Photo: Volvo
In 2017, Volvo celebrates nine decades since the birth of the OV4. The first-ever passenger car to wear the Volvo badge was born on April 14, 1927, borrowing American car design elements and boasting a 1.9-liter side-valve engine and a wooden chassis.
Fast-forward 90 years later, and April 2017 marks the start of production for the newest Volvo of them all, the second-generation XC60. Oh, how times have changed in this interval. But then again, even the automaker changed a lot in this period. Formerly a spin-off business born with the help of Swedish ball bearing maker SKF, Volvo Cars is now a world-class company.
Following Geely’s acquisition of the automaker from Ford’s now-defunct Premier Automotive Group, the Chinese mothership saw fit to reimagine Volvo for the 21st century. Seven years since the deal was signed and a significant cash infusion later, Volvo reinvented its mid-size lineup thanks to the modular platform known as Scalable Product Architecture (shortened SPA).
Three years since SPA made its debut in the second-generation XC90, the all-new XC60 borrows pretty much the same underpinnings as its bigger brother. Even when it comes down to engines, pretty much the entire range is borrowed from the XC90, including a 400-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain dubbed by the Swedish automaker T8 Twin Engine.
Having made its U.S. debut at the 2017 New York Auto Show, the second-generation XC60 will start rolling into dealership lots in the second half of the year. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but in regards to Volvo’s push toward the premium realm, I wouldn’t be surprised for the new XC60 to cost more than the current model year (i.e. slightly more than $40,950).
In North America, the XC60 will be offered in three flavors in the first instance: T5 AWD, T6 AWD, and T8 Twin Engine. Following the XC60, the compact-sized XC40 is the next crossover to look forward to from Volvo.
Following Geely’s acquisition of the automaker from Ford’s now-defunct Premier Automotive Group, the Chinese mothership saw fit to reimagine Volvo for the 21st century. Seven years since the deal was signed and a significant cash infusion later, Volvo reinvented its mid-size lineup thanks to the modular platform known as Scalable Product Architecture (shortened SPA).
Three years since SPA made its debut in the second-generation XC90, the all-new XC60 borrows pretty much the same underpinnings as its bigger brother. Even when it comes down to engines, pretty much the entire range is borrowed from the XC90, including a 400-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain dubbed by the Swedish automaker T8 Twin Engine.
Having made its U.S. debut at the 2017 New York Auto Show, the second-generation XC60 will start rolling into dealership lots in the second half of the year. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but in regards to Volvo’s push toward the premium realm, I wouldn’t be surprised for the new XC60 to cost more than the current model year (i.e. slightly more than $40,950).
In North America, the XC60 will be offered in three flavors in the first instance: T5 AWD, T6 AWD, and T8 Twin Engine. Following the XC60, the compact-sized XC40 is the next crossover to look forward to from Volvo.
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