Here’s a surprise: The Volvo XC70 is back, but it doesn’t share much with the old XC70 besides the badge. Still, there are plenty of reasons to be interested in Volvo’s latest model, since it aims to fill the gap between the brand’s existing plug-in hybrids and fully electric models.
The last Volvo to be badged XC70 was a large, raised-up plastic-clad wagon; a V70 with an REI membership. However, since then, the brand’s revised its naming strategy. The big cars are all 90-series models, S90 for the sedan and V90 for the wagon, XC is reserved for crossovers, so the large lifted wagon is the V90 Cross Country. You know, like how the V70 XC A.K.A. the V70 Cross Country existed before the XC70.
This all means that the new XC70 is essentially unchained to anything, a modern crossover with a heritage-evoking name, but it definitely does look like it slots in between the XC60 and XC90 when it comes to size, so the naming convention fits weirdly well from a logical standpoint. Up front, you’ll find styling similar to the EX30 and EX90 electric crossovers, lower grille shutters and no upper grille, with Volvo’s signature daytime running lights as the stars of the show.
Moving around to the side of the new XC70, it looks pretty handsome in Volvo tradition. The upswept greenhouse, raked rear window and rising shoulderline do visually lower the silhouette into Toyota Crown Signia is-it-a-crossover-or-a-wagon territory, while the rest of the surfacing falls in line with what we’re used to. As expected, the XC70 appears to have flush motorized door handles as no obvious reliefs appear when I push the exposure of these first photos, but we’ll likely know more later. Interestingly, there’s no obvious LiDAR bump on the roof like on the EX90 or S90, so I have a feeling this model will be more conventional than Volvo’s electric flagship.
Here’s the really exciting bit: The XC70 rides on a platform that doesn’t sound like it’s currently shared with any Geely products. Dubbed the Scalable Modular Architecture, it claims to be a new platform for upscale extended-range plug-in hybrids, and the unspecified powertrain underneath is said to be good for 124 miles of CLTC electric range before the gasoline engine kicks in. That’s pretty significant, as it combines many benefits of an EV with the long-range capabilities of a combustion-powered car.
While we don’t know a ton about the new XC70, it is launching in China first, so it’s unclear whether it will ever make it to North America. However, never say never. Appetite over here for range-extender hybrids is growing, and decisions like moving EX30 subcompact electric crossover production to Belgium for more favorable tariff rates mean it’s not implausible for production outside of China to eventually come online. Volvo claims it’s “exploring potential additional markets at a later stage,” so it’s not worth losing hope quite yet. In any case, while the new XC70 isn’t a raised wagon, it is an interesting and pragmatic crossover, like you’d expect from Volvo.
Top graphic credit: Volvo
Certainly, too ugly and too expensive for me to contemplate.
Someone just make one that’s a van! Sliding doors and a proper third row, how hard is that!
Again with the CLTC range!
I guess it is sorta significant? What does that come to, approx. 77 EPA miles, and approx. 60 real life miles of plugin range?
That’s OK, but its no sea change.
Again, and I know I keep beating this drum, but when we are talking about plugin range I feel like the approximate EPA est. range is a minimum to include as a parenthetical. Because CLTC is unrealistic garbage.
Or maybe just a standard disclaimer or “124 miles on the unrealistic CLTC test cycle” or something? Just so we know that this isn’t the 100+ mile real world PHEV many of us have been hoping for forever?
I get that you can’t directly translate CLTC to EPA, but I asked a while ago for comparisons that might be relatable. What else has a 124 mile range on the CLTC that we might get in other parts of the world and could get an idea of whether that’s a good number or not? Giving us the number without any context makes it borderline meaningless.
Right!
Of course at this early stage, Volvo isn’t providing any battery size specs so we can’t ballpark it in our heads based on power capacity.
It just seems unhelpful to pull the CLTC from the press release and reprint it here as meaning anything to anyone who doesn’t deal with Chinese market vehicles on the regular.
More and more, thankfully, I’m glad I picked up a 2025 v90CC B6 Ultra, thinking it would be the last big wagon from Volvo in the US…it replaced a 2018 v90CC which I loved. Google system aside, I love it even more with the Ultra package adding in some nice features. I just can’t switch to a crossover and there’s nothing else in the Volvo line-up that I’d consider (EX30 maybe), which is a shame.
I have an XC40 BEV and while getting service I asked a salesman to show me the lone EX30 on the lot. Neat car, but it is very small. It is the same size as Mini Clubman, but somehow felt smaller.
Not going to lie, every new Vlvo I’ve seen in the last few years has looked kindof bland and terrible…
It’s OK, but…yeah.
The XC60/90 are pretty stunning in my eyes, but irreparably “bloated” looking. The 90, at about 75% scale, would be a strong wagon.
Oh no, Volvo just fell for the DRLs + separate headlights fad. They were one of the few remaining manufacturers that were sticking to normal headlights.
I haven’t met a single person who thinks this stupid trend looks good. You can find it now from the most basic Geely all the way to Rolls Royce. All these cars will look as dated as Altezza tail lights in about 10-15 years from now.
Theyve been rocking the Thor’s hammer for a decade now. Its a very distinctive motif.
The Thor hammer is great. I mean that the main low/high beams are now separate units in the bumper. Everyone is doing the same thing and looks awful.
This is what I mean:
https://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/images/models/BMW_7-Series-2022_main.jpg
https://s7g10.scene7.com/is/image/hyundaiautoever/SX2_EV_calculator_asset_4x3:4×3?wid=960&hei=720&fmt=png-alpha&fit=wrap,1
I blame this asshole for it:
https://cars.usnews.com/static/images/Auto/izmo/i5515/2016_jeep_cherokee_angularfront.jpg
I don’t mind these too much. Unlike BMW or Nissan’s interpretations, at least these headlights are low enough to appear as ‘fogs’ so they don’t really disrupt the appearance that much.
Honestly I didn’t even notice that they moved the headlights down since overall it looks so similar to the EX90, but I get that the EX90’s ‘pop-opens’ are far too expensive for a more mainstream model like this.
Honestly, the only car I think pulls it off is the new Escalade. Everything else I agree doesn’t look as great.
As much as I’m a Volvo fan (somehow, I’ve only owned two so far) I must admit I don’t know too much about their current US-market models. My affection for the brand is mostly rooted in their old stuff aka their ‘early period’: the 544 (and 444 that I didn’t know existed but saw recently in the WOB Classic Cars parking lot), of course the Amazon, and both the 100 and 200 series (with the 245 wagon being my favorite). So: basically all Volvos up through 1993. Then come the 700 and 900 series (I owned a 700 turbo sedan about 30 years ago, but other than it being big and faster than expected, I strangely don’t recall that much about it) which both have their plusses, but the very rectalinear shapes of their bodies doesn’t charm me as much as the older cars, with their overtly ‘classic’ boxy bodies with rounded edges and corners. No, I didn’t forget the 850: those are good too despite being firmly rooted in that ‘sharp-edged’ period… 850 Turbo sedans and wagons were lust-objects in my youth (oddly, the 800s never got a coupe body).
Then we come to the early 2000s or what I call their ‘middle period’ which includes the 11 years that Volvo was owned by Ford. My current ride (an ’04 XC90) was from this period, and it was the brands first actual SUV (and generally though highly of upon release). Of course, they eventually offered a slightly smaller SUV, the XC60, along with a nice variety of sedans (the S40, S60, etc…) and wagons (i.e.: the V40, V70, etc…) and lifted, butched-up wagons like the XC70 (they even offered lifted/all-wheel-drive versions of some of their sedans for a few years but I almost never seen any on the road, so I assume not too many got sold). These are also mostly worthwhile cars, with Volvo’s exterior design language evolving and (of course) modern technology finding its way through their offerings. I like some of these cars more (anything with an “R” at the end of its model name) than others (the S40/V40, while interesting, look less right carrying the then-current design language in a scaled-down package). Of note is the quirky C30 two-door hatchback, essentially a nicer Golf alternative, and the C70, a handsome convertible with a mechanically deployed hardtop that frightens me with its complexity. I will say that while I like (and have owned two) Volvos from this period, I can’t help but think of them as sometimes being overly complex under hood, and perhaps not quite as reliable as the earlier models, though of course all cars evolved like this over the decades.
And then there’s what I think of as Volvo’s ‘modern period’ which roughly coincides with the brands acquisition by China’s Geely from Ford. Now we’re into what seems like contemporary vehicles like the second-generation XC90, the top versions of which are ‘twin charged’ having both a turbocharger and supercharger, the slightly smaller XC60, and their graceful and mature-looking sedans like the S60 and large/long S90, with their wagon variants, the V60 and V90 (there are also the more outdoorsy plastic-clad versions of some wagons, which are no longer titled XC70, but rather V60 Cross Country …Volvo’s much more upscale Outbacks if you will. Some of their current models that are still ICE-powered also come in hybrid/plug-in hybrid versions, and while I admit that they all look pretty handsome and feature understated but luxurious interiors brimming with tech, I tend to think of some of these models as very complicated (the amount of plumbing and wiring under their hoods makes me instantly abandon any fantasy of doing basic maintenance or repairs in my garage) and broadly generalizing based on reviews by others, the hybrid models sometimes don’t provide MPG or driving experience improvements significant enough to justify their ample price tags. Their most appealing models (to me) tend to be the plain-ICE ones, though finding one like that without forced induction (sometimes multiple kinds of forced induction) is getting rarer as time goes on.
Also in Volvo’s current ‘modern period’ are their all-electric offerings, with the small EX30 crossover (which, no matter how hard I try, I still think is too much a Geely Zeeker X EV, with which it shares a lot …the Smart #1 is also built on this platform, though like the Zeeker, it hasn’t come to the states). I like the EX30, and even seriously considered a trip over to Galpin Volvo to put a deposit on one, but its delayed release due to software and other tech issues, along with a $10,000. bump in the base price (to about $45K from their still-being-advertised supposed $35K base) kind of put me off the car, even though the fact that it’s supposed to come with your choice of four different interior colors (including blue and green for petesake!) though I don’t know if that’s actually happened. And there’s their flagship EX90 large pure EV, which I don’t know much about yet, but my ignorance fuels my imagination, causing me to shudder from the thought of millions of lines of code that must lie beneath the svelte skin of these tech-laden, range-topping vehicles.
And now we (might eventually) have this new XC70 that Thomas has kindly told us about. I like the slightly-more-wagon-than-SUV shape of it, and the size seems right (smaller than the XC90, but not truly compact like the XC30) and it looks like a modern Volvo: handsomely understated, in what I imagine is a Swedish (albeit Chinese-controlled) way. Of course, I like the long, EV-only range, backed up by some unspecified ICE engine for longer distances. However (and not to jump to conclusions) the mention of things like motorized door handles gives me pause: new/current Volvos (both ICE and EV, along with the various kinds of hybrids in between the two) seem so complicated, and if reviews/ratings are to be believed, they don’t have anything like the reputation for solid reliability that the brand enjoyed decades ago. Even though I know the complexity is an unavoidable part of evolving the product line to remain competitive, that sheer massive tangled nest of tubes and cables underneath the hoods of most modern Volvos, along with some huge amount of software and processors to run it on, still makes me wonder whether I’ll ever own any Volvo made much later than 2010 (or so). 🙁
PS: I know that no one asked for my opinion on this topic, but since that’s never stopped me before, I figured I’d just have at it in this stream-of-consciousness musing about Volvo. I know that others have done the same far more eloquently and accurately than I’ve managed. 🙂 Also, what is it with age that it coincides with my growing affection for Swedish and French cars?
Always was on the Saab side of swedish in my upbringing, but had many family friends with various swedish boxes.
As I understand it, when geely came in and snatched up volvo from the ford disintegration, they asked them what they were working on and they showed the SPA platform and new engine. The S40/V50 had a lot of mazda, and the S60 had a lot of mondeo.
Volvo has become much of a r&d department for geely and their subsidiaries. The larger ones are very swedish in design, while the smaller ones are more of a shared cost cut design.
Ive had 2 S90s for limo work. I like them, but they are a bit different. The 2018 T5 is still on the road with 360k miles and relatively minor repairs. My 2023 B6 has been a bit more problematic, with various issues that have been covered under warranty.
Parts come from all over the world. Air filters, oil filters, spark plugs, brake pads, rotors, everything from a different country. Very much a world car these days. 2 factories in Europe, one is US, one in China.
Thanks Andrew! I appreciate knowing that early S90s are maybe a bit more put-together than the later ones (it’s often the other way around, with cars being more ‘sorted’ late in their production runs). I know the S90 isn’t really a sports sedan in the traditional German sense, but I still think they’re among the prettiest regular cars currently in production.
PS: I’m also a big Saab fan and almost bought my first one a couple years ago (but chickened out when I started researching finding parts for what was needed, like the alphanumeric LED displays in the dash). So, my current ‘to buy’ list leans more towards Volvo 240s mostly because they’re more plentiful/available, thus parts, etc… are easier to come by. They’re also kind of sensibly put together, which seems to make most maintenance eas(ier).
In all of that you somehow skipped over the XC40 BEV which has been on sale in the states since 2020. I’m on my second lease of one. It has more of the old school Volvo look while being a sleeper that nobody will see coming.
Ah, of course! 😀 I’m sure I missed more than a few important models, and I even forgot to apologize in advance for those inevitable omissions. Such is the way of stream-of-consciousness rants and/or diatribes w/o edits or even proofreading. 😉
Among newer Volvos, I’m actually a fan of the XC40 in all its variants, and I really thought long and hard about maybe buying one when they first came out (the regular ICE version). The EV30 is maybe a bit too compact for my tastes/use case and the XC40, while still pretty compact, provides a higher roof, and thus a bit more useable interior cargo space. Plus, as you said, it comes in EV form too, and there’s even a lifted, SUV-coupe kind of thing in the C40 …normally a form-factor I heap scorn and disdain upon, but there’s something strangely appealing about the C40 even though its practicality pales in comparison to regular XC40s.
I should have mentioned the Polestar 1 also, even though it’s technically not quite an actual Volvo. Those are so interesting too, and pretty as well. 🙂
PS: I’d love to know more about your XC40 EV RoRo. They still call all of their pure EVs ‘Recharge’ right? So yours is an XC40 Recharge?
Should you ever feel like a bit of a share yourself, please let me (us) know about what it’s like to own and drive. Real world range? Quirks and features? 😉 Does it have those tiny embroidered Swedish flags in the seat stitching? Do you fold down the back seats and transport large/bulky things once in a while? How’s the ride quality and handling in real-world (not autocross track) driving?
Can’t believe I forgot about the XC40 line. I really think they’re among the most appealing of current/modern Volvos. 😮
PPS: here’s an imgur link https://imgur.com/a/oPmHVZp to a quick snapshot of that Volvo 444 I saw out back behind the meat and potatoes of the Bring A Trailer car show in Thousand Oaks, CA in March (that’s me pointing at it of course). The 544 I knew about, and have occasionally seen in person, but I didn’t know there was a 444 as well. I think it’s kind of beautiful in its own way. I’d carefully install some aftermarket air conditioning in it (I assume it didn’t come with AC) and daily it around LA for the rest of my life. 🙂
PPPS: I also forgot to mention the ‘shoulders’ on the flanks of the mid-period Volvos such as my first-gen XC90. That distinctive design element, though perhaps narrowing the cabin just a little bit, is lovely IMO, and provides a ‘reason’ for the beautifully shaped tail lights common to Volvos of this era. Jason’s article about the designer who is responsible for the C30s tail lights is among my favorites: https://www.theautopian.com/this-official-photoshoot-of-a-volvo-designer-and-his-beloved-taillight-is-proof-i-didnt-make-up-taillight-fetishism/
I checked out the EX30 when I had service, it is very small and just won’t work for me because I frequently use the cargo space.
When I bought my 2020 it was called the XC40 P8 Recharge. My 2023 is called the XC40 Recharge. Now they’re called the EX40 since the EX is purely for electric.
Yes, the little Swedish flag is stitched to the side of the seat!
I’m very happy with my XC40, I think the size is nearly perfect. If they made an EX60 I’d probably buy that, but nothing bigger.
It rides high but handles pretty well for an SUV. I use the cargo space a lot. I’ve fit all kinds of things inside including 8 ft doors and 9ft long 2x4s. I’ve also carried 30 bags of mulch. The interior space between the rear wheels is 44 inches. I really wish they were able to get it to 48 inches to fit 4 x8 sheets. LOL
Range is quoted at 220 miles, which is low and probably hurts sales. However, here in Florida I’m confident that at 77 mph on the Florida turnpike I could get squeeze out 180 miles but don’t want to chance it. The charging stations on the turnpike are every 30 miles, so there isn’t a point to risk it.
I believe in the 2025 model Volvo finally updated the software to disable one of the axles during highway travel, not sure which end. This bumped up their range to 260 miles. The single motor is quoted at 296.
Quirks? The power. I love flooring it around 20 mph and making the nose pop up in the air and then letting off the gas to force regen to make it dive then floor it again. I’ve been making my daughter laugh for 5 years now! The car is ridiculously quick. I suspect Volvo has a heavy dose of power retardation to prevent wheelspin. I’d love to drive one without the nannies and it would probably be a smokey good time.
One thing about ALL Volvos at the moment. Their center displays have bugs with the camera system. It seems that Volvo still has not figured out how to separate the camera system from the head unit processor. So if the head unit is waking up or processing something else it will override the camera. This sucks when you walk out to the car in the morning hop in the car and immediately throw it into reverse. Volvo announced a recall a few days ago for ALL pre-2026 vehicles on this but I can tell you right now that it won’t fix the issue. I think they need to use better hardware in their head units. I’m not sure if it is the processor, memory or both.
That Volvo 444 is beautiful. Nice pic!
Thanks so much for the info about your XC40/EX40 RoRo! 🙂 I always carry stuff in the back of my XC90 (so much sometimes that it leaves me in awe) so knowing that the XC/EX40 is usable for such practical tasks is reassuring.
Though I could actually use AWD (my driveway is steep enough that I have to carry some inertia into it to avoid wheelspin on my FWD XC90) I’d always probably opt for the single motor version of any EV (were I ever to buy one). To me, 220 miles of range is more than enough, and 296 is borderline excessive… but of course I know people won’t stop talking about range anxiety until EVs routinely go further on a charge than the average ICE car goes on a tank of gas.
Thanks to your feedback, I’ve just added “Some version of the Volvo XC40/EX40” to my desktop notepad ‘used cars to keep an eye out for’ list. 😉
Pretty much all EVs that I’ve driven/read about are quicker than I need them to be, but if it makes your daughter laugh, that alone is worth the achievement. 🙂
I saw a Mexican market Geely the other day and it looked similar but better and is probably 1/3 the price.
Cool on paper, but if it’s saddled with Volvo’s recent touch screen hell world interior I’m out. I’m not going into the goddamn infotainment screen to open the glove box…
Yeah it’s too bad. Volvo of old would have pulled a “We’re sticking with buttons because it’s safer” maneuver.
I’m tentatively excited for this. XC means it’s not EV-only (or it’d be the EX70), and IMHO Volvo has been hurting for something between the 60- and 90-series. It also looks pretty decent. Not as handsome as the 60-series but not as slightly bulbous as the 2016-2024 XC90.
I’m not sure I’d be able to match any Volvo vehicle with its name.
Volvo is, at least, consistent-ish for the last 20-odd years.
Unlike Infiniti, Mercedes, Cadillac, and BMW
Infiniti and Cadillac had their reasonable naming schemes wrecked by the same executive, Johan de Nysschen.
He has an odd fascination with Qs, which does not seem to be a winning strategy.
Elon Musk with “x” is even worse.
No need to bring him into the discussion. Giving one of his children a name that seems like a part number already illustrates the point that he’s not necessarily the most rational being.
Well that one *points* is Lars, that one *points* is Freja, this one here is Ingrid. This group here has Sif and the one next to her *points* is Valkyrie, and right behind her is Thor – of course. The green one behind Thor is Loki, kinda sus but seems to be behaving for now. Over here *points* is Åsa and her brother Gustav. Waaaay in the back is Hanna. And there’s too many Bricks, Boxes, Moose, and Tanks to count.
Those are the current Volvo names in the general vicinity.
I’d probably buy a Lars or a Freja. Ingrid seems too obvious. Sif?? I don’t know. I think Valkyrie is already taken? Thor or Loki, you bet. I’d drive an Åsa and would enjoy correcting people who won’t know to call it “O-sah.” And definitely Gustav, it’s my grandfather’s middle name. I can’t wait to see all the new models.
First letters is vehicle type
S=sedan
V=wagon (versatility)
XC= crossover (cross country)
E(X)= electric (crossover)
Number is size
30/40 compact, 60 mid size, 90 full size.
Its been largely the same for the last 25+ years and the current platforms have been rolling out for a decade. They are a bit anonymous, elegant, and nicely but simply appointed. They are screen heavy, but the biggest problem is lag not logic., and they tend towards too many shades of gray for color.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for this. Volvo has been the most consistent with their names out of everyone.
I can’t bring myself to begin to care, as every one of them I have driven in the past 15 years has been basically terrible. And I have owned 14 Volvos from a ’76 242 to an ’04 V70. I include the V70 in that “basically terrible” group, what a mistake buying that turd was.