2027 Volvo EX60 Is A Quiet Journey Into An AI-Powered Future

Volvo hopes its upcoming EX60 electrical SUV will probably be a game-changer for the Swedish automaker. Whereas besting the present Volvo lineup by way of vary and charging pace, the qualities that separate the 2027 EX60 from the ocean of electrical SUVs cannot be simply quantified for a spec sheet. The library-silent machine, even at triple-digit speeds, redefines the time period “quiet luxurious.” Nevertheless, the built-in know-how, together with a Google Gemini AI assistant, may be overwhelming for a driver on the lookout for a extra tactile experience.

Full disclosure: Volvo invited me to Gothenburg, Sweden to take a experience within the EX60. The producer paid my airfare and lodging for the three-night keep.

Volvo

The EX60 is constructed on Volvo’s new SPA3 platform, which delivers spectacular battery efficiency on the SUV’s three trim ranges. The high-end P12 trim contains a 117-kWh battery with as much as an estimated 400 miles of vary, whereas the mid-tier P10’s 95-kWh battery has 320 miles of vary, and the low-end P6’s 83-kWh battery has a 310-mile vary. On the charging entrance, the EX60 has a local NACS port and may cost 10% to 80% in simply 18 minutes for the decrease two trims. Simply add an additional minute to the P12 mannequin.

Battery efficiency does translate to the pavement. In P12 guise the SUV’s twin-motor AWD structure produces 670 horsepower and boasts a 0-60 mph time of three.8 seconds. The 503-hp P10 trim has a barely slower 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds. It is a completely different story for the P6, because the low-end trim is rear-wheel drive with a single 369-hp motor fitted to the rear axle. Earlier than you let your high-speed creativeness wander, all trim ranges are electronically restricted to 112 miles per hour.

Volvo is not fairly able to allow us to drive the EX60, however the automaker did take us for a experience within the new electrical SUV round its Hällered Proving Floor. The check middle is paved in laser-accurate recreations of real-world roads, from worn English nation lanes to slabbed Los Angeles-area freeways. With a floor-mounted battery pack, the electrical SUV carried out in high-speed cornering in addition to any car with a low middle of gravity.

The EX60 capably flew over the tough, uneven surfaces put in its path. The energetic suspension offered a snug experience, however the driver can fine-tune it to their preferences. Volvo distilled suspension choices down to a few settings: regular, tender and agency. They’re precisely what they sound like. Agency is pointer and extra responsive, however you may really feel each bump. Comfortable is a extra luxurious experience, however floatier in comparison with the opposite choices.

Talking of luxurious, the finale of the ride-along was a blast across the Hällered’s banked high-speed oval. It was utterly silent contained in the EX60 regardless of the excessive speeds. The Volvo is fitted with an energetic noise cancellation system, utilizing 5 microphones mounted on the car that document low-frequency sounds and audio system that seamlessly cancel them out contained in the cabin. When you would count on the extraordinary air buffeting to overwhelm the ANC system, it felt like I used to be hurtling round in a chapel.

Probably the most controversial side of the EX60 will seemingly be the door deal with design. The wingtip handles sprout from the SUV’s beltline. In apply, these handles are as intuitive to make use of as a standard deal with. You simply attain out and seize it. The deal with is not mechanical, however the digital management does function haptic suggestions, briefly vibrating like a gaming controller because the door latch disengages. Then, you merely pull the door open with the deal with in the identical movement.

Volvo claimed that the choice to make use of wingtip handles and preserve the door panels easy added roughly 1.5 miles of vary. Effectivity apart, the EX60’s handles are a much more elegant answer than these utilized by different automakers, such because the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s push buttons or Tesla’s flush handles. 

With Volvo being Volvo, security was a priority. Johan Rasmusson defined that the automaker consulted Swedish hearth and rescue officers in regards to the wingtip handles. After a heavy influence, the door mechanism is not essential as a result of emergency responders usually use the jaws of life. The handles might additionally function leverage factors to tear the doorways off if obligatory. For occupants making an attempt to flee, the doorways function independently of one another and the interior handles are mechanical.

There’s rather a lot to like in regards to the EX60’s inside, from the center-mounted glovebox to minimalist design, however your opinion will probably be closely formed by how you’re feeling about screens inside automobiles. The electrical SUV contains a 15-inch middle show curved outward for the good thing about each the driving force and passenger. Whereas the hazard lights are nonetheless managed by a bodily button, all the things else is accessible by way of the show. It would not finish there for tech.

Volvo constructed the EX60’s hands-free expertise round Gemini, Google’s AI assistant. The Swedish automaker is a lead growth accomplice with Android Auto, enabling its autos to obtain function updates earlier than its market rivals. Drivers can have lag-free conversations with Gemini. The AI can entry car information, together with the EX60’s cameras. Drivers can ask about close by companies or whether or not they can park in a spot.

I do not use AI assistants, however it will positively make use of the EX60’s 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system. The SUV comes pre-installed with Apple Music, offering an immersive Dolby Atmos expertise. To not point out, there’s additionally the off-road-focused EX60 Cross Nation with a stainless-steel skid plate. Solely time will inform if the EX60 is the game-changer that Volvo is hoping for. Manufacturing of P6 and P10 EX60 begins subsequent month, whereas the high-end P12 will enter manufacturing later this 12 months. Full pricing has but to be launched.