Volvo has rejigged its XC60 mid-size luxury SUV lineup for the 2024 model year as it moves towards to the goal of going all-electric in Australia by 2026.
As part of the updates, the Volvo XC60 Ultimate B6 Dark has been axed from the lineup. A Volvo Car Australia spokesperson confirmed there is “still some stock” in its dealer network.
The company has also introduced a new, more affordable XC60 Recharge plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant to the local range.
The Volvo Car Australia spokesperson said the company has made these changes as “customer demand continues to lean toward electrified variants”.
The XC60 Ultimate B6 Dark was once the second highest-ranking member of the Audi Q5– and BMW X3-rivalling range, sitting just below the XC60 Ultimate T8 Plug-in Hybrid and packing a 220kW/420Nm turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with an electrically driven supercharger.
This means if you want a non-PHEV XC60 variant, you’ll have to opt for the XC60 Plus B5 or the XC60 Ultimate B5 Bright instead. These are both powered by a less powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, featuring a 48V mild-hybrid system and producing 183kW and 350Nm.
Both the XC60 Plus B5 and Ultimate B5 Bright have also received a $1000 price rise with the update. They’re now priced from $73,990 and $80,990 before on-road costs, respectively.
In addition, the new Volvo XC60 Recharge Plus T8 Plug-in Hybrid is set to arrive in the third quarter of 2023 and is priced from $92,990 before on-road costs. This is $9000 cheaper than the flagship XC60 Recharge Ultimate T8 Plug-in Hybrid.
This new XC60 PHEV variant is powered by the same powertrain setup that teams a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and a 18.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack. System outputs are 340kW and 709Nm.
Volvo Car Australia hasn’t detailed a full list of standard specification for the XC60 Recharge Plus T8 Plug-in Hybrid at this stage, however it has indicated it does without the following features from the XC60 Recharge Ultimate:
- Heated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Panoramic sunroof
- Air suspension with Four-C Active Chassis
- Bowers & Wilkins sound system
- 21-inch alloy wheels
- Tailored instrument panel
- Crystal gear selector
- Black wheel arch trim
- Metal cargo bay sill plate
- Graphical head-up display
That means it will still offer features like:
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights with a cornering function and automatic high-beam
- Privacy glass
- 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless phone charger
- Ambient lighting
- Power-adjustable front seats
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XC60 Plus B5
As previously reported, Volvo wants to sell its last petrol-powered car in Australia during 2025 as part of an ambitious plan aimed at making it one of Australia’s largest luxury brands.
The brand has committed to selling only electric cars by 2030 worldwide, but Volvo Car Australia managing director Stephen Connor told media in November 2022 he thinks the brand’s local buyers will be ready before then.
“We’re not going to wait for 2030, we’re not going to wait for the global strategy to come out. I put a proposal to Gothenburg the other day, and we will be fully electric by 2026 in Australia,” said Mr Connor.
Although upstarts such as Tesla, BYD, and its corporate cousins at Polestar are already electric-only, Volvo plans to be the first brand to fully transition to pure-electric power in Australia having previously offered petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid options here.
2024 Volvo XC60 pricing is as follows:
- 2024 Volvo XC60 Plus B5: $73,990 (+$1000)
- 2024 Volvo XC60 Ultimate B5 Bright: $80,990 (+$1000)
- 2024 Volvo XC60 Recharge Plus T8 Plug-in Hybrid: $92,990 (NEW)
- 2024 Volvo XC60 Recharge Ultimate T8 Plug-in Hybrid: $101,990
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