• Auto123 meets the new 2028 Volvo XC60 up close and in person.
London, UK — Volvo may be launching its impressive, all-electric EX60 in Canada right now, but the brand hasn’t forgotten about its internal combustion models. After the humble XC40 saw important style and safety upgrades last week, Volvo today is showing off similar improvements to its XC60 SUV.
2028 Volvo XC60 – What’s new?
Beyond the design and tech updates, the brand’s best-seller will, like the larger XC90, benefit from a major improvement to its plug-in hybrid T8 powertrain, which more than doubles the available all-electric range.
Powertrains of the 2028 Volvo XC60
The important numbers: 37.9, 126, and 560. Those are, respectively, the usable capacity (in kilowatt-hours, or kWh) of the new battery pack, the electric range of the T8 in km, and the increased peak system torque in pound-feet (lb-ft).
Those keeping track at home will realize the battery capacity has also more than doubled, which is why Volvo engineers have moved the pack from the centre tunnel to under the floor. While this does eat into second-row legroom (shrinking from 965 to 921 mm), it does unlock quad-zone automatic climate control, a feature previously exclusive to the non-plug-in XC60.
When combined with the (otherwise unchanged) 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, the T8 powertrain is capable of a bladder-bursting 950 km of total range. Volvo has also upgraded the electric motor, which not only explains the higher total system torque, but allows for the XC60 to ride the electric wave more often.
Charging time clocks in at 5.7 hours with a 240-volt setup.
It’s important to note that this more muscular T8 powertrain will also find its way under the hood of the flagship XC90 SUV. There its electric and total ranges take slight dips (to 117 and 900 km, respectively).
Design of the 2028 Volvo XC60
The XC60, being Volvo’s best-selling model of all time, also benefits from a reskin inside and out. The exterior adopts squintier headlights with a “deconstructed” version of the brand’s Thor’s Hammer daytime running light (DRL) signature. The headlights frame a thinner grille, which also houses diagonal elements to match the angle of the Volvo logo. Filling the arches are 21-inch alloys with a distinctly geometric bent, while the rear features redesigned taillights with a more angular light signature.
Like the XC40, the name of the game here is tidying: it’s not as if the XC60’s design was particularly fussy before, but compare the ‘26 and ‘28 side-by-side and the latter appears a concentrated hit of Scandinavian design. It looks best in the Heather Bronze pictured here: the 2028 hero colour shifts from a burnt umber to a warm, purplish glow depending on ambient light.
Interior of the 2028 Volvo XC60
Volvo’s designers have rethought the dashboard design, ditching the “wooden wave” of the outgoing model for a cleaner look that emphasizes the cabin width. A recycled knit section sits ahead of the front passenger, with a subtle curve to the wood below to better pick up the indirect ambient lighting mounted between the two pieces. It’s a classy setup that, when paired with the new Cardamom Nappa leather, manages to feel both minimal and yet inviting.
Volvo has also redesigned the door panels with a more distinctly 3D design and increased amounts of soft-touch materials. Brand classics like the Orrefors crystal shifter and excellent Bowers & Wilkins audio system remain optional.
Technology in the 2028 Volvo XC60
While the central touchscreen remains 11.2 inches, it runs the latest user interface from Volvo. The Google-based system is speedy in operation and now features the Gemini AI voice assistant. Over the air updates are standard.
It wouldn’t be Volvo without some safety talk, and the brand has delivered in the form of updated sensors, cameras and radar. The Pilot Assist suite of driver aids now includes a lane change assist, safe exit assist and 3D view for the 360-degree camera.
The 2028 Volvo XC60 (and XC90) will arrive in Canadian dealerships in early 2027. We expect pricing and trim details to arrive before that.