Volvo’s 2027 EX60 Is What Happens When Swedish Minimalism Meets Silicon Valley

Volvo’s new 2027 EX60 is what happens when a company actually understands that luxury doesn’t require sensory overload. While every other automaker is cramming screens into every available surface and charging outrageous premiums for the privilege, the Swedish manufacturer has built an electric compact SUV that proves restraint and sophistication can still win. And it starts at $59,795 for the rear-wheel-drive P6 model—undercutting its own plug-in hybrid XC60 T8 and likely every German competitor lurking in this segment.

Car and Driver recently drove the EX60 through Spain and came away impressed. This isn’t just an electric version of Volvo’s gas-powered XC60. It’s a complete reimagining built on the company’s new SPA3 platform with an 800-volt electrical architecture, paired with what Volvo calls the HuginCore digital ecosystem—a collaboration between Volvo’s own engineers and partners like Google, Nvidia, and Qualcomm. The result is a vehicle designed for a software-defined future, not just another electric SUV with a bigger touchscreen bolted on.

The Tech Stack That Actually Works

The EX60’s hardware is clever. Volvo integrated battery cells into the floor as partial structural elements rather than mounting them as a separate pack, saving weight. The rear subframe uses aluminum megacasting—a single piece replacing what would traditionally be more than 100 individual components. These aren’t flashy moves; they’re the kind of engineering that makes a car feel composed and efficient without marketing fanfare.

Where things get interesting is software. The 15.0-inch OLED touchscreen runs an Android-based infotainment system that’s a massive leap over Volvo’s previous interfaces. It’s vibrant, intuitive, and actually quick to respond—a rarity in the luxury EV space. Yes, Google’s Gemini AI chatbot feels gimmicky, but the ability to ask natural-language questions works surprisingly well on the road. The bigger complaint: climate controls and HVAC vent adjustments are buried in that same touchscreen, which is infuriating. At least physical controls grace the redesigned steering wheel and a volume scroll wheel on the center stack.

Over-the-air updates come standard, with real optimization of active-safety systems promising genuine improvements throughout the car’s life. This is where the processing power actually justifies itself—not as a sales talking point, but as functional future-proofing.

The Powertrain Makes Real Sense

Two models launch this summer in the U.S.; a third arrives later. The P6 rear-wheel-drive makes 369 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque from an 80-kWh battery, hitting 60 mph in roughly 5.7 seconds. That’s plenty brisk for a luxury SUV and genuinely responsive off the line. The P10 all-wheel-drive bumps output to 503 horses (201 hp front, 302 hp rear) and 524 lb-ft from a 91-kWh pack, delivering 4.4-second 0-60 times. Both feel unbothered—plenty of low-end torque, no need to hunt the rev limiter.

The real flex: charging. The P6 can add 160 miles in 10 minutes at a DC fast charger, reaching 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes. The P10 peaks at 370 kilowatts. Standard NACS ports mean you’re plugging into Tesla Superchargers without adapters. Range estimates sit at 295–307 miles for the P6 and 312–322 for the P10, depending on wheel size—legitimate numbers that’ll actually matter in real-world ownership.

A 670-hp P12 with a 112-kWh battery drops later this year, followed by a rugged Cross Country variant as a 2028 model. That lineup flexibility is smart—Volvo’s not forcing you into a single box the way some competitors do.

Interior Design That Doesn’t Shout

Step inside and you immediately understand why Volvo’s approaching luxury differently. The cabin is a study in Scandinavian restraint—clean, textured, purposeful. The fabric-covered dashboard brings warmth to an otherwise modern space. Fit and finish are genuinely excellent, the kind of thing you notice by running your hand across materials, not from a feature checklist. The standard glass roof with optional electrochromic dimming floods the cabin with light. Front seats are unusually supportive—the kind that make you forget why chiropractors exist.

Storage is practical: 20 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seats, expandable to 58 cubic feet with them folded. There’s also a small frunk and a generous underfloor bin. Compared to the gas XC60, the EV is 3.7 inches longer with a 4.1-inch larger wheelbase, giving the second row genuinely ample room despite the low floor gaining headroom throughout.

That sleek, wagon-like exterior design will polarize. It’s not conventionally aggressive—no angry grille or theatrical curves. But it reads as intentional, almost European in its restraint. In a segment where every other EV looks like a science-fiction concept that somehow made production, that’s refreshing.

Driving It Actually Feels Like Driving

The EX60’s core talent is refined isolation. At speed on quality roads, it’s impressively quiet—a significant upgrade for daily use. Ride comfort is commendable, though Car and Driver noted that verdict should be tested on rougher American pavement before final judgment.

The suspension splits between models: the P6 uses passive dampers, the P10 gets adaptive units. Both deliver taut, disciplined body and wheel control with negligible difference between the P10’s three firmness settings. The steering wheel is oddly small and ovoid-shaped, turning with quick but remote action. Cranking up effort settings does little to improve feel—a common EV shortcoming that Volvo didn’t entirely overcome.

Where it shines is brake calibration. Multiple regen levels, including one-pedal and variable automatic modes, mean you’ll rarely need to touch the friction brakes. When you do, they feel firm and responsive without the stuttering some EVs suffer when transition between regen and friction occurs. The P10 can actually encounter its 112-mph speed limiter during highway merges—a sign of genuine performance, not just claimed numbers.

The Real Story: Competence at an Honest Price

Here’s what matters: the EX60 P10 all-wheel-drive costs only $2,350 more than the P6. That’s absurd value. For $62,145, you’re getting an extra 134 horsepower, all-wheel drive, an 11-kWh larger battery, and faster charging. Both Plus and Ultra trim levels come well-equipped, though ventilated seats, nappa leather, and the 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Dolby Atmos stereo are Ultra-only upgrades.

The EX60 launches alongside the Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW iX3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric—a crowded segment of German luxury compacts. But Volvo undercuts them on price, delivers a cleaner interior design, and pairs serious tech with genuine usability rather than complexity for its own sake. That’s not revolutionary. It’s just competent, thoughtful design—which somehow feels revolutionary in 2027.

The EX60 heralds a future where electric luxury doesn’t require choosing between performance and restraint, between technology and usability. Volvo built something that works on both fronts without preaching about either. In a world of automotive excess, that’s the rare win.

Sources: Car and Driver