New Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid: Gothenburg’s best-seller just got better
The Volvo XC60 has been around for a while now, but this latest raft of updates for the 2027 model year ensure that the biggest-selling Volvo of all time still has plenty to offer
Volvo has unveiled the latest version of its XC60 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV with a bigger battery than the outgoing car, a fresh look inside and out, plus plenty of tech and safety kit.
Sweden’s answer to the likes of the BMW X3 and the Mercedes GLC PHEVs, the XC60 has been around since 2008, and this second-generation car based on Volvo’s SPA platform went on sale in 2018.
Over the course of its life, Volvo has shifted 2.7 million XC60s, making it the best-selling model in its 99-year history.
As Volvo seeks to bolster its commitment to electrified vehicles, this latest round of updates ensures that the XC60 remains a solid choice for customers who aren’t ready to commit fully to an electric-only powertrain.
New Volvo XC60 battery and range
The biggest change to the XC60 is its battery. Gone is the 14.8kWh [usable capacity] unit found in the current car in favour of a 37.9kWh pack. By more than doubling the size of the battery and fitting a new, more powerful electric motor, Volvo has – unsurprisingly – more than doubled the XC60’s electric-only range. However, fast-charging isn’t available, and it takes up to four hours to top up the battery.
In long-range T6 form, the new Volvo XC60 can travel up 124 miles on a single charge, and the high-performance T8 is capable of 117 miles. These figures are up from 49.1 miles and 47.2 miles respectively. With a full tank of fuel and a fully charged battery, the XC60 can manage up to 770 miles of range.
What’s more, the new lithium-ion battery is now integrated into the floor instead of the car’s central spine, creating more boot space and lowering the centre of gravity to improve handling.
With up to 124 miles of EV-only range, the plug-in hybrid system was engineered to provide enough electric power for most daily driving tasks, such as commutes, school runs, and weekly shops. According to YouGov, 69% of UK motorists drive less than 20 miles per day.
Up front is Volvo’s tried-and-tested turbocharged, four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine which in combination with the rear-mounted 130kW electric motor, affords the T6 a combined 356bhp, and the T8 a sports car-worrying 461bhp in a car that weighs in excess of over two tonnes. Both are front-wheel-drive (FWD) only.
Volvo will build the XC60 at its Torslanda site, as well as its factory in Charleston, South Carolina in the United States.
Exterior design
This second-generation Volvo XC60 was penned by former Polestar CEO, Thomas Ingenlath. Upon arrival, it was praised for its design, which paired Volvo’s inherent qualities of robustness with a quietly confident Scandinavian aesthetic.
These latest updates were described by Volvo as “improvements where they matter most”, and they include new bumpers at the front, a slimmer grille, new front wings, a sculpted bonnet, and a new reinterpretation of Volvo’s signature ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights.
Now, these distinctively designed headlights comprise 15 segments to provide a wider, longer light pattern than before without dazzling oncoming motorists.
Working together, the narrower grille and the new bonnet with its curved lip to provide the XC60 with a softer appearance, which isn’t dissimilar to the handsome second-generation V60.
The changes continue at the rear. Once again, a new bumper plays its part, as do new LED rear lights. The resulting sharper appearance appears to push the car forward, and give it a renewed sense of self-assuredness.
Overall, every panel front and rear is new – the only thing that remains over the outgoing car is the pane of glass in the tailgate.
Other external changes include the option of 21-inch, open-space, diamond-cut alloys, and 20-inch aero wheels aimed at eking out as much range as possible from the plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Volvo has also introduced a new colour named ‘Heather Bronze’, which pairs bronze and violet tones that shift depending on the surrounding light. To see it in action, watch our walkaround video of the new Volvo XC60 here.
New Volvo XC60 interior design
Thankfully, the inside of the Volvo XC60 has also changed very little over the outgoing car.
Everything is pleasingly tactile, and the fact that there are physical buttons aplenty is a nudge that this is an old-school Volvo.
The knurled metal knob to power the car up is a nice reminder of Volvo’s inherent sensibility, as is the switchgear on the steering wheel and for the electric windows. These are small things, but at a time when budget cuts are rife throughout the automotive industry, they are a much-welcome throwback to happier, more quality-centric times.
Around the car, each door has an incorporated Bowers and Wilkins speaker if you select it from the options list. From visual and aural perspectives, it’s a stunning set-up.
Volvo was also keen to accentuate the XC60’s natural airiness via a full-length sunroof, and inverting the door trim cards from a convex to a concave form. Here, Volvo says that this improves the direction of the interior lighting and helps retain the car’s “XC60-ness”.
An interior trim dubbed ‘Cardamom’ is new for this facelift, and introduces light brown leather seating, with matching fabric elements across the dashboard and in the doors, plus wood-effect trim.
The divisive crystal gear selector is hand-crafted by luxury Swedish glass brand Orrefors, and serves as a vessel for light to illuminate the XC60’s cabin in darker weather or at night.
Another major change is the shift from a nine-inch touchscreen, to an 11.2-inch system running Volvo’s latest software suite and a new, advanced safety computer. The XC60 also benefits from over-the-air (OTA) updates, to help future-proof it for “as long as possible”.
Updated technology
Along with the updated Volvo EX40, the XC60 comes with Google Gemini, the tech giant’s AI assistant. This will let you have a natural conversation with the car, and manage functions such as route-planning and adjusting the car’s climate control.
The system is also easier to use over the current car, and is visually sharper. The same can be said for the driver instrument binnacle sitting behind the steering wheel.
As a company that prides itself on its safety credentials, the XC60 gets a completely upgraded sensor set, including new cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors.
Volvo’s latest safety innovations are also incorporated, including a new safety cage, automatic emergency steering, automatic braking, collision avoidance, and door-opening alert to avoid a collision with a cyclist, pedestrian, or another car.
Lane change assist is now part of Volvo’s Pilot Assist package, as is a 360-degree camera with a 3D view of the car and its surroundings. Thoughtfully, Volvo matches the virtual on-screen car, with the colour of the actual vehicle.
The ADAS system is relatively easy to switch off via the touchscreen, and it can be done in as little as two pushes. It’s easier than in the EX30, but not as easy as the physical button approach adopted by the likes of Renault, Nissan, and Tesla.
New Volvo XC60 trim levels and pricing
Beyond the T6 and T8 powertrains, Volvo hasn’t mentioned any further information surrounding trim levels. However, we do know that a ‘Black Edition’ model will be available, featuring an all-black grille, blacked-out interior elements, black wheels, and matching badging.
Pricing for the XC60 has yet to be announced, but the existing model is priced from £53,265, and the starting price for its all-electric sibling, the EX60 starts at £56,860. With these figures in mind, we expect Volvo to price the XC60 between the two.