I loved the compact Volvo EX30, despite one or two quirks, and now that the covers have come off the Volvo EX60, I’m also very excited about this fine new mid-sized SUV. It needs to be good, mind, so it can take on the excellent BMW iX3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC.
The initial signs are promising, however, with a range of over 500 miles offering huge appeal. Fast charges will also be on the cards thanks to its ability to tap into 400kW connections, so owners can expect to add 200 miles or so in around ten minutes. Volvo EX60 buyers will also be able to get a 10-year warranty on the battery for additional reassurance.
The standard issue Volvo EX60 is supplemented by a slightly more rugged partner, the EX60 Cross Country; both are built on the SPA3 scalable platform. This is the same versatile architecture that underpins the likes of the Volvo XC90 and the Polestar 3.
The construction process uses a more refined production process called mega casting that helps keep the weight down while boosting overall efficiency. Meanwhile, the battery itself has been integrated directly into the structure of the car. Volvo reckons the way it is constructed improves energy density by 20% while also reducing the space it takes up inside the car.
Everyday electric
Volvo is offering the EX60 in three model variants, ranging from the single motor, rear-wheel drive P6 Electric to the range-topping P12 AWD Electric. The P6 Electric hits 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, the P10 AWD in 4.6 seconds and the P12 AWD in 3.9 seconds. All have a limited top speed of 112mph, in line with Volvo’s company-wide aim of eliminating fatal accidents in its cars.
Power stats are 275kW, 375kW and 500kW respectively, with torque increasing with each model from 480Nm on the P6 through to 710Nm on the P10 AWD and rounding out with a chunky 790Nm for the P12 AWD. This comes from three different battery sizes – 83kWh, 95kWh and 117kWh for the most potent P12 AWD edition. The lowlier model can be charged at up to 320kW, while the bigger batteries can handle 370kW charging.
Overall range for the trio is expected to be around 385 miles for the P6, 410 miles for the P10 and a whopping 503 miles for the P12.
Design lines
This is also a car that packs in plenty of Scandi-cool in the design department. I love the way that Volvo designers have retained consistency, so that the EX60 fits in alongside other models in the range – most notably the XC60 – but has added some neat touches to give it identity.
It’s 4.83m long, 1.89m wide, and just short of 1.64m tall. The Volvo EX60 Cross Country variant adds another 20mm of ground clearance thanks to its air suspension.
Cosmetically, as expected, the distinctive ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights really look the part – as does the brushed stainless-steel skid plate on the Cross Country edition. Meanwhile, the sloping roofline and neatly sculpted sides mean that the Volvo EX60 is impressively aerodynamic but still very capable in the cargo department.
In fact, it can handle up to 1647 litres of luggage and should be easy to load thanks to the generous tailgate opening. There’s a similarly capacious frunk too, which offers between 58 and 85 litres of storage.
The interior is similarly accommodating, while the cockpit layout is slick, stylish and very, very Scandinavian. A landscape infotainment screen takes centre stage quite high up in the middle of the dashboard.
Tech boost
Every manufacturer is obsessed with having AI somewhere in the new car mix, and Volvo is no different. The EX60 will come with Google’s Gemini assistant integrated. Volvo has worked closely with the likes of Qualcomm and Nvidia in order to boost the computing power behind this car by producing a combination of hardware and software dubbed ‘HuginCore’.
The former provided its Snapdragon Cockpit as well as its Snapdragon Connectivity Platforms. Meanwhile, Nvidia’s Drive platform, which is suitably pepped up with the Nvidia AGX Orin system-on-a-chip is used to fuel the Volvo EX60’s DriveOS operating system. Volvo claims the potent software setup is able to process over 250 trillion operations per second.
Volvo hopes the HugInCore arrangement , which covers electrical architecture, core computer and zone controllers along with the software, will put the EX60 at the front of the pack when it comes to software-defined vehicles. Volvo has also confirmed things should stay that way thanks to over-the-air updates. Naturally, there’s a big emphasis on safety features and functionality that have been worked into the HuginCore development, all of which we’ll hopefully get to try for ourselves fairly soon.
Customer deliveries are due to commence in the summer, firstly for the P6 and P10 with the P12 variant arriving later in the year.
Based on what I’ve just seen and heard, I think the Volvo EX60 will easily take on its German rivals – and might also persuade fans of the ever-popular Volvo XC60 to move up to full electric as well.
- Related: Driving the Volvo ES90 was a welcome antidote to endless SUVs
