The new Volvo EX60 is arguably the most important car Volvo could launch right now. It’s an all-electric SUV replacing the most popular car Volvo has ever sold. That’s no mean feat already. And having driven around 700 miles in the EX60 so far, I’m already impressed with what I’ve seen.
So why is this car so critical for Volvo? It’s essentially replacing the gas-powered XC60, and that car has been Volvo’s best-selling model ever in the nearly two decades since its launch in 2008. The landscape has changed significantly since then, and the market is more competitive than ever, with a host of Chinese brands (like BYD, Chery, Jaecoo and others) offering vehicles at more competitive prices than most established European brands can match.
Volvo needs the EX60 to appeal in the same way the XC60 did. As CNET Senior Writer Antuan Goodwin puts it, “This feels like a make-or-break moment for the brand’s EV ambitions.”
Starting at $59,795 (£56,860) for the base P6 model or $62,145 (£59,860) for the longer-range P10, the electric SUV is competitively priced against luxury rivals from BMW, Mercedes and Audi. But with purse strings tightening the world over, the vehicle needs to work hard to tempt people away from cheaper Chinese options.
Thankfully, I think the Volvo has a hell of a lot to offer. I’ve been testing the all-wheel drive P10 model in its Ultra spec ($68,745 or £65,360, on the road), and it’s already rocketed up my list of top cars I’ve tested. It’s big, commanding its place on the road, with a welcomingly roomy interior. It also packs a battery big enough that I can start forgetting about range anxiety.
Volvo quotes up to 410 miles for the P10, though that’s based on the more generous WLTP fuel consumption and emissions testing; EPA figures in the US put it at 310 miles, which I think is closer to the mark. I drove from the town of Chesterfield in central England to my home of Edinburgh, Scotland — a roughly 265-mile run — on a single charge, starting with 95% and ending with 9%. I’ve not personally had an EV able to hit that sort of range before, especially considering almost every one of those miles was at fast highway speeds, where EVs are always significantly less efficient.
But even if I did need to stop, it wouldn’t have been for long since the EX60 supports 400kW charging, which Volvo reckons will restore about 211 miles of range in just 10 minutes. That’s assuming you can find a 400kW charging station. In the US, the EX60 will have a native North American Charging Standard port, meaning it can charge at any of the 29,000 Tesla Superchargers without an adapter.
Volvo EX60: A comfortable cruise
Crucially, the car was a pleasure to be in for every mile of the trip. The cabin is light and airy, the seats are comfortable and the suspension offers a smooth ride, even on some of Britain’s less-maintained stretches of highway. I even like the surprisingly small squared-circle steering wheel.
The EX60 will comfortably seat five, and the rear seats fold fully flat, giving enough space for a 6-foot-2-inch tall man like myself to get in and lay down. And trust me, I did test this as I fully intend to use it for car camping. Those of you with kids or massive dogs, or who want to haul around a small punk band’s entire stage setup, will be well catered for with the amount of internal space.
The SUV’s got a heap of tech on board, at least in the Ultra spec I was driving. There’s an electrochromatic roof that dims at the push of a button, a 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio setup (supporting Dolby Atmos) and a new seatbelt system that automatically adapts to the body shape, size and weight of whoever is using it to allow for a safer level of resistance in an emergency situation. Volvo says this is a first of its kind.
And yes, it has standard driving assistance tools like adaptive cruise control and lane assist, which made my long-distance first drive a breeze. Google’s Gemini AI is baked in for voice control of various features, though I haven’t found a need to try that out just yet. Frustratingly, Apple CarPlay isn’t available, though I’m told it’s coming soon in an over-the-air update.
The result is a car that feels luxuriously comfortable and capable on the road. It’s fast off the line, too, and despite the weight of the batteries inside, it handles corners well. I haven’t driven an XC60, so I can’t say how this car directly compares. But I have driven a variety of EVs, from the much more expensive Lotus Eletre to the new Ford Capri, and I can say that the EX60 is the one that’s impressed me most so far.
But this is Day 1 for me. I’ve got three months to put it through its paces in Scotland, across the UK and into wider Europe. As a tech journalist, I have high expectations for the ride and its features. I’m not one to be forgiving of early teething troubles that should have been ironed out already, so I won’t be pulling my punches if something rears its head.
But based on the 10 or so hours I’ve spent inside it so far, I’m optimistic that Volvo has built something good. Whether it’s the standout vehicle that will break the XC60’s sales records remains to be seen.
