Safety is not a marketing claim at Volvo - it is the organizing principle around which the EX90 was designed. The vehicle carries more sensors than any previous Volvo, including the world’s first production SUV LiDAR unit, and represents the fullest expression of what seven decades of Volvo safety research produces when applied to a clean-sheet electric vehicle design.
Bottom Line: The Volvo EX90 carries a safety sensor array - LiDAR, cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors - that creates a more complete picture of the vehicle’s environment than any competing production SUV. For North Shore Suffolk County families who prioritize occupant protection and collision avoidance, no current production SUV offers more comprehensive active safety technology.
- World’s first production SUV equipped with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor
- 5 cameras, 5 radar units, 16 ultrasonic sensors, and 1 LiDAR unit working in sensor fusion
- Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving for highway use on Long Island Expressway commutes
- City Safety detects pedestrians, cyclists, large animals, and vehicles in all light conditions
Why LiDAR Changes the Safety Equation
Every previous production SUV has relied on cameras and radar for active safety technology. Cameras see what humans see - good in clear conditions, limited in fog, heavy rain, darkness, and complex lighting environments like tunnel exits or sunset glare. Radar detects objects at distance but provides limited shape resolution.
LiDAR - Light Detection and Ranging - works differently. The LiDAR unit emits laser pulses and measures the time they take to return, creating a precise three-dimensional map of the vehicle’s surroundings. Unlike cameras, LiDAR functions effectively at night. Unlike radar, it provides detailed shape resolution that allows the system to distinguish between a pedestrian, a cyclist, a stroller, and a large piece of debris.
The EX90’s Luminar LiDAR sensor operates at 200-meter range at highway speeds - far enough ahead to provide reaction time that cameras alone cannot match at Long Island Expressway speeds. Combined with the vehicle’s camera and radar inputs through Volvo’s sensor fusion software, the EX90 builds the most complete real-time environment model of any production SUV currently available.
Sensor fusion is the key concept that makes this hardware meaningful. The EX90 doesn’t use LiDAR alone - it combines LiDAR depth data with camera visual data and radar velocity data to create a more complete picture than any single sensor type can produce. When one sensor type has limitations in a specific condition, the others compensate.
City Safety: What It Detects and How It Works
City Safety is Volvo’s automatic emergency braking system, active at all driving speeds. In the EX90, City Safety uses the full sensor array - including LiDAR - to detect and respond to hazards the driver hasn’t yet acted on.
At low urban speeds - the kind encountered on Route 25A through Huntington Village or on Northport’s Main Street - City Safety detects pedestrians crossing unexpectedly, cyclists moving alongside the vehicle, and vehicles that stop suddenly ahead. The system brakes automatically or prepares brakes for immediate response when an imminent collision is detected.
At highway speeds on the LIE, City Safety detects large objects at the extended range that LiDAR enables. The difference between 150-meter and 200-meter detection range at 65 mph is approximately 0.7 seconds of additional reaction time - enough to significantly reduce impact severity or avoid a collision entirely.
City Safety also detects large animals - deer are a genuine concern on North Shore roads in Huntington and surrounding areas, particularly at dawn and dusk. The EX90’s sensor system identifies animal-sized objects at greater range than camera-only systems, providing earlier warnings and earlier automatic braking initiation.
Pilot Assist: Semi-Autonomous Highway Driving
Pilot Assist keeps the vehicle centered in its lane and maintains set following distance on divided highways with lane markings. For daily Long Island Expressway commuters from Huntington to Manhattan, Pilot Assist manages the highway portion of the trip while the driver remains attentive and keeps hands on the wheel.
The system handles acceleration, braking, and steering inputs within its operational parameters - reducing driver fatigue on repetitive highway sections without removing driver responsibility. It is a Level 2 driver assistance system, meaning the driver must remain engaged and ready to take over at any moment.
Pilot Assist on the LIE manages the stop-and-go segments during peak commute hours, smoothly matching traffic flow rather than requiring constant manual acceleration and braking adjustments. For daily commuters who spend 30-60 minutes on the highway, this meaningfully reduces fatigue over the course of a week.
"When we explain the EX90's LiDAR to families who are cross-shopping other luxury SUVs, the reaction is consistent: they didn't realize how significant the gap was. Cameras and radar are good; cameras, radar, and LiDAR working together is a meaningfully different capability level. For North Shore families, that technology difference has real value."
General Manager, Volvo Cars of Huntington
Run-Off Road Protection: A Volvo Innovation
Run-off road scenarios - where a vehicle leaves the road surface due to a driver distraction, medical event, or overcorrection - are among the most dangerous single-vehicle accidents. Volvo addressed this with run-off road protection: a system that detects when the vehicle is leaving the road and responds before impact.
When run-off road is detected, the EX90 tightens seatbelts to hold occupants firmly in their seats, pre-tenses safety systems for imminent impact, and activates energy-absorbing cushioning in the front seat structure. The goal is to prevent occupants from being thrown against interior surfaces or windows when the vehicle hits terrain.
This is passive safety technology that works after active avoidance has been exceeded - the last line of protection that reduces injury severity when an accident becomes unavoidable. It reflects Volvo’s comprehensive approach: preventing accidents first, minimizing injury when prevention fails.
Additional Active Safety Systems
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) uses the EX90’s radar sensors to monitor the blind spot zones behind and beside the vehicle. A warning indicator in the side mirror alerts the driver when a vehicle is present in the blind spot during a lane change attempt. The system extends rear detection range beyond typical blind spot monitors, improving safety on multi-lane Suffolk County roads.
Cross Traffic Alert warns the driver when cross traffic is detected while reversing - relevant for Huntington Village parking situations, shopping center exits, and residential driveways with limited visibility. The EX90 can apply brakes automatically when an imminent rear cross-traffic collision is detected.
Rear Collision Warning and Mitigation prepares the EX90 for rear-end impact when an approaching vehicle is detected traveling significantly faster than the EX90 from behind. The system tightens front seatbelts and activates front brake pressure to reduce the forward momentum of an impact.
IIHS and NHTSA Performance
The IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation requires top ratings in multiple test categories, including the more demanding small overlap frontal, side barrier, and side pole tests introduced in recent years. Volvo’s structural engineering approach consistently produces top results in these tests, and the EX90 continues that tradition.
NHTSA’s 5-star overall safety rating is the agency’s highest recognition. Verify current EX90 ratings at NHTSA vehicle safety ratings as model year updates are tested on an ongoing basis.
The Volvo EX90 Safety Philosophy
Volvo has stated a goal of reaching zero fatalities or serious injuries in new Volvo vehicles. The EX90 is the fullest expression of that aspiration in production vehicle form. Every safety system on the vehicle - from LiDAR sensor fusion to run-off road protection to the structural engineering decisions in the body - reflects that goal rather than a marketing checklist.
For Huntington and North Shore Suffolk County families who carry the most important passengers on every trip, that philosophy produces a meaningfully different vehicle than a luxury SUV designed primarily around performance, efficiency, or interior experience.
FAQ: Volvo EX90 Safety Technology
What is LiDAR and why does it matter for safety? LiDAR creates a three-dimensional map of the vehicle’s surroundings using laser pulses. It functions effectively at night, in adverse weather, and in complex lighting conditions where cameras struggle. Combined with cameras and radar through sensor fusion, LiDAR gives the EX90’s safety systems a more complete environmental picture than any camera-and-radar-only system.
Does the EX90 require driver attention when Pilot Assist is active? Yes. Pilot Assist is a Level 2 driver assistance system that manages highway speed and lane centering while requiring the driver to remain attentive and maintain hands on the wheel. It is not a self-driving system.
How does City Safety work in the EX90? City Safety uses sensor fusion from cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors, and LiDAR to detect pedestrians, cyclists, large animals, and vehicles. It applies automatic braking when an imminent collision is detected and the driver hasn’t responded. It is active at all driving speeds.
Does the EX90 carry a strong warranty on its safety systems? Volvo’s 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty covers the full active safety technology suite. The battery warranty covers 8 years or 100,000 miles with a 70% capacity retention guarantee.
Can I test the EX90’s safety technology on a test drive? Yes - Volvo Cars of Huntington offers demonstration routes that highlight Pilot Assist and City Safety operation in real Long Island driving conditions. The low-speed City Safety demonstration is particularly effective at illustrating the system’s capabilities.
The Volvo EX90 represents the current pinnacle of production SUV safety technology. LiDAR-equipped sensor fusion, the comprehensive City Safety suite, and Volvo’s structural safety engineering combine in a vehicle that provides Huntington families with protection that no competitor currently matches.
Visit Volvo Cars of Huntington to schedule an EX90 demonstration and experience the safety technology in person.