The 2027 Volvo EX60: The Electric Version of Volvo’s Best Selling Car Ever, and the One That Has to Get It Right
Last year, the Volvo XC60 quietly did something remarkable. It passed the legendary Volvo 240 to become the best selling Volvo of all time, clearing 2.7 million units. That’s the kind of success a company builds its future on, so when Volvo set out to make an electric version, the stakes were enormous. The EX60 isn’t just another new EV. It’s the electric heir to Volvo’s most important nameplate, aimed at the biggest, most competitive segment in the entire market, and it needs to be genuinely good. The encouraging news is that it appears to be exactly that.
The EX60 is Volvo’s new mid size electric SUV, the electric equivalent of the hugely popular XC60, and it slots neatly between the compact EX40 and the flagship three row EX90. But it’s far more than a battery powered copy of the bestseller. It launches an entirely new platform for Volvo, brings genuinely competitive range and charging, and represents the start of a new chapter for the brand’s electric future. For a company betting heavily on going electric, the EX60 might be the most important car it launches this decade.
A Genuinely New Foundation
Here’s what makes the EX60 significant beyond just its badge. Unlike the flagship EX90, which rides on Volvo’s older platform, the EX60 debuts an all new architecture called SPA3, and the benefits show up in exactly the places that matter most for an electric vehicle.
The headline is the 800 volt electrical system, which enables genuinely fast charging. On a capable charger, the EX60 can add well over 150 miles of range in about 10 minutes, and fill from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 16 minutes. That’s a dramatic improvement over Volvo’s older electric models and puts the EX60 among the quicker charging vehicles in its class. It’s also the first Volvo with a native NACS charging port, giving it direct access to more than 29,000 Tesla Superchargers without an adapter, which is a genuinely meaningful convenience for road trips.
The new platform also uses clever manufacturing techniques like megacasting, which reduces the number of parts and cuts weight, along with a battery built directly into the structure and motors developed in house. All of that engineering serves a purpose: a lighter, more efficient, longer range vehicle. And it shows in the numbers.
The Range and Power Are Genuinely Strong
The EX60 delivers what is, for Volvo, class leading range. The lineup spans three powertrains, and the numbers are impressive across the board.
The base P6 uses a single rear motor producing 369 horsepower and delivers up to around 307 miles of range from its 80 kWh battery, reaching 60 mph in about 5.7 seconds. The mid level P10 adds a second motor for all wheel drive, jumps to 503 horsepower, and delivers up to around 330 miles of range from a larger 95 kWh pack, which earned an official EPA rating that actually beat Volvo’s own initial estimate. And the upcoming top P12 unleashes a genuinely serious 670 horsepower, the same as a Corvette Z06, while stretching range to as much as 400 miles from its big 117 kWh battery, hitting 60 mph in 3.8 seconds.
That top range figure makes the EX60 the longest range vehicle Volvo has ever offered, which is a genuinely notable achievement and exactly the kind of number that removes any lingering hesitation about going electric. Reviewers generally point to the P10 all wheel drive as the sweet spot, combining strong range, genuinely quick acceleration, all weather traction, and a reasonable price around $67,000.
The Volvo Character
The EX60 wears Volvo’s understated, handsome Scandinavian design, with the brand’s signature hammer shaped daytime running lights, clean surfacing undisturbed by an unnecessary grille, and the trademark vertical taillights with a modern twist. It’s elegant without being flashy, which is exactly what Volvo buyers expect, and the slippery shape helps efficiency too.
Pricing starts at $58,400 before destination, which positions the EX60 competitively in the heart of the luxury mid size electric SUV market. It arrives into genuinely tough competition, with the BMW iX3, the new Mercedes GLC Electric, and the Rivian R2 all landing in the same space soon, so Volvo picked the hardest possible segment to enter. But on range, charging speed, and that signature Volvo blend of safety and Scandinavian design, the EX60 looks thoroughly ready for the fight.
The Considerations
A few notes. As an all new vehicle on an all new platform, the EX60 is genuinely unproven in the real world, and any first year vehicle on brand new architecture carries some risk of the early quirks that tend to accompany new technology. Volvo’s recent flagship EX90 had a genuinely rough start with software and reliability issues, so the company’s newest platform will need to demonstrate it has learned those lessons. The early signs are encouraging, but time and real world ownership will tell.
The top P12 trim and its headline 400 mile range also arrive later than the initial P6 and P10 versions, so the very longest range figure isn’t available at launch. And the fastest charging speeds require the most powerful DC fast chargers, which remain relatively rare in the US, so real world charging will often be somewhat slower than the peak figures suggest, though still genuinely quick.
Where I Land
The EX60 is the most important new Volvo in years, and on the evidence so far, the company appears to have gotten it right where it matters most. It brings genuinely competitive range, seriously fast charging, Supercharger access, and Volvo’s signature blend of safety and understated design, all in the mid size shape that the market most wants. It’s the electric heir to Volvo’s best selling nameplate, and it seems well equipped to carry that legacy forward.
In my opinion, the EX60 is one of the more compelling new electric SUVs arriving right now, particularly for buyers drawn to Volvo’s understated elegance and strong safety reputation who want modern range and charging to go with it. The P10 all wheel drive in particular looks like a genuinely smart buy, and the eventual 400 mile P12 gives the lineup a headline number few rivals can match. It enters a brutally competitive segment against strong new rivals, but it enters it with real strengths rather than compromises. If Volvo can back it up with the reliability its newest platform promises, the EX60 could well become the electric bestseller the XC60 name deserves. The stakes were high, and Volvo appears to have risen to them.
*EV Rob writes about electric vehicles, automotive technology, and the future of transportation at The Wonderful World of EVs.*
