Volvo EX60 review

It’s the all-new, pure-electric reimagining of Volvo’s best-selling XC60. That’s shifted 2.7 million units since arriving in 2008, so this is a biggie for the Swedes. While others row back on their promise to go fully electric, Volvo ploughs on, confident in its technology and robust in its rebuttal of mission creep.

Besides, says the company’s technical chief Anders Bell, the market for electric is demonstrably growing, so the direction of travel is clear. The EX60 is among that elite band of new-age EVs that can claim a headline-grabbing range figure of 503 miles (WLTP). But it also has the misfortune to arrive just as BMW’s superb new iX3 gets into its stride.

Competition is good for everyone, right?

Yep, and it’s getting fierce in this segment. As well as the BMW, the EX60 is up against the Audi Q6 e-tron, Lexus RZ, Mercedes GLC Electric, Tesla Model Y, and in the US you could – and should – factor in the truly excellent Rivian R2.

Good point. Where are we on the whole software definition thing?

Volvo’s had a bumpy ride on this front so far, but insists it’s through the pain barrier. The EX60 uses the new SPA3 platform, and sees the car’s neural soft- and hardware characteristics more seamlessly integrated than ever. It’s another car – like the Rivian – that will assail owners with regular over-the-air updates, rendering the idea of mid-life facelifts redundant.

To stay competitive, the EX60 will have to move as fast as the software. And that’s somewhat faster than the car industry has historically moved. Bell reckons the company has more in common with Apple in 2026 than it does with Volvo circa 1998.

That’s some claim…

Key to this is the introduction of the new HuginCore computing system which evolves Volvo’s superset tech stack (the name is derived from Norse mythology). It’s been developed in-house and combines an Nvidia Orin X core computer that can manage 254 TOPS (trillion operations per second) with a new Qualcomm Snapdragon User Experience Computer (UXC). Rather than hundreds of separate control units, the EX60 is now very efficiently networked. “We’re through now and starting to polish the diamond,” says Bell. Thank goodness for that. It’s better than trying to polish, well, a you know what.

The EX60 also comes with Google services fully embedded, such that the smartphone on wheels analogy is more accurate than ever. That includes Gemini, conversational AI tech that takes voice activation to the next level. Ever seen the 2013 film _Her_? It’s like that, only without Scarlett Johansson. It’s truly brilliant to use.

How many versions are available?

Four. The P6 and P10 arrive first, with the more powerful P12 due to arrive later this year, followed by the Cross Country version. Prices start at £56,860 for the P6 in Plus form, rising to £70,360 for the P12 AWD Ultra. They’re all pretty well stocked, but Ultra brings desirable additions such as hi-def pixel headlights, diamond cut alloys, electrochromic roof, and the sublime Bowers & Wilkins audio system, with its 1,820W output, 28 speakers and Dolby Atmos capability. Unless you are spectacularly cloth-eared or have no interest in music, you’d be mad not to spring for that.

Sounds good. Looks good, too.

It does. Like other contemporary Volvos, the EX60 is clean, confidently surfaced, and undeniably Scandinavian. In a sea of dreary cross-over conformity, Volvo continues to achieve some stand-out. We like the ‘Thor’s hammer’ lights and smooth nosed frontal aspect. EVs run the risk of looking soap bar bland, particularly head-on, but the Volvo logo cuts a dash here, and the lower air intake adds drama. An active shutter system regulates the amount of cooling air the car needs.

You’ll also notice that the EX60 has a particularly clean silhouette. That’s partly down to the absence of conventional door handles. Instead, it uses ‘wing grip’ handles, which gives the body sides the sheer look that all designers love while enhancing the aero efficiency. Locking is done via a smartphone digital key or key tag.

It’s also sustainable: Volvo says the car is 27 per cent recycled content, the highest of any of its cars so far. Its chassis is made of 50 per cent recycled aluminium, and uses megacasting to reduce the number of parts and their complexity. And the factory in Sweden where it’s made has won top-level industry certification for its environmental credentials.

All noted. Can we have some more stats, please?

Here’s how the line-up plays out. First up is the single motor, rear drive P6, which has an 83kWh battery, makes 369bhp and manages a claimed 385 miles fully charged. Then we have the dual motor AWD P10, with a 95kWh battery, 503bhp, and 410 miles of range.

Top of the heap, but yet to be driven by us, is the P12, also twin motor but with a 117kWh battery and a resounding 671bhp. That’s the one for which Volvo claims a range of ‘up to’ 503 miles. It’ll also accelerate to 62mph in 3.9 seconds, though too much of the latter will not help the former. Just so you know, the Ferrari F40 is 0.2 seconds slower to 62mph than the EX60 P12.

The times, they have truly a-changed.

Can you tell us more about the key tech?

This is a generational machine for Volvo, and another milestone in the evolution of the EV. Anyone who’s still holding out really ought to try one of these. That said, things are moving so fast now that every new model imperils other cars in the range.

How so? Well, with its new platform and ‘cell-to-body’ battery, the EX60 is lighter and costs less to manufacture. Rather than grouping cells into modules, assembling them in a pack and bolting that to the chassis, the EX60’s set-up stacks the cells directly and integrates the battery pack so that it becomes a load-bearing part of the vehicle structure. That improves energy density, reduces emissions, and charging times. Key takeaway: the physically smaller EX60 P12 AWD has more battery capacity and range than the EX90. For now, anyway.

The rear motor is a permanent magnet one that does most of the work; the front one on the dual motor models is asynchronous, magnet-free, and adds extra torque up front when required. It decouples at motorway speeds for more efficiency. There’s a new cooling system, revised inverter and power module, and reduced torque losses, claims Volvo.

Hmm. Understood. What about that charging speed?

As we’ve pointed out in previous reviews, this might be more important than the overall range. The EX60 runs an 800V setup that allows the P12 AWD to ingest enough energy to add 210 miles of range in 10 minutes, assuming you can find a 400kW charging point. Volvo’s third generation electric drivetrain is also bi-directional, so you can use it to power your home or to return energy to the grid. It’s ticking all the currently available boxes.

Never mind all the software stuff, how good an actual car is it?

Good question, and one that gets more difficult to answer as these things become increasingly sophisticated. The normal frames of reference somehow become less important. Is this a car or a highly sophisticated high-speed appliance?

The EX60 is nonetheless impressive, if a little aloof. As in other Volvos, it doesn’t deliver a surfeit of driving pleasure, but then steering feel or chassis interactivity aren’t top of the list of priorities. We reckon its ride is more settled on the fixed damper set-up than the more expensive active system. Buyers want competence, connectivity, quality, practicality, and safety. No problems on any of those fronts.

The EX60 proves that Volvo’s mastery of the tech that underpins the next-gen of EVs is rapidly evolving. This is another highly accomplished car, thoughtfully designed, engineered and executed, and one that manages to inject some humanity into the electric experience. Which is a little ironic given that the Google Gemini AI functionality is the best we’ve ever used in a car. As a driving machine, everything’s polished and refined. That the EX60 doesn’t major on driving thrills probably doesn’t matter that much.