent and prevent collisions altogether by up to 9 percent.

At the core of the EX90’s safety suite is a cutting-edge, roof-mounted lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) system. This technology continuously scans the vehicle’s surroundings with high precision, creating a detailed 3D map of the environment.

Lidar isn’t a new technology, but Volvo’s focused development has enabled it to zero in on detecting pedestrians at distances of up to 250 meters and smaller, non-reflective objects like a dark tire on the road from 120 meters away, day or night. This significantly enhances the capability and reliability of the car’s collision avoidance systems, allowing them to function more effectively in a wider range of conditions than systems relying solely on cameras and radar do.

Beyond external environmental scanning, Volvo also focuses on the most critical safety factor: the drivers themselves. The EX90 is equipped with an advanced interior sensing system called the Driver Understanding System, which leverages AI algorithms to analyze driver behavior — such as eye, face, head, and body movements — to assess attentiveness and potentially detect signs of distraction, drowsiness, or impairment. Several cameras and capacitive sensors on the steering wheel are used to monitor the driver. Once a distraction is detected, the system will provide a series of alerts. In case a driver becomes unresponsive, the car is designed to safely pull to the side, stop, and call for help, directly addressing the significant percentage of accidents (often cited as high as 90%) caused by human error. Connected to this Driver Understanding System is a comprehensive sensor suite utilizing a network of five radars and eight cameras.

Outside the EX90, a 360-degree, real-time view around the vehicle provides the onboard computer with a wealth of data to power its suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). This includes enhanced versions of Pilot Assist for steering and braking support, and a more robust Blind Spot Information System (BLIS).

Like all Volvos, the EX90 is built with an advanced body structure using various grades of high-strength steel to create a formidable safety cage around its occupants and protect the floor-mounted battery pack. After all, it was Volvo who invented the passenger safety cage, underscoring that, for them, ultimate luxury has always been synonymous with ultimate safety.