Driven: I think long range and Scandinavian style make the Volvo EX60 an alternative electric SUV to watch out for

The EX60 is a big deal for Volvo. The premium SUV is the obvious electric successor to the petrol-powered XC60, which has done phenomenal numbers for the Swedish manufacturer. It will be built on home soil – an impressive feat given Volvo is now part of the Chinese Geely Group – and the firm even reckons there’ll be enough demand for a Cross Country version later down the line.

Initially available in P6 and P10 powertrains, with an even more potent P12 model arriving later in 2026, the EX60 packs strong Scandinavian style vibes, loads of cutting edge tech (which you can read our experience of here) and enough range to make it the logical next step for someone that’s enjoyed the plug-in hybrid XC60: the P6 delivers 380 miles, the P10 a generous 410 miles while the P12 will offer up to 503 miles.

There’s a lot of good stuff in the EX60’s size- and price bracket right now though, including the mile-munching BMW iX3 and somewhat more traditional Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric. The Tesla Model Y remains a contender if you sit on the Elon Musk side of the fence. With order books opening from £56,860 ($58,400 in the USA) and the EX60 P10 AWD Ultra test car I drove costing from £65,360 ($67,350), does the Volvo do enough to take on the stiff competition?

The styling

Anyone who loves a Volvo should be smitten by the EX60 as it’s got all the best design bits we’ve seen on other recent models. There’s the smoothed-off blocky exterior, that is instantly recognisable from the front thanks to those ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED headlights. The backend is deliciously refined too, although chunky rear pillars compromise the view from the inside a tad.

Nevertheless, I really liked the dimensions of the car, although it was notable that due to the angled-in tailgate design, the boot opening could prove tricky for some larger objects. There was some storage cheer though in the shape of a 58-litre frunk that complimented that 523 litres of standard boot space, prior to dropping the seats for up to 1,647 litres capacity all in. My car also boasted big 22in matt black and diamond cut alloys (a £795 option), but the smaller 20 and 21in wheel variants looked equally as good I thought.

There were also some really innovative design touches that came as part of the package, which included a neat new take on door handles. Instead of conventional ones in the door, Volvo has developed an aero-efficient tab for the top of each door, which once I’d used them for a bit, proved to be a great idea. Similarly innovative was the new front seat belt setup. These automatically adjust to suit the occupant and help boost Volvo’s already impressive safety credentials very nicely indeed.

I also like the way Volvo has kept the trim options simple and straightforward, with the lowlier Plus model offering marginally less in the goodies department next to the Ultra version I drove. To be honest, there didn’t seem to be a lot in it, with the Plus proving to be very well equipped with LED headlights, a Bose audio system, wireless phone charging, 360-degree camera and an expansive panoramic sunroof. My Ultra edition bettered that though, with beefier HD pixel headlights and the panoramic sunroof gaining electrochromatic tinting via a button. Best of all, though, was the 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, which was, of course, fabulous.

The drive

It’s been a while since I drove the quirky Volvo EX30 and, at first, I thought the steering wheel had been pulled from that smaller electric car. But no, the dinky square wheel is unique to the EX60 and it felt a little weird initially. However, I ended up getting on well with it in the same way I enjoy Peugeot’s i-Cockpit and its similarly diminutive control setup. The other thing to consider with the Volvo EX60 is its reliance on on-screen controls, which are supplemented by steering wheel buttons. I found it was time well spent getting things to my liking, before I set off, though the screen was pretty good at offering easy adjustment on the move.

While the Volvo EX60 is a large SUV, it didn’t feel at all intimidating to drive. In fact, I found it gloriously agile, especially on a predetermined route programmed into the on-board Google Maps. However, having to tap off waypoints as I progressed meant the route got me in to a few tricky situations, consisting of cul-de-sacs, tortuously narrow lanes and random car parks. As a result, I had to work the Volvo EX60 hard, but it didn’t let me down. I even managed to reverse it into someone’s driveway when a delivery driver refused to budge, and it slotted into the miserly gap with enviable ease.

Overall, the Volvo EX60 was a great car to drive. It’s built on Volvo’s SPA3 platform, which combined with an excellent suspension setup and those sizeable 22in alloys felt perfectly tuned to the roads I was driving on. It was very versatile – even more so when I selected the one-pedal driving option – and the car felt equally at home on winding country roads, busy urban streets and more major highways.

The efficiency of my car felt every bit as good as official figures suggest, with the 403-mile range seemingly very doable based on my time behind the wheel. An 800-volt architecture meant a 10% to 80% top-up of the 95kWh battery could be achieved in just over 15 minutes, albeit on a fast 370kW charger. Great stuff, though likely to be a pricey experience via commercial chargers. I also felt it would be ideally suited to anyone who loves the great outdoors, thanks to a 2,400kg towing capacity.

There’s no doubting the power on tap from this vehicle either. I felt that the P10 offered more than enough oomph, with plenty of opportunities to get into trouble if I’d wanted to. It wasn’t crazy fast, but certainly fast enough, getting from 0 to 62mph in just 4.6 seconds. The dual-motor, all-wheel drive arrangement gets that power down super smoothly. The P12 will do the same 0 to 62mph in 3.9 seconds, which to be honest feels a little unnecessary. The P6 doesn’t exactly sound like a slouch either, with 0-62mph arriving in 5.9 seconds.

The technology

A big part of the appeal of the Volvo EX60 is its sophisticated software-defined architecture, which includes Google Gemini voice control along with a suite of other advanced tech features. Central to this is the 15in landscape infotainment screen, which was mounted at a good height in the middle of the dash and featured graphics and fonts every bit as good as I’ve seen in any similarly crafted Polestar vehicle.

This was supplemented by an 11.4in elongated driver display that was minimalist but told me all I needed to know on the driving front. No head-up display, mind.

Volvo has been bold with its tech strategy, and the result means there were no physical touch buttons, save for a natty roller-style option directly under the screen for turning the volume up and down. I got on okay with the touchscreen-centric arrangement, with even door mirror adjustments involving nothing more than a swipe and tap movement. Making life even easier, save for the navigational irritations mentioned above, was the Google integration, especially the voice control. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were also offered.

With the Volvo EX60 being a software-defined vehicle, it also seems likely that there will be additional over-the-air updates that should help keep the SUV up to date in the coming years. Given the speed of development with Google Gemini and the dominance of screen or steering wheel-only controls that seems like a necessity.

Considering all the tech, it was a bit of a disappointment not to have massage functionality for the front seats, although interestingly both rows featured electric adjustment. The heated wiper blades were a handy inclusion for colder climes while the aforementioned 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system left me wanting for nothing in the audio department. A strong showing overall.

Volvo EX60 P10 AWD Ultra verdict

Anyone spending 60,000+ on their next premium SUV will find any of the new crop of big-range options very agreeable. The Volvo EX60 is impressive enough in either Plus or Ultra trims to make a great alternative to the likes of the BMW iX3 or the Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric, though the all-wheel drive P10 Ultra feels like a real sweet spot in the lineup.

Granted, with options added in the EX60 is no bargain, but there’s no doubting the quality, performance and safety appeal on offer here.

Volvo EX60 technical specifications