2027
Volvo EX60

Just as the XC60 shares a common look with the smaller XC40 and larger XC90 in Volvo’s current gas-and-PHEV lineup, the EX60 is instantly recognizable as a sibling of the all-electric EX30 and EX90. A flat grille and slightly sloping roof are designed for aerodynamic efficiency, and the door handles appear as blades that rise up in front of the windows.

The EX60 is built on what Volvo calls its Scalable Product Architecture 3, or “SPA3,” which the automaker says will underpin all its future EVs. SPA3 is an evolution of SPA2, which the three-row EX90 uses.

The EX60 is about 4 inches longer than the XC60, but about 4 inches narrower. The EX60 Cross Country adds seven-tenths of an inch more ground clearance, an adjustable air suspension, black and stainless steel body cladding, skid plates at the front and rear, “Cross Country” badging, and a unique green color option.

Because Volvo designed the EX60 as an EV from the ground up, it doesn’t have any leftover design limitations from a gas-powered chassis. As a result, it has a flat floor that gives rear seat passengers more legroom and expands cargo space. There’s a large open space between the two front seats for a purse or other item. A panoramic roof and three-zone climate control come standard on the Plus trim, while the Ultra trim adds extras like an enhanced sound system.

Volvo says the EX60’s infotainment system is “the most responsive” in any Volvo to date, and uses words like “seamless,” “no-lag,” “instant,” and “smooth” to describe it. Speed and responsiveness are one thing, but usability is another. We were very frustrated with the touchscreen-based systems in the EX30 and EX90, and hope that the EX60 is a major improvement. Already, it appears to have larger icons and a simpler layout.

Unfortunately, that horizontally oriented touchscreen is one of the only ways to interact with the vehicle. There’s only a handful of buttons and stalks across the minimalist interior, which doesn’t bode well for changing functions while driving. As with the EX30 and EX90, a single set of window controls on the driver’s door must be toggled between front and rear, and there’s no physical mirror control. At least the steering wheel has some physical buttons and toggles. In addition, Volvo says the EX60 will have the Google Gemini AI-based voice assistant built in. We hope it will allow drivers to make complex voice requests using natural speech.

Like many other EVs, including the EX90, it’s a software-defined vehicle that will be eligible for over-the-air updates that can improve its capabilities and fix bugs. The EX60 is equipped with a NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin computer, which is the same updated central computer that Volvo is installing in newer EX90 models to address the bugginess of prior hardware versions.

What Drives It?

Volvo is offering three drivetrain options for the EX60 in the U.S. The first, called P6, is rear-wheel drive and has a manufacturer-estimated range of 310 miles from its single, newly designed electric motor and 95 kWh battery. The P10 AWD, which Volvo says should cost around $60,000, gets a larger battery and dual electric motors for all-wheel drive, with an estimated range of up to 320 miles. Finally, the P12 AWD has an even larger battery and more powerful motors, for a claimed 400 miles of range.

The P6 and P10 will begin production in April, and the EX60 P12 AWD will be one of the longest-range EVs on the market when it goes on sale later in the year. The EX60 Cross Country will be available in P10 AWD and P12 AWD trims only.

We usually don’t talk about how a car is manufactured, but the EX60 uses innovative techniques that are worth mentioning. It uses a cell-to-body design, in which battery cells are integrated into the vehicle’s structure. The technique has mostly been used in production by Chinese manufacturers such as BYD, and it increases structural rigidity while reducing weight. In addition, the EX60 is the first Volvo to be built using the megacasting process, which uses giant presses to create a few large parts instead of many smaller ones that must be fitted together. This technique also increases rigidity, lowers costs, and simplifies production. We don’t yet know the long-term effects of these manufacturing decisions on reliability and maintenance.

Most new cars come with claims about active safety features that can keep you from getting into a crash, and the EX60 has all of the ones you’d expect, and then some. But we’re particularly interested in Volvo’s new multi-adaptive seat belt, which debuts on the EX60 and is one of the biggest crash-protection innovations we’ve seen in a while.

Volvo says the new belt uses data from interior and exterior sensors to adapt the seat belt to the crash type and the individual’s height, weight, body shape and seating position, among other factors. As an example, the automaker says that a larger occupant in a serious crash might receive a higher belt load setting to help reduce the risk of head injury, while a smaller occupant in a milder crash might receive a lower belt load setting to reduce the risk of rib fractures.

The idea is intriguing, and it could potentially reduce some longstanding disparities in crash outcomes that tend to cause worse outcomes among women and elderly occupants.

In addition to the multi-adaptive belt, the EX60 has Volvo’s Pilot Assist suite of active driving assistance systems, plus a surround-view camera.