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Could Volvo’s New SUV Spark an EV Range Revolution?

The brand’s XC70 revival sees the nameplate return as a hybrid with some seriously impressive long-distance driving capabilities.

Front side view of a modern Volvo car in gray, featuring a sleek, illuminated headlight design, a smooth front grille with the Volvo logo, and a stylish alloy wheel with a unique pattern.Volvo
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By Gray Van Dyke

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Between their improved fuel efficiency and their day-to-day livability, plug-in hybrids offer an ideal compromise for drivers who aren’t ready (or able) to go 100 percent electric. 

However, the US market barely gets to experience a fraction of the full potential of such machines. In China, electric cars are performing increasingly miraculous feats by the day.

Front view of a modern Volvo car with sleek, angular LED headlights and a smooth, minimalist grille design, parked on a paved surface in front of a building with large windows. The car has a metallic light purple color and black accents on the lower bumper and side mirrors.
The Volvo XC70 makes for the brand’s first long-range hybrid, and it’s a promising start.
Volvo

Just take Volvo’s new XC70, for instance. 

Extended range revolution

Built on the Volvo Scalable Modular Architecture (SMA) platform, the new XC70 is the brand’s first long-range plug-in hybrid. 

In practice, this means that it offers an all-electric driving range of over 124 miles per the Chinese test cycle. For perspective, the brand’s longest-range PHEV in the United States can manage around a third of that on battery alone.

Silver compact SUV with a sleek, modern design featuring a black roof, black side mirrors, and distinctive black and silver alloy wheels, parked on a concrete surface next to a minimalist building with large windows.
The XC70 offers an impressive 124-plus miles of EV-only driving.
Volvo

And that’s not its only party trick. The new Volvo XC70 also features fast-charging technology that enables the battery to be replenished from zero to 80 percent in just 23 minutes.

Moreover, bi-directional charging capabilities mean the car can be used as a mobile battery to power portable electronics, camping appliances and various other devices.

Now, the most impressive aspect of Volvo’s new extended-range EV, though, would have to be, well, the range. By incorporating a 1.5-liter four-cylinder alongside front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive electric motor configurations, the SUV can reportedly manage more than 745 miles without recharging or refueling.

Minimalist car interior with light gray upholstery, featuring a large central touchscreen display on the dashboard, a digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, and a panoramic sunroof. The design emphasizes clean lines and modern technology.
The cabin is a bit sparse, but at least it still has physical buttons and a stalk.
Volvo

Reviving a Volvo icon

If the XC70 name rings a bell, it’s because Volvo previously offered the nameplate as part of its lineup before quietly pulling the model in 2016. Before discontinuation, it was a high-riding wagon.

Though the new SUV makes for a considerably different machine, it’s nevertheless a handsome example of Volvo engineering. Along with the distinctive closed front grille typical of the brand’s EVs, it also brings the hammer-shaped headlights and C-shaped taillights.

Rear view of a silver Volvo XC70 SUV with distinctive vertical and horizontal LED tail lights, a black lower bumper, and the Volvo logo prominently displayed across the rear window area. The license plate area reads "XC70.
The design language echoes Volvo’s global EV styling.
Volvo

Beyond a sleek and updated design, the revival of the XC70 also capitalizes on Volvo’s latest and greatest tech. So, in addition to safety-oriented features like driver-assist, this also means that the SUV gets futuristic user interface items like an AI assistant and an augmented reality heads-up display.

Though it’s a bit stark inside (and there’s the unavoidable screen), thankfully, it does include physical buttons on the steering wheel.

Silver Volvo electric SUV driving on a paved road beside a body of water with mist and trees in the background. The vehicle features sleek, modern headlights and a black roof.
Though the XC70 isn’t currently slated for release in the United States, a European debut is reportedly coming.
Volvo

Global potential

For the time being, Volvo’s XC70 release is exclusive to China. However, the brand has stated that it will be bringing the model to Europe in the future.

Hopefully, this means that some of this tech will make its way to the United States soon. Assuming it does, drivers could finally get to experience the EV range revolution.

Currently available for pre-order, pricing is set at ¥299,000 (roughly $42,000). If you’d like to learn more, you can head to the Volvo China website.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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