Volvo EX60: A Quiet Brand Gets Loud on Specs

Volvo has built a reputation on restraint. Its electric cars have been safe, attractive, and generally competent, even when they were not the loudest thing in the room.

The EX60, at least as Volvo is presenting it, is not a quiet move. Volvo is using it to introduce the SPA3 platform and an 800-volt electrical system in the middle of its lineup, not just at the halo end.

Volvo says SPA3 changes how the car is put together. It describes large castings to reduce parts count, and it describes a battery pack integrated into the floor structure rather than treated as a separate module. If that is true in production form, it is the sort of underbody decision that can influence everything else, from weight to cabin packaging.

Volvo has also attached big numbers to the battery story. It has described multiple battery sizes and has quoted a top-trim WLTP range figure north of 500 miles. North American EPA ratings have not been published, and that matters more for buyers who live on the interstate.

Charging is the more useful promise. Volvo says the EX60 can add charge quickly on a capable DC fast charger thanks to the 800-volt system. The company has cited a 10% to 80% session in under 20 minutes and peak charging power near the high 300 kW range.

Power figures are similarly aggressive. Volvo has described a high output all wheel drive version that reaches sports sedan acceleration numbers, plus lower trims that are more likely to be volume sellers.

Volvo interiors usually feel like they were designed to lower your pulse. The EX60 reads the same way in early photos and walkarounds, more boutique hotel than tech showroom, with matte materials and a calm palette.

The most Volvo detail is not the screen. The company has highlighted a new seat belt system with more load limiting profiles than its current designs, using sensors to adjust restraint force based on crash severity and occupant position.

The segment this car is landing in is the difficult part. Midsize electric SUVs are now a volume category, with buyers comparing range, charging, pricing, and software on the same shortlist.

Volvo has not published final pricing, EPA range, or a full feature breakdown for every trim. Those details will decide how the EX60 competes once it is no longer a set of early claims.