The new Volvo EX60 has already pinched the BMW iX3’s crown

Range anxiety has been one of the biggest factors putting people off electric cars for the best part of a decade now, despite EVs with over 400 miles of range being around for some years.

Late last year, BMW launched the new iX3 SUV with up to 500 miles of range, making it the longest-range electric car on the market. Or at least it was, because Volvo has just launched the new EX60, a similarly-sized car which will do more than 500 miles on a charge.

And there’s more to this car than just an impressive range figure, because it’s packing a lot of new technology, including one feature which could prove to be life-saving. Let’s dive into the details.

New Volvo EX60: what is this car and who’s it for?

The Volvo EX60 is a midsized electric SUV which sits in between, shock, the EX30 and EX90. You might be considering it if you’re shopping for posh EVs such as the Mercedes GLC EV, Audi Q6 e-tron and, its closest rival, the BMW iX3.

It’s not just a shrunken EX90 either, or an inflated EX30 for that matter. The new Volvo EX60 is, well, all-new. It’s based on a new collection of parts, including a massive battery pack which delivers that massive range figure.

New Volvo EX60 batteries, range and charging: the headline-grabbing figures

We’ve teased you for long enough – how far will the new Volvo EX60 go on a charge?

Well with its huge 112kWh battery, this car has up to 503 miles of range – a whopping three miles more than the BMW iX3. Okay so that’s not exactly a humiliation for the BMW, but anything over 500 miles is hugely impressive and it does rob that car of its bragging rights.

There are also two other versions of the EX60 which have less range. You can get a 91kWh battery with 410 miles of range, or there’s an entry-level 80kWh pack which will do 385 miles. That’s still further than any version of the Mercedes EQE SUV.

If you do find yourself needing to charge mid-journey, the EX60 can top up at 400kW from a DC fast charger. It’ll add more than 200 miles of range in 10 minutes at this speed, and 10-80% takes just 19 minutes. That’s pretty much exactly the same as the iX3.

New Volvo EX60 design: Volvo has nailed it

Volvo has a knack for making cars look effortlessly cool, and on this front the new EX60 has nailed the brief. It stands out compared to the EX30 and EX90, which look like scaled versions of the same car, without losing that sense of Scandi chic.

Starting up front you have the trademark Thor’s Hammer headlight, a staple of any Volvo model, and the sloping nose makes it stand out compared to the boxier EX90. This isn’t just a style choice either, because the low bonnet, along with some other tweaks, helps make the EX60 more aerodynamic and contributes to that 503-mile range figure.

The clever door handles help in this respect as well. They aren’t pop-out units like you see on so many other modern cars, instead they’re these cool little fins which poke out of the window trim. They help guide air around the side of the car, while also being easy to grab.

Moving to the rear, the EX60 has a sleek profile, and the rear lights are interesting as well. Volvo has moved away from the C-shaped units found on the EX30 and EX90, opting instead for a modern iteration of the straight-down lamps on the XC90 and older Volvo estate cars with a kink at the bottom.

If you prefer a more rugged vibe, there is a Cross Country version for you to consider. It sits a bit higher than the standard car, and features chunky black cladding around the lower half of the car.

New Volvo EX60 interior: Does it solve the biggest issue with Volvo EVs?

Volvo’s latest electric cars have shared similar criticism for their button-free interiors. When we lived with an EX30 for six months, we found the fiddly touchscreen and lack of knobs quite annoying. So how does the EX60 compare?

The interior looks fantastic. The light leather on this car makes the cabin look bright and airy, and the multi-layered dashboard stands out thanks to the lovely wood trim and funky fabrics. It looks like a trendy Swedish apartment in here, and there are more storage solutions in here than your local branch of Ikea.

You have pop-out cupholders in the middle, like in an EX30, and there’s a handy shelf under the screen for your phone. Beneath that is another massive cubby, as well as a tray for other loose items.

Let’s talk about the screen, because it’s the dominating feature here. It seems as though Volvo is sticking to its guns on the whole “touchscreen everything” vibe with the EX60, although there is a volume knob in the middle. That’s an improvement over the EX30.

The screen is also running new software which includes a Google Gemini AI voice assistant for the first time. It allows you to talk to the car in a more natural way, as well as ask it more in-depth questions than a standard voice command system could answer.

We’ll get hands on with the EX60 as soon as it lands in the UK to find out how easy this screen is to use, but Volvo promises zippy graphics and low load times thanks to a high-powered processor.

New Volvo EX60 seatbelts: an important new feature

There’s another new feature in the cabin which, while not immediately obvious, could save your life if the worst should happen. The EX60 is the first Volvo model to feature the new “Multi-Adaptive seatbelt”. Volvo invented the three-point seatbelt back in the late ‘50s, and now it’s reinvented the technology.

Whereas a normal seatbelt is set up one way to suit the average driver, the Multi-Adaptive seatbelt senses the driver’s weight and driving position, as well as a speed and direction of the impact, to precisely adjust the exact amount of force it needs to exert, all in the blink of an eye before the accident even happens.

Say you have a lighter driver in a low-speed impact. In this case, the belt won’t tighten as much to prevent broken ribs. If there are higher speeds involved, it’ll grip you harder to protect your spine and pelvis.

And it gets better over time with online updates, constantly learning from other accidents and gathering data to keep you safe out on the road.

New Volvo EX60: How much is it?

Order books for the new Volvo EX60 are open now, and cars will start to arrive in the UK in the summer.

Prices start from just under £57,000, which makes it around £1,000 cheaper than a BMW iX3 and £3,000 less than a Mercedes GLC EV. You can add £8,000 if you want the longest range model.

We’ll be driving the new EX60 as soon as we can, so stay tuned for our full review.

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