New Volvo EX60 electric SUV to replace XC60 and battle Tesla Model Y

As Volvo continues its transition into a fully-electric brand, the hybrid-powered XC60 Recharge is the next model to face the chop. Its replacement, the upcoming Volvo EX60, is set to share its architecture with the range-topping EX90, and this could mean it’ll also be fitted with a sizable battery of around the 100kWh mark.

The EX60 will sit between the EX40 and EX90 in Volvo’s model line-up. This will aim it squarely at a number of very strong competitors in the mid-size premium SUV market including the Tesla Model Y, Porsche Macan Electric, BMW iX3, Mercedes EQC and Audi Q6 e-tron.

Our exclusive image shows how the new EX60 could look when it arrives and, as you can see, it’s set to share a number of styling cues with the rest of the EX range, including the blank radiator grille, 8-bit style LED headlights and aerodynamic wheels.

Volvo is yet to confirm whether the EX60 will share the same LiDAR external sensor technology as the flagship EX90, but the brand is currently in the process of testing a range of new safety systems and sensors. It’s unclear at this stage whether these will be ready in time for the EX60’s arrival.

The exact battery size is yet to be announced, but what we do know is that the Volvo EX60 will be receiving a new “structural” battery pack. This has been designed in order to improve energy density and structural rigidity, and it achieves this by essentially being bonded to the car’s floor.

Another unique quality about the EX60’s floor is that it will be megacasted, which means it will be made up of a single piece of aluminium. At present, the only other mainstream brand to use megacasting in its production processes is Tesla. This approach is much faster than more traditional methods and can allow for significant weight-reduction, too. Volvo is aiming to make these megacasted floor pans fully-recyclable at the end of each car’s working life.

We expect the new Volvo EX60 to arrive at some point in 2025, after the EX90’s planned launch in late-2024. However, an official unveiling could happen before the end of this year.