Volvo XC60 Hybrid Spied With 124-Mile EV Range To Challenge BMW X3

The Swedes have just revealed U.S. pricing for the all-electric Volvo EX60 that undercuts the iX3, and it seems they’re about to pull another coup on their German rivals with a new XC60, recently spied for the first time in facelifted form. The current crossover is compelling, but according to our spies, the updated model will be even better, with insiders claiming the mid-size hybrid will be capable of up to 200 kilometers, or 124 miles, of electric range on the WLTP cycle. By comparison, a BMW X3 xDrive30e plug-in hybrid can only manage around 56 miles on the WLTP cycle (EPA figures are not available as this variant is not currently offered in America). So while Volvo may have pulled back on its all-electric ambitions, its next hybrid SUV will be capable of ferrying families in quiet comfort for remarkable distances – distances its German counterparts can’t match. But will it look the part? Volvo needs it to.

Facelifted Volvo XC60 Borrows From Electric EX60

For the updated XC60, Volvo is sticking to a restrained aesthetic, but the crossover will start to look more like its electric EX60 sibling. At the front, the Thor’s hammer motif is maintained in the headlights, but these will be narrowing more sharply on their inner sides, joining with a revised grille. While this sharpening of the headlight doesn’t look bad on the EX60, it’s going to look especially good on the EX60, with more than just a mass of plastic between each cluster. Lower down, the triangular lower intake is similar to what is currently exhibited with the EX60, while the side intakes are narrower and now feature vertical slats rather than horizontal vanes. One image shows only one of these intakes being open, so active aero may be part of the reason such a high EV range will reportedly be possible. Elsewhere, it’s standard Volvo fare. It’s also worth pointing out that while the EX60 has flush door handles, this does not, despite the potential range benefits.

Related: Volvo’s Thor’s Hammer Lights Are Becoming The Brand’s New Kidney Grille

The glasshouse proportions, the roof rails, and the upward slant of the rear haunches give the updated EX60 a typical Volvo profile. While the front badge is covered up, the unfussy wheels still bear the Volvo center caps, but this is an early development vehicle, so it’s possible fancier rims will be offered. At the rear, the traditional Volvo taillight shape appears, though the innards may feature revised graphics. A simple roof spoiler and a basic faux diffuser panel round out the rear fascia, and while a dual-exit exhaust may be fitted, we don’t expect the tips to be visible. Or perhaps they will; perhaps Volvo will want to make it clearer that this isn’t its electric midsize crossover. Either way, these unsightly pipes fitted for testing won’t be found in dealerships.

The Reason Volvo Is Updating the XC60

As we noted at the outset, Volvo had been planning to go all-electric, and because buyers are not ready for that, the current XC60 must soldier on, hence these updates. And it’s not just because of America’s slow uptake of EVs that a revision is necessary – Europe’s buyers have several compelling EVs to choose from, but those who don’t wish to go electric will need to buy vehicles that meet Euro 7 emissions standards, so Volvo is reportedly updating the combustion engine here, too. That’s partly why the EV range figure is such a big deal: it lets Volvo attract the gas buyer while showing them what an EV might be like to live with. Volvo still wants to become an all-electric brand and doesn’t even own any combustion engine factories anymore, and if buyers aren’t getting into its EVs, why not put the EV experience in the cars they are buying, beating the likes of BMW and Mercedes in the process? Expect the updated XC60 to debut in the first half of 2027, possibly as a 2028 model.