Volvo EX60 tested: why it’s Volvo’s best EV yet
Climb aboard the EX60 and you’re greeted by a now familiar design philosophy that we’ve seen in the EX90 and EX30. That said, Volvo has clearly made changes to improve usability and general feel of the interior.
In keeping with the Volvo way, it’s reductive and minimalist, and upon first glance it isn’t the most interesting cabin. Dig a little deeper, though, and you will notice that Volvo has put a lot of attention to detail in the interior design.
That is immediately clear by the clever storage solutions and endless cubbyholes dotted around the cabin – and the brace of cupholders that pop out of the centre console are a neat addition.
Perceived quality inside is high, with the flowing layers of wood, fabric and leather-like materials giving the EX60 a bright, airy atmosphere, especially if you opt for the lighter interior trim. It feels plusher and of better build quality than the iX3. It isn’t dominated by a myriad of touchscreens either. A 15in central display, which is now landscape oriented, houses all of the EX60’s key functions. It’s a software development of the EX90’s, and works quickly and more logically.
I like the row of shortcut buttons that run along the bottom and right-hand side of the screen and the set-up works well enough. But the significant lack of physical buttons means that it’s still a chore to use on the move.
While Volvo has reintroduced some physical switchgear in the form of four window switches and proper buttons on the steering wheel, you still adjust the mirrors – and the wheel – using the touchscreen.
The helm is closer aligned to the iX3’s in that the instrument display is set at the end of the dashboard. This means you don’t have to refocus your eyes as much from the road. That said, Volvo has fitted the EX60 with an unusually shaped and rather small steering wheel to help you look over the top of it at the driver display. It’s not unpleasant but does take a bit of getting used to.
Volvo is quite proud of the Google Gemini AI-powered voice assistant, which works well for finding navigation destinations, chargers and the like but still has some way to go before it can help you with finding the car’s more obscure settings or more complicated queries.
What really makes the EX60 shine is the amount of space inside. The glasshouse design gives it a roomy feel, and the abundance of head and leg room means that taller adults will have no issue with getting comfortable in the rear. The flat floor sits relatively low too, so the seating position feels nice and natural.
The 634-litre boot is much bigger than the BMW iX3’s (520 litres) and there’s some handy underfloor storage to hide your charging cable. You even get a modest 58-litre frunk.
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments