Jonathan Crouch reports on the usefully improved version of Volvo's second generation mid-sized SUV.
Ten Second Review
Think of a premium-badged mid-sized SUV and you probably think of something German -maybe also a Land Rover or Lexus product. We'd also suggest though, that you should be looking at the car we're going to test here, the improved version of Volvo's elegant and beautifully crafted second generation XC60, proof that in Sweden, they build SUVs just a little differently. Safe, efficient, clever, practical and stylish, it's yet another model that re-establishes this Scandinavian maker as a credibly prestigious automotive brand.
Background
Once, Volvo was a car maker primarily specialising in spacious estates and solid, safe saloons. It isn't true any more. The brand now builds fewer cars of that sort and today, the majority of its business is done in selling SUVs - cars like this XC60. This second generation version arrived in 2017, replacing an extremely successful predecessor, then in 2021 was lightly updated before in early 2025 being updated again to create the car we're going to look at here.
Like the model that inspired it, the second generation version of the larger XC90, this XC60 uses the 2.0-litre 'Drive-E' engines and 'SPA' 'Scalable Product Architecture' platform that Chinese brand owner Geely bankrolled for all current mid and large-sized Volvo models to use: the smaller XC40 model uses a much less sophisticated 'CMA' 'Compact Modular Architecture' chassis. That more compact car is essentially a family hatch with Crossover cues. This one in contrast, must be in every way a proper SUV, offering everything you get in a prestigious XC90 but in a slightly more compact five-seat package. At first glance, that appears to be exactly what Volvo has delivered here.
Driving Experience
Volvo's softened up the passive dampers and worked on refinement for this updated XC60 (it reckons this is its quietest mid-sized SUV yet). Otherwise, nothing significant has changed in terms of the engineering of this car - with its efforts focused on the forthcoming EX60 EV model, Volvo has no budget for that. Which means drive dynamics continued to be based towards comfort. But you shouldn't gauge from that an expectation that this XC60 will be a complete duffer when the road turns twisty. It's very far from that, this model described as 'confident and predictable', which is what we've found it to be and precisely what most likely buyers will want it to be. There's unruffled poise and exemplary refinement, plus you get supple standards of ride comfort from the multi-link rear suspension and top variants continue to have the desirable 'Active Four-C' adaptive damping and air suspension package. A 'Drive Mode Settings' driving dynamics system allows you to tailor throttle response, steering feel and shift timings from the standard 8-speed auto gearbox to suit the way you want to drive.
If you do decide to push on a bit, grip and traction are actually quite impressive aided by the standard AWD system, while cornering body roll is also decently well controlled. All the engines on offer continue to be of a 2.0-litre, four cylinder configuration and come bolted to the same stiff, sophisticated 'SPA' chassis that also underpins Volvo's larger XC90 model. The brand has long ago banished diesel power in this car, hoping instead to convert customers to the merits of its Plug-in Hybrid powertrain. There are two PHEV variants, badged 'T6' or 'T8', both with a battery size at 18.8kWh, facilitating an EV drive range up to around 50 miles (not especially noteworthy in the current PHEV market); the rear electric motor output (once just 87hp) has more recently been upped to 145hp. This motor supplements the output of the 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged petrol engine that both these Recharge variants share and contributes to prodigious power outputs - 350hp for the T6 and 455hp for the T8. If you really don't want to plug your XC60 in, there's a B5 petrol version with a more conventional 250hp version of the 'Drive-E' 2.0-litre turbo engine, embellished with 48V mild hybrid tech.
Design and Build
You'll need to be an existing owner or know this second generation XC60 pretty well to notice the changes made as part of this second update. The key difference is the revised front grille (like that lately fitted to the XC90), plus there are darker rear lights and fresh wheel designs. As before, it all sits on Volvo's usual Scalable Product Architecture platform and is sized to compete directly with premium rivals like Audi's Q5, BMW's X3 and the Mercedes GLC. Unlike those three models though, there's just a single boxy SUV body shape available.
It'll be far easier to spot that this is an updated XC60 once inside because the cabin's been notably upgraded by the addition of a much larger 11.2-inch centre screen, which now stretches out of the top of the dashboard. It remains portrait in format and includes the latest generation of Volvo's Google-based infotainment system. This runs on a more powerful Qualcomm chip (which makes it twice as quick to respond to commands) and there are sharper graphics. The brand has plushed up the cabin with more luxurious materials, including a combination of Nordico synthetic leather and herringbone-pattern fabric.
Otherwise, it's as you were. High-quality materials, intelligent use of space and attention to detail work together to create a distinctly Scandinavian cabin that's simple and elegant. The supportive seats position you lower in the XC60 than you would in an XC90, there's a 12.3-inch digital instrument dial display and you get a CleanZone four-zone climate control system that removes harmful pollutants and particles from outside the cabin to deliver Scandinavian-fresh air on the inside
In the rear, there's decent space for shoulders and heads and the kind of room for knees and legs that you'd expect from an SUV 4.7-metres in length. And there's a really unique touch -concealed storage compartments under the rear seat bases which are just the right size to store electronic devices, like a tablet, out of sight. Parents will like the fact that you can specify a pair of built-in fold-out booster seats. In a conventionally-engined B5 model, the boot capacity is rated at 483-litres - or 613-litres if you were to load up to the roof; that's about 45-litres shy of the prevailing class standard, though it's more than you get in comparably-priced Land Rover products. The Plug-in Hybrid variant loses a bit from those figures because of its underfloor battery - 468-litres, or 598-litres if you load up to the roof.
Market and Model
The main decision you've now to make in considering this evolved XC60 is whether or not to pay the premium Volvo wants for its Plug-in Hybrid tech. It's quite significant. Prices won't change much as part of this update and are likely to continue to start from just under £50,000 for the mild hybrid B5, with around £8,000 more needed for the T6 version of the Plug-in Hybrid. As before, mainstream variants are based around 'Core' and 'Plus' trim, with 'Ultra' spec featuring further up the range, where PHEV customers get the more powerful T8 powertrain.
All versions of this Volvo have roof rails, front and rear parking sensors, auto headlamps and wipers, a power-operated tailgate and alloy wheels of at least 18-inches in size. Plus there are LED headlights that at night can bend with the road and dip themselves automatically. And of course a class-leading package of electronic safety equipment.
Inside on all XC60s, there's a powered, heated driver's seat with lumbar support and memory settings, plus a new Google-powered 11.2-inch centre screen. You can also tick off 2-Zone Electronic Climate Control, an auto-dimming interior mirror, a rear view camera and a 12.3-inch Active TFT Crystal Driver's information display to replace the usual instrument dials. This will change in layout according to the Drive Mode settings you choose. The T6 PHEV comes with a panoramic glass roof too.
Ideally, you'd want a variant fitted with the latest version of Volvo's high-end Bowers & Wilkins audio system, which Volvo claims is 'one of the best-sounding audio systems for a car'.
Cost of Ownership
Let's get to the stats: an XC60 B5 manages a combined cycle fuel figure of up to 36.6mpg and a CO2 return of up to 175g/km. Surprisingly, Volvo chose to base the PHEV versions of this car around a version of this engine further embellished by supercharging, never usually a helpful thing for efficiency. In the T6 and T8 Recharge models though, it's aided by a 145hp rear electric motor powered by a now-larger 18.8kWh battery which allows for an EAER-rated all-electric range of up to 49.7 miles for the T6 and up to 48.5 miles for the T8 variant. Taking that into account delivers the usual difficult-to-replicate set of PHEV stats; up to 313.4mpg on the combined cycle with up to 22g/km of CO2 for the T6; and up to 282.1mpg and up to 23g/km of CO2 for the T8.
Theoretically then, you could use an XC90 T6 or T8 every day without ever visiting a fuel station unless you needed to undertake a longer trip. That's assuming of course that you keep the lithium-ion battery fully charged. There's a 6.4kW charging speed and a 7-metre Type 2 charging cable's provided. A three-phase AC garage wallbox will be able to replenish the battery completely in around 3 hours; with a single-phase AC supply, you're looking at around 5 hours. Connecting up to a normal domestic three-pin 10amp supply will take about 7 hours. We should also mention that it's possible to replenish the battery of your PHEV XC60 on the move, via a 'Charge' option you'll find in the 'Battery Usage' section of the centre screen. This forces energy into the battery on the move, but strains the engine to do it, increasing fuel consumption. The same menu gives you the option to 'Hold' the battery's charge for use later in your journey - say for town driving at the end of a long trip.
Ultimately, to justify the Recharge XC60 model's price premium, you really have to try and plug it in at every opportunity, otherwise you'll simply find yourself running a heavy petrol-powered SUV and frequently replenishing the 71-litre fuel tank. If on the move, you want to prioritise all-electric progress, you can select a 'Pure' driving mode that prioritises electric-only operation and would be useful in an urban environment. In everyday use though, most T6 and T8 owners will be driving in the 'Hybrid' mode that the car's powertrain automatically defaults to, a setting in which the vehicle will automatically alternate between petrol and electric power.
Maintenance should be relatively affordable for a car of this kind, with intervals every year or 18,000 miles. Three or five year pre-paid servicing packages are available to help you budget ahead. If you pay extra for the useful 'On Call with App' remote connectivity system, this Volvo can be programmed to autonomously realise when a service is due, then automatically book it for you at a dealership of your choice. Finally, we'll tell you that the warranty is the usual three year, 60,000 mile package.
Summary
For quite a number of buyers, this improved second generation XC60 will still represent exactly the way a premium mid-sized SUV should look, should feel and should operate. And, like its larger XC90 stablemate, it delivers something refreshingly different to what's on offer from obvious rivals. So there remains plenty to like.
The brand's chosen four cylinder 2.0-litre 'Drive-E' engine formula offers everything you need and nothing you don't in this class of car. The upgraded Google Android infotainment system is cutting-edge. The Recharge T8 variant still delivers the kind of power in a plug-in hybrid that rivals struggle to match. And the inclusion of a still segment-leading range of standard-setting safety features shows just what can be achieved in this regard by an SUV of this kind.
And in summary? Well this car might not please magazine road testers, but we can't help feeling that it's been cleverly perfected for the actual priorities of its targeted market. This then, is the Swedish SUV. Evolved.
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