- Volvo has revealed the XC70 mid-size SUV, which the brand is touting as its first “extended-range plug-in hybrid,” and it’ll go on sale in China later this year.
- The XC70 has an estimated pure-EV range of 124 miles on China’s CLTC standard, though if it comes to the U.S., we expect the EPA figure would be lower.
- It’s possible that the XC70 is the PHEV Volvo’s CEO hinted at in a recent Automotive News report about the brand adding hybrid production to the U.S.
Volvo has revealed the XC70, a new mid-size plug-in hybrid SUV that earns a massive pure-EV range estimate, at least for China. The XC70 is built on Volvo’s new Scalable Modular Architecture (SMA) platform, which is designed specifically to accommodate extended-range plug-in hybrid models. VolvoAccording to Volvo, the new model earns a pure-EV range estimate of 124 miles on the optimistic CLTC standard, though EPA estimates are typically lower. The automaker confirmed that the XC70 will go on sale in China later this year, though it is considering expanding to other markets. Car and Driver reached out to Volvo for confirmation of the new model coming here and will update this article when we receive a response. A High-Volume Hybrid as a Tariff ResponseEven without a confirmation, the XC70 could be a silver bullet for Volvo. As automakers continue looking for respite from the Trump administration’s tariffs, many are eyeing potential production changes. In the case of Volvo, CEO Håkan Samuelsson has said he wants to increase production at the automaker’s Ridgeville, South Carolina, facility, according to a report by Automotive News. VolvoSpecifically, Samuelsson wants the automaker to add production of a high-volume hybrid to the facility. “It has to be a car with mild-hybrid and plug-in versions to really bring up the volumes,” the CEO told AN Europe. While Samuelsson hinted that it could be either the XC60 Hybrid or the XC90 Hybrid, that interview happened before Volvo drew back the curtain on the XC70. “A wagon or a sedan is not very likely. I think if you look at what the bestsellers are in the U.S., they are often some kind of SUV,” Samuelsson said. VolvoThat said, the existing XC60 and XC90 models are just as likely to make the move over to the South Carolina facility. The Ridgeville plant was home to the S60 mid-size sedan until production of that model ended last year. Now, the plant is focused solely on the production of Volvo’s EX90 electric SUV, but it still has the tooling required for cars built on the S60’s SPA platform, which happens to underpin both the XC60 and XC90. Samuelsson told AN that he plans to travel to the U.S. soon to speak with dealers about which vehicle makes the most sense to add. Total sales for the two models were neck and neck in 2024, with the XC90 accounting for around 500 more sales in the U.S. than the XC60. More on Volvo HybridsJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: caranddriver.com
