Howard Ritchie finally gets behind the wheel of the all-new Volvo EX60 – and after all the anticipation, the question isn’t simply whether it’s good. It’s whether Volvo has made it too good.
With up to 670hp, an 800V electrical architecture and Volvo’s new SPA3 platform underneath, the EX60 represents a major technological step forward for the Swedish brand. It also arrives straight into one of the most competitive parts of the premium electric car market.
Howard starts with the EX60 P10 Ultra, putting Volvo’s new electric SUV through a proper real-world test to find out whether the numbers translate into a genuinely better car.
There’s plenty to investigate. We look at performance, comfort, refinement and technology, along with some of the surprisingly small details that don’t quite hit the mark. There’s also the minor problem of our test car being so spectacularly dark that it almost defeats the cameras.
More importantly, Howard carries out a real-time, real-world battery test during the journey to see what sort of efficiency and usable range the EX60 can actually deliver away from the official figures.
Then there’s the cabin. Volvo has fitted the EX60 with a Bowers & Wilkins audio system, but has something gone slightly wrong with what should be one of the highlights of the interior?
We’ll also be getting behind the wheel of the cheaper version to discover how much of the EX60 experience remains when you move further down the range.
But there’s a much bigger question hanging over this car.
The EX60 introduces technology, performance and capability that move Volvo’s electric offering forward considerably. So where does that leave the rest of the range?
And, in building what could be one of its most accomplished electric cars yet, has Volvo accidentally created a problem for one of the best cars it already makes?
