Volvo has shown a first glimpse of the new EX60, the electric equivalent of the XC60 family SUV, which has long been its best-seller.
Previewed as an almost fully covered clay model during the launch of the new Volvo ES90 saloon, the EX60 is set to arrive next year as a crucial model in the Swedish firm’s electric push.
The first EX60 test vehicles will be built and driven this year, the company confirmed during a financial results presentation in February.
The electric SUV will be the first Volvo to use the advanced, highly scalable SPA3 platform, which is effectively a successor to the platform that underpins the EX90 large SUV and ES90. This new architecture will allow Volvo to add both smaller and larger cars to its line-up.
As with those models, the EX60 will be designed around an advanced software stack, giving it the capability to accept over-the-air updates and extra features.
Bosses have previously described the model as a "huge boost" in Volvo's electrification journey, given that it will serve as the electric sibling model to the firm's best-seller.
Tech chief Anders Bell called the SPA3 platform "100% electric and 100% Volvo Cars", rather than a shared Geely group platform, such as the SEA platform used for the EX30 crossover.
"Because it's 100% electric, we've been able to remove all the old constraints of the combustion engine," said Bell. "We very much took a first-principles approach to it. You will see the highest level of supremely well-integrated technology coming together in these products."
The EX60 is likely to broadly match the dimensions of the XC60 (pictured below) and will doubtless take styling cues from the EX30 and EX90.
Join the debate
Add your comment
By the way, my previous post on this article doesn't ne belong in this one, anyway saying that this car will provide a huge boost makes Volvo sound like they looked into a Crystal Ball, how do they know this car is going to be that good?
Volvo must stop futzing around with half baked models like they've done with the EX90. The EX90 is not up to snuff for its price. The software is borderline disastrous, the real world range is mediocre at best, and the charging times are not competitive with upcoming new 800V models from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or VWAG's recently launched SSP platform models. There's also some issues with how the accelerator and regenerative braking are calibrated. It's bizarre because Geely has the resources to do this right, but Polestar and Volvo are seemingly given the scraps off the table instead of the main course. They don't have a single 800V model, meanwhile sister brands Zeekr and Lotus do. Volvo and Polestar also don't get the super fast charging speeds, Tesla-baiting performance, or top notch driver assistance technology. It's quite an odd decision by Geely to push better products from their less recognizable brands than the flagship Volvo brand. I hope Volvo will knock it out of the park with the new EX60. It must be much better to drive than their current XC60 and show the rest of the automotive industry Volvo truly can once and for all compete toe to toe with German luxury brands. I would love to see them offer a 10-90% charge in under 20 mins, and real world range in excess of 350 miles highway.
If it's 95% as good and maxs out at 10% more than a Model Y then Tesla are in serious trouble come 2026.