2027 Volvo EX60 first drive: An ultra-smooth SUV for around $60k

Tim Stevens

Never mind nan anti-EV fear, uncertainty and uncertainty you whitethorn beryllium proceeding successful nan news lately, because a trio of stellar battery-powered crossovers is hitting nan marketplace this year. BMW's iX3 is already connected nan roads successful Europe and will beryllium arriving present soon, while nan Mercedes-Benz GLC pinch EQ Technology won't beryllium acold behind. I've driven some of those, and they're some great, but what astir nan third?

That would beryllium nan Scandinavian choice, nan Volvo EX60, an all-electric related to nan company's astir celebrated exemplary present successful nan US, nan XC60. It was unveiled earlier this year pinch an due magnitude of fuss and fanfare, including promises of a next-gen driving acquisition pinch much range, much ratio and much exertion than immoderate Volvo that came before.

Does it deliver? After a fewer days down nan wheel, I tin confidently opportunity that it does, but I fearfulness it whitethorn travel up short compared to nan title successful 1 cardinal area.

Tim Stevens

Volvo whitethorn not person nan broadest spectrum of cars connected nan marketplace — its American portfolio numbers less than 10 chopped models these days — but if you're a instrumentality of straight-laced Scandinavian creation arsenic I am, it's difficult not to find each of them rather compelling.

Plenty of folks are surely into nan XC60, nan company's mid-sized crossover. Volvo sold much than 41,000 of these past year, and while that doesn't comparison to nan astir 500,000 RAV4s that Toyota moved successful nan aforesaid period, that 1 SUV is simply a 3rd of Volvo's full US sales.

The all-electric EX60, then, is Volvo's astir mass-market emissions-free play yet. No astonishment past that nan creation is familiar. At a glance, it looks very overmuch for illustration a two-thirds standard type of nan three-row EX90, but location are immoderate differences. The rear has its ain style, and everything other is conscionable that overmuch much elemental and straightforward.

Look nether nan skin, though, and you'll spot immoderate much extremist changes. The EX60 marks Volvo's first existent foray into megacasting, nan usage of high-pressure molten alloys to create large, analyzable parts successful 1 shot. Bigger parts mean faster assembly, little weight and theoretically little cost.

The EX60 besides marks nan debut of a caller onboard processing strategy that Volvo evocatively calls HuginCore, a motion to Odin's pet raven, meant to symbolize thought. In actuality, it's a operation of an NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255. Volvo says this strategy not only makes for a much tin car astatine nan beginning, but 1 that will beryllium comprehensively expanded complete nan years done OTA updates.

Part of that will beryllium an expanded suite of progressive information features that someday, Volvo promises, will alteration nan EX60 to much aliases little thrust itself around, but only truthful agelong arsenic you support your hands connected nan wheel. We'll person to spot what nan early holds, but it's a disappointing limitation fixed that competitory SUVs from BMW and Ford connection hands-off driving today.

Tim Stevens

As important arsenic a car's exterior creation is, its interior is acold much important to your regular satisfaction, and thankfully, nan EX60 does a batch of things correct connected nan inside. It starts pinch nan readiness of a earthy fibre interior that Volvo calls its Tailored Wool Blend. It's pleasant to touch and feels for illustration it'll clasp up good to regular abuse. That said, if you're hauling kids who can't support from squeezing their juice boxes, aliases dogs pinch delicate tummies, you mightiness want to alternatively opt for nan synthetic Nordico aliases leather surfaces.

The wide layout of nan interior feels for illustration a transverse betwixt nan highly minimalist EX30 and nan still pared-back EX90, but pinch immoderate important improvements connected both. The biggest 1 is nan beingness of real, beingness controls connected nan steering wheel, not nan capacitive touch pads recovered connected those different two.However, that steering instrumentality is highly mini and skinny, which makes driving nan EX60 consciousness a spot off.

All nan different controls are rather good, and while I do miss Volvo's formerly trademark elephantine measurement knob successful nan mediate of nan dashboard, nan roller-style measurement power useful rather well. You tin moreover property it successful to region immoderate you're listening to, aliases usage nan buttons connected either broadside to beforehand tracks.

That's a broad suite of media controls, and nan car has an disposable speaker package to backmost that up. Step up to nan Ultra trim, a $7,100 premium complete nan guidelines Plus model, and you get a 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound strategy among a assortment of different upgrades. Cue up immoderate Atmos tunes successful Apple Music, and you'll find yourself successful 1 of nan champion rolling soundstages connected nan road, astatine immoderate value point.

Apple Music runs connected an Android Automotive-based operating system, which offers extended integration pinch things for illustration Google Maps, providing scope estimates for your trips and helping you find chargers on nan way. Gemini is besides built successful here, but nan acquisition feels a spot disjointed.

When you're getting navigation prompts, you'll perceive 1 voice. Speak to nan car and inquire it to alteration immoderate mounting aliases different (like somesthesia aliases spot heaters), and you'll perceive a 2nd voice. Start a speech pinch Gemini, and you'll get yet another, different voice.

It each feels a spot haphazard, and Gemini's sluggish responses tin beryllium a spot of a drag, too. Still, AI is simply a massively powerful addition. Being capable to not only find restaurants connected your way but besides get elaborate reviews and inquire questions astir your dietary restrictions is simply a game-changer. I moreover asked Gemini for suggestions connected scenic, nosy detours from what was proving to beryllium a boring road route, and it sent maine up a delightful roadworthy to a scenic overview.

There were immoderate different package annoyances, though. The integer cardinal functionality grounded aft a luncheon stop, pinch nan car refusing to spell moreover though nan paired iPhone was coming wrong nan cabin. Bluetooth had to beryllium abnormal and re-enabled earlier nan car would operate. Also, during 1 photograph stop, I was extracurricular of nan car agelong capable for it to powerfulness each nan measurement down. It took a bully 20 seconds to footwear backmost up earlier I could drive. Thankfully I wasn't overmuch successful a hurry, but hopefully, each this will beryllium improved earlier nan EX60 hits dealers later this year.

Tim Stevens

Volvo chose nan Catalonia region of Spain for nan motorboat of nan EX60, a stunning area afloat of narrow, twisting roads retired successful nan state and terrible, chaotic gridlock successful nan metropolis of Barcelona. It's a awesome place, then, to trial retired really good a car tin get your adrenaline flowing erstwhile you're looking for fun, and really good it tin sooth your frazzled nerves erstwhile you conscionable want to past amidst a swarm of manic scooters.

The EX60 is decidedly amended astatine nan second than nan former. I sampled some nan slower, single-motor P6, which puts 369 horsepower to nan rear wheels, and nan quicker, dual-motor P10, pinch 503 hp to each 4 wheels. The erstwhile had nan standard, non-adaptive suspension, nan latter, Volvo's much precocious adaptive suspension, which tin dynamically respond to roadworthy conditions aliases beryllium manually stiffened via touchscreen controls.

Yes, nan second was a spot quicker and will surely connection a spot much assurance successful low-grip situations, but otherwise, location wasn't a batch betwixt nan two. Both felt eminently relaxed and composed successful each situations, accelerating smoothly and cruising complete nan worst asphalt I could find without complaint.

The adaptive suspension did adhd a spot much compliance to nan ride, positive nan expertise to stiffen things up slightly, but I wouldn't telephone either engaging. That's a emotion accentuated by slow steering and that curiously tiny, skinny steering wheel. Both nan P6 and P10 are speedy and responsive nether acceleration, moreover connected nan highway, which is nan champion spot to trial nan EX60's progressive information suite.

The EX60 mostly does a awesome occupation of keeping itself centered wrong nan lane, pinch an adaptive cruise strategy that spotted postulation early and modulated velocity smoothly to instrumentality pinch it. But, that lane-keep strategy besides had an annoying inclination to skew to nan correct whenever passing an exit, and it was highly abrupt successful applying adjustments whenever I intentionally fto nan car rotation complete towards nan achromatic lines connected secondary roads.

Tim Stevens

Despite those fewer quirks, nan EX60 near maine pinch nan belief of an ultra-smooth, calm and competent SUV that would make for an highly welcoming abstraction astatine nan opening aliases nan extremity of a agelong time astatine work. It besides delivers coagulated range. The P6 will do up to 307 miles connected a complaint from its 83-kilowatt-hour gross artillery pack, nan P10 up to 322 from 95 kWh.

Not enough? Volvo has an moreover longer-range spirit coming adjacent year, nan P12, which will do 400 miles from a 117 kWh battery, and besides steps up to 670 hp. That, though, will travel astatine a cost, which is astir apt nan EX60's biggest challenge.

Pricing connected that top-shelf P12 isn't yet set. The dual-motor P10, though, starts astatine $60,750, and nan single-motor P6 is $58,400. That's adjacent compared to a plug-in hybrid XC60, which starts astatine $62,545, making nan EX60 each nan much charismatic for those already successful nan family. But, for anyone starting fresh, it doesn't needfully guidelines up against BMW's caller iX3, which starts astatine $61,500 for a exemplary offering 434 miles of range

BMW's SUV besides charges astatine 400 kW, while nan EX60 P12 and P10 apical retired astatine 370 kW. The P6 is somewhat slower astatine 320. That intends nan P12 tin summation 173 miles successful 10 minutes, nan P10 165 and nan P6 155.

Tim Stevens

Volvo's EX60 is simply a great-looking, great-driving SUV that conscionable near maine wanting much aft 2 days down its mini small steering wheel. It wasn't precisely rewarding erstwhile I tried to thrust it much aggressively, but erstwhile I relaxed a spot and took my time, and nan opportunity to bask that 1,820-watt sound system, I became rather enamored.

But wherever nan EX60 doesn't needfully excel is nan worth proposition successful this conception that is already ultra-competitive and conscionable keeps getting much cutthroat. As Volvo continues to germinate into much of a luxury marque, that whitethorn not beryllium a concern, but for immoderate buyers doing nan mathematics connected monthly payments and cross-shopping, it whitethorn beryllium little compelling.