Volvo EX60 first drives: electric XC60 successor lands with 810km flagship range and undercut pricing

An all-new platform, not a converted XC60

The Volvo EX60 is the electric equivalent of the Swedish brand's biggest-selling model, the XC60 midsize SUV, but shares little with the nine-year-old car beyond the number in its nameplate. Chasing Cars, which drove the car for the first time in England, reports it rides on an all-new 800-volt EV platform called SPA3, which will underpin other future Volvos as well as some models from Chinese parent company Geely. ¹

Johan Rasmusson, Volvo's commercial product lead for the EX60, told Auto123 the car is built on the electric-exclusive SPA3 architecture, saying the EX60 is good because it is electric and that this is no coincidence. Auto123 notes this differs from brands such as BMW and Lexus, which are crafting electric cars on the same platforms as their petrol counterparts. ³

The new car is 4.8 metres long, roughly 10cm longer than the XC60, with virtually all of that increase going into the near-three-metre wheelbase, according to Chasing Cars. Auto123 records the same dimensional shift, with length and wheelbase both up nearly 100mm to 4803mm and 2970mm respectively. ¹³

Like the BMW iX3, the EX60 integrates battery cells into the vehicle structure rather than using a separate pack, which Chasing Cars reports helps reduce weight and create more cabin space in tandem with mega-casting production. Volvo calls this cell-to-body design, and Auto123 reports the P10 weighs only about 150kg more than an XC60 plug-in hybrid. ¹³

Aerodynamics are aided by remarkably clean flanks devoid of doorhandles, with Chasing Cars reporting a 0.26 coefficient of drag. Auto123 quotes the drag figure as 0.265, crediting the shark-fin-style door fins tucked into the beltline; an engineer told Auto123 the fin piece extends deep into the door and should not snap off. ¹³

Australian pricing confirmed against iX3 and GLC Electric

Chasing Cars reports Australian pricing has been confirmed with an $86,990 starting point before on-road costs for the EX60 P6 Ultra, undercutting the most affordable iX3, the $89,900 '40'. The P10 tested in the UK costs £59,860 (AU$113,645) there but will carry a $101,990 RRP in Australia in a higher-specification Ultra grade, undercutting the $109,900 iX3 50 xDrive and the $112,200 Mercedes-Benz GLC400 Electric. ¹

The headline 810km WLTP P12 variant is likely to cost closer to $120,000 in Australia, according to Chasing Cars, which adds that no UK/European release date has been announced for the P12, so buyers should expect a significant delay to its local arrival. ¹

Chasing Cars reports the EX60 is not due in Australia until early 2027, starting with the mid-range P10 tested in the UK. Volvo Cars Australia, in its own news story on the local media drive held in Spain, describes the EX60 as coming to Australia in 2027, with vehicle certification pending for the advertised range and charging figures. ¹²

Volvo revealed during the Barcelona media drive that the EX60 would be priced identically to the equivalent XC60 plug-in hybrid, a positioning Auto123 said suggested Volvo may have removed one of the remaining barriers to EV adoption. ³

Three powertrains, with the P12 flagship leading on range

Chasing Cars details three variants. The rear-drive base P6 offers 275kW/480Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds from an 80kWh (useable) battery with 610km WLTP range. The P10 tested produces 4.6 seconds to 100km/h with a 91kWh useable battery and 660km WLTP, while the flagship 500kW/790Nm P12 with a 112kWh battery is claimed by Volvo to reach 100km/h in under four seconds and 810km WLTP. ¹

The Drive's first-drive review in Spain similarly records the P6 at 369hp, 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds and up to 307 miles of range, and the P10 at 503hp, 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds and up to 322 miles, figures it notes are non-EPA. It lists the P12 at 670hp, 3.8 seconds and 400 miles on 20-inch wheels, due late in 2026 in the US. ⁵

An iX3 50 will deliver more range than the $8000-cheaper EX60 P10 purely through its bigger 108.7kWh battery, Chasing Cars notes. The 810km P12 figure just pips the 805km iX3 M50, the current EV-range benchmark in Australia, though BMW's related iX4 50 will arrive in the first quarter of 2027 with an 828km claim. ¹

Charging is a strength of the 800-volt platform. Volvo says a P12 owner at a 370kW-capable charger can add up to 340km of range in 10 minutes, or 325km for the P10 and 305km for the 320kW-capable P6, as reported by Chasing Cars. Volvo Cars Australia describes the charging speeds as coffee-stop quick, up to 315km in as little as 10 minutes, figures it labels preliminary with vehicle certification pending. ¹²

Auto123 adds further charging detail from the 800-volt architecture: 10-to-80 per cent DC fast charging can take as little as 18 minutes on a 400kW charger, while the included 19.2kW onboard charger should complete a full charge in around five hours with the proper setup. ³

Chasing Cars recorded an indicated efficiency of 16.1kWh/100km during its UK testing, landing on 19.1kWh/100km over its overall ownership period, equating to real-world ranges of 565km and 476km respectively. Auto123, on a hilly route in Spain, saw slightly under 21kWh/100km and judged Volvo's quoted 514km Canadian-market range figure bang-on. ¹³

Cabin and technology: landscape screen and HuginCore

The biggest interior change, according to Chasing Cars, is that Volvo has dropped its long-time portrait-format centre touchscreen for a landscape version. The 15-inch OLED curved display is the biggest yet in a Volvo and runs a system Volvo describes as its most responsive user experience yet with zero lag, though Chasing Cars found the response not quite lag-free but sufficiently quick, with excellent and intuitive menu layouts. ¹

Auto123 reports the underlying operating system is called HuginCore and brings massively more computing power for quicker functions and over-the-air updates, with Volvo promising quarterly OS updates. The review rated the technology as a marked improvement over recent Volvos, whose infotainment systems have not always been the smoothest. ³

Chasing Cars praises the attractive yet unpretentious cabin, with light Scandinavian tones, a full-length glass roof and ergonomically superb front seats. Bountiful rear-seat space delivers abundant knee room and comfortable three-across seating on a flat floor, with the strictly five-seater offering 523 litres of bootspace against the iX3's 520L plus a 58-litre frunk, the biggest of any electric Volvo. ¹

Auto123, by contrast, records storage space of 634 litres with the rear seats upright and 1647 litres with them folded, plus a small frunk, and notes slightly less rear legroom than the XC60 at 951mm versus 965mm. The 1647-litre maximum cargo figure is also cited by Volvo Cars Australia. ³²

Physical controls are otherwise sparse. Chasing Cars lists a crystal-like volume scroller beneath the display and some fixed shortcut digital buttons, flagging the dearth of physical control as a needs-work item, while The Drive notes the driver's steering and mirror adjustment interface remains tucked away in the touchscreen. ¹⁵

Safety technology includes the debut of Volvo's first multi-adaptive safety belts, which Auto123 reports use sensors to adjust belt tensioning in a crash based on occupant height, weight and seating position. Optional equipment includes built-in rear booster seats, and The Drive lists surround-view cameras, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping control among the standard safety gear on its test cars. ³⁵

On the road: comfort first, not outright dynamics

Chasing Cars describes a refined, comfortable driving experience with pleasantly predictable steering, but says the car is not as dynamic to drive as the iX3, with notably more body roll in the firmest damper mode. The P10 and forthcoming P12 both feature adaptive suspension, one potential advantage over the BMW, and the tester's optional 21-inch wheels meant occupants were not always oblivious to deeper road scars around town. ¹

Auto123 reached a similar conclusion, finding the EX60 never feels particularly sporting even in its most aggressive settings, but is neither wayward nor sloppy, prioritising comfort over engagement. It noted the ride remains calm and well-damped on the largest wheels, with little wind noise at highway speeds, while the P6 on its fixed passive dampers offers a lighter nose that is more satisfying on turn-in. ³

The Drive's reviewer found both models benign and friendly, best when dissolving the miles without a whimper, and praises the P6's absorbent ride on Spanish roads. MotorTrend, riding in a P10 AWD at Volvo's Swedish test facility, could feel clear differences between the softest and firmest suspension settings, and says the EX60 shows huge potential if it launches with a smooth, bug-free software experience after the EX90's troubled rollout. ⁵⁴

Overall, Chasing Cars' verdict is that the EX60, the brand's most important EV yet, brings a bigger ratio of positives than previous electric Volvos, concluding it is 'game on' against the BMW iX3. ¹