Volvo is introducing its first “extended-range” PHEV, a return of its familiar name, the XC70, after nearly a decade since its discontinuation. However, the XC70 is not returning as the popular wagon, but as an SUV.
“The XC70 marks our strategic entry into the extended-range plug-in hybrid segment, a perfect bridge to full electrification,” Volvo president and CEO Håkan Samuelsson said. “It enables us to maintain and develop a balanced product portfolio, while offering a highly attractive alternative to customers who are not yet ready for fully electric cars. This is also an example of regionalisation, where we adapt to the local market needs.”
With a 124-mile (200-kilometer) purely electric range, the XC70 outperforms the XC60, which has a 36-mile EV range in the United States. Under Europe’s WLTP cycle, it also has a 50-mile electric range that is more than twice as long as the XC60.
The XC70 could feature a much larger battery than the 18.8-kWh pack in the XC60. However, it could point to something different. Volvo’s parent company has been developing a range-extender powertrain in which a combustion engine acts solely as a generator to charge the battery.
The powertrain, a joint venture between Geely and Renault, offers 124 miles of electric range with a battery half the size of a full EV. The total driving range is around 500 miles. The new vehicle is likely longer than the 185.4-inch XC60 and features an AWD badge on the tailgate. It also has matrix LED headlights beneath the Thor’s Hammer daytime running lights on either side of a closed grille.
The SUV is currently being developed with the Chinese market in mind, though Volvo has hinted it could make its way to other markets in the future. Volvo says it will officially reveal the revived XC70 in the coming months.
