If you’re looking at a three-row electric SUV, the **Volvo EX90 safety rating and crash test results** are probably at the top of your checklist. Volvo has built its entire brand on safety, and the EX90 is the company’s flagship EV, so expectations are sky-high. The good news: independent tests from IIHS and Euro NCAP show that this big electric Volvo really delivers when things go wrong.
Model years covered in this guide
Volvo EX90 safety overview
Volvo calls the EX90 its "safest Volvo ever," and that’s not just marketing copy. The EX90 rides on a dedicated EV platform, is built in South Carolina for the Americas, and debuts a new safety stack built around **lidar, cameras, radar, and driver monitoring**. It’s already earned top marks from Euro NCAP in Europe and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the U.S., putting it in the front row of large electric SUVs when it comes to crash protection and crash avoidance.
Headline safety stats for the Volvo EX90
Crash test ratings at a glance
If you just want a quick answer to how the Volvo EX90 does in safety testing, here it is: **it earns the highest overall ratings currently available from the big independent organizations that have tested it.**
Volvo EX90 crash test ratings summary (2025–2026)
How the EX90 scores with major safety organizations based on currently published tests.
| Program / Test | Result for EX90 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Euro NCAP overall rating | 5 stars | Large electric SUV; tested in 2025 with very strong adult and child protection scores. |
| Euro NCAP Adult Occupant Protection | 92% | Excellent crash protection for front occupants. |
| Euro NCAP Child Occupant Protection | 93% | Among the highest child scores tested in the same batch. |
| Euro NCAP Safety Assist | 86% | Strong performance from driver-assistance tech such as AEB and lane support. |
| IIHS moderate overlap front (updated) | Good (G) overall | Applies to 2025–2026 models built after July 2024; improvements made to rear seat belts. |
| IIHS vehicle-to-vehicle AEB | Good (G) | Standard automatic emergency braking avoided collisions in all test runs with passenger vehicles and motorcycles. |
| IIHS pedestrian AEB | Good (G) | Avoided or significantly reduced impact speed in all day and night scenarios tested. |
Always confirm that the specific EX90 you’re considering matches the build dates and equipment for these ratings.
Check build date for IIHS crash updates
IIHS ratings for the Volvo EX90
The **Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)** has begun publishing results for the EX90, focusing first on the updated moderate overlap front crash test and advanced crash-avoidance tech like automatic emergency braking.
Moderate overlap front crash test (updated)
In the updated moderate overlap front test, IIHS crashes an EX90 at 40 mph into a barrier so that only part of the front hits, a tough, real-world scenario. The EX90 earns a **Good (G) overall rating**, with Good marks for the structure and safety cage, driver injury measures, and dummy kinematics. Importantly, IIHS also evaluates a rear-seat passenger dummy in this latest version of the test, and Volvo revised the EX90’s rear seat belts for vehicles built **after July 2024** to improve protection. Those updated models achieve **Good ratings for the rear occupant’s head, neck, chest, and thighs**, as well as the rear restraints and kinematics.
- Strong safety cage that preserves cabin space around the driver and front passenger.
- Low measured forces on the driver dummy’s head, neck, chest, hips, legs, and feet.
- Revised rear belts that better control the rear passenger’s movement and reduce chest loading.
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
All EX90s come standard with **automatic emergency braking (AEB)** that IIHS rates **Good (G)** in its latest vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 protocol. In tests with passenger cars and motorcycles at speeds up to 43 mph, the EX90 either avoided a collision entirely or dramatically cut its speed before impact in every run. That performance matters on crowded interstates and two-lane roads where traffic can slow suddenly or a motorcycle is hiding in a blind spot.
Front crash prevention: pedestrians
The EX90’s pedestrian detection system also earns a **Good (G)** rating from IIHS. In day and night tests with child and adult dummies crossing or walking along the road, the SUV consistently avoided collisions at 12 and 25 mph and performed strongly at higher speeds too. Put simply, the EX90’s sensors and software are very good at spotting people and reacting even when you’re distracted or your headlights are fighting dark, wet pavement.
How to spot a well-equipped EX90
Euro NCAP crash test results
Across the Atlantic, **Euro NCAP** slammed the EX90 into its own wall of barriers and walked away impressed. In late 2025 testing, the EX90 earned a **full 5-star overall rating** and posted standout scores for both adult and child protection, as well as strong marks for its suite of driver-assistance features.
Euro NCAP safety scores for the Volvo EX90
How the EX90 stacks up in each major category
Adult Occupant Protection – 92%
Euro NCAP found the EX90 provides excellent protection for front and rear adult passengers in frontal and side impacts. The structure holds up, airbags deploy in the right sequence, and the restraint systems do their job without overly high chest or leg loads.
Child Occupant Protection – 93%
The EX90 shines for families, with a 93% score for child protection. Euro NCAP noted strong performance with child dummies in both frontal and side impacts and clear guidance for installing child seats using ISOFIX/LATCH positions.
Vulnerable Road Users – 82%
A 82% score reflects effective pedestrian and cyclist impact protection from the front end design, plus active safety systems that help prevent you from hitting someone in the first place.
Safety Assist – 86%
The EX90’s standard safety systems, from AEB and lane-keeping to driver monitoring, earned an 86% Safety Assist score. That’s in the top tier of large SUVs tested in the same batch.
Does lidar affect the Euro NCAP score?
Key safety features that drive these scores
Crash test dummies tell one story. The EX90’s hardware and software explain why those dummies fare so well. Here are the standout systems that separate this Volvo from a run‑of‑the‑mill three-row SUV.
- **High-strength EV platform** – The EX90 rides on a dedicated electric architecture with a big battery pack mounted low between the axles. That stiffens the structure and helps the SUV resist intrusion in a crash while also lowering the center of gravity.
- **Comprehensive airbag coverage** – Multiple front, side, curtain, and (in some markets) far-side airbags work with advanced seatbelts and pretensioners to keep you in position when the worst happens.
- **Standard automatic emergency braking (AEB)** – Designed to detect vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists and to warn you and brake automatically if you don’t react in time.
- **Lane-keeping and lane-centering support** – Subtle steering inputs and warnings help keep the EX90 from drifting out of its lane, especially on highways.
- **Driver Understanding system** – Cameras and sensors watch for signs that the driver is tired, distracted, or unresponsive, and can escalate from gentle nudges to bringing the car to a controlled stop if needed.
- **Occupant sensing** – Interior radar can detect movements as subtle as a sleeping baby’s breathing and remind you if someone or a pet might still be inside when you lock the car.
- **Available lidar and high‑resolution sensing** – A roof‑mounted lidar sensor (on equipped models) looks far down the road, particularly helpful at night and in poor visibility, augmenting the rest of the sensor suite.
Every EX90 is a “maxed-out” safety spec
Battery and crash safety for the EX90
Whenever you put a large battery pack under a family, you want to know what happens when things go sideways. The EX90’s battery is neatly tucked inside a reinforced compartment in the floor. That’s good for handling, but it’s also critical for crash safety and fire risk.
How the EX90 protects its battery, and you
Structural design and software work together in an impact
Reinforced battery case
The 111‑kWh pack sits in a rigid enclosure protected by the SUV’s side sills and cross members. That structure helps absorb and redirect crash forces away from the cells in most impacts.
Automatic high-voltage shutoff
In a serious crash, the EX90’s control units can disconnect the high‑voltage system in milliseconds, reducing the risk of electrical shorts and making it safer for first responders.
Thermal monitoring
Like other modern EVs, the EX90 continuously monitors battery temperature. If it detects something out of bounds, it can warn the driver, limit power, and log data for service inspection.
Low center of gravity
Mounting the battery low helps prevent rollover by lowering the center of gravity, one reason large EV SUVs like the EX90 feel so planted compared with tall gas SUVs.
Crash tests don’t cover everything
What these ratings mean for families and daily driving
Crash test charts can feel abstract until you imagine an intersection that suddenly goes wrong or a late‑night drive home with drowsy kids in row three. Here’s how the EX90’s scores translate into real life if you’re hauling people you love every day.
Frontal and side impacts
Those top‑tier Euro NCAP and IIHS results mean the EX90’s cabin is designed to hold its shape and keep crash forces away from your vital organs in a wide range of collisions. For a big, heavy SUV, that structural integrity is especially important, you want the energy going into deforming the car, not the people.
Rear-seat and child safety
With a 93% child score in Euro NCAP testing and updated rear belts in IIHS’s latest crash, the EX90 treats second‑row passengers as first‑class citizens. If you’re buckling in boosters and child seats, you’re starting from a very strong baseline.
Set up your EX90 like a safety engineer would
Shopping for a new or used Volvo EX90
The EX90 is just starting to hit U.S. driveways in meaningful numbers, which means the **first wave of used EX90s** won’t be far behind. Whether you’re eyeing a brand‑new build or planning to wait for prices to soften, safety should stay front and center in your search.
Safety checklist when evaluating a Volvo EX90
1. Confirm build date
Look for a build date **after July 2024** on the driver’s door jamb if you want the updated rear-seat belt tuning that earned the best IIHS scores.
2. Verify accident history
Pull a vehicle history report and have the EX90 inspected. A severe prior crash, even with a clean title, can compromise structural performance and sensor alignment.
3. Inspect ADAS sensors and glass
The EX90’s cameras, radars, and lidar (if equipped) live in the bumpers, grille, windshield, and roof module. Check for cracked glass, mismatched bumpers, or non‑OEM repairs that could throw off calibration.
4. Test driver assistance on the road
On your test drive, safely verify that lane keeping, adaptive cruise, and automatic braking behave predictably. You want smooth intervention, not sudden, unexplained moves.
5. Review software update history
Ask the seller or dealer to confirm that **safety‑related over‑the‑air updates** have been applied. Automakers often refine AEB and driver‑monitoring performance via software.
6. Get independent EV diagnostics
Before you sign, consider a third‑party EV inspection. At Recharged, every vehicle comes with a **Recharged Score battery and safety report**, so you know how the pack, high‑voltage systems, and driver‑assist hardware are actually performing.
How Recharged can help with a used EX90
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Browse VehiclesFAQ: Volvo EX90 safety rating & crash tests
Frequently asked questions about Volvo EX90 safety & crash tests
Bottom line: Is the Volvo EX90 a safe buy?
If you’re hunting for a three-row electric SUV that treats safety as more than a marketing slogan, the **Volvo EX90 sits right at the front of the pack**. It combines a rock‑solid crash structure with near‑top‑of‑class Euro NCAP scores, strong IIHS crash and AEB performance, and a safety feature list that doesn’t hide the good stuff in pricey option packages.
For families, the story is even better: excellent child-occupant protection, thoughtful rear-seat belt tuning, and sophisticated driver monitoring and occupant sensing all work quietly in the background while you tackle school runs and road trips. And as the first used EX90s begin to filter into the market, partnering with an EV‑specialist like Recharged, with verified battery health, transparent pricing, and expert guidance, can help you find the right example and make those impressive lab scores count in your everyday life.
