400 mile range, 670 hp with Google Gemini on board

Volvo hasn’t had very good EVs lately. The release of its flagship EX90 was patched out of the gate with a bevy of software issues. The EX30, on the other hand, was very expensive when it was introduced – the promised $35,000 model was not compatible with the global tax situation.

Now, it’s time for a new generation EV from Volvo, which is very different at its core with a gigacast frame, a super-dense battery and enough digital and real power to please excited car enthusiasts. Add in high-performance chipsets from both NVIDIA and Qualcomm, as well as Google’s Gemini AI on board, and on paper, it has a lot to offer. After a quick look at the thing at its launch in Sweden, I feel like this EV is ready and able to take on BMW’s new iX3 and Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming GLC.

Let’s start with the basics: The EX60 slots into Volvo’s lineup alongside the existing XC60, Volvo’s most popular model in the US. It will be available in three different basic configurations, starting with the single-motor, rear-drive, 369-horsepower, 310-mile EX60 P6. Next is the AWD dual-motor, 503-hp, 320-mile P10, and finally the top-shelf, 670-hp, 400-mile P12.

670 horsepower for an SUV of this size seems excessive to me, but then it has plenty of curb weight — 5,137 pounds to boot. That’s thanks in large part to the P12’s 112-hour net battery pack, which is about 50 percent larger than the one inside the Tesla Model Y. The P6 is a great 4,663 pounds thanks to its smaller 80-kWh battery pack, while the P10 has 91.

Beyond the powertrain categories, the Volvo EX60 will also be available in a variety of variants with varying amounts of equipment, including a Volvo Cross Country edition with air suspension and a 20mm boost in ride height. Prices are said to start “around $60k” for the EX60 P10 Plus with a 21-speaker Bose system, but a 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins system with Dolby Atmos will be available for those who really need it. everything channels.

Of course, Atmos support doesn’t help without a good source, and to top it off, the EX60 will be the first Volvo with Apple Music built-in. That will be part of the company’s Android Automotive infotainment system, which works with a curved 15-inch OLED screen and is powered by a Qualcomm 8255 chipset. It is accompanied by a low, wide gauge cluster located far from the dashboard behind the steering wheel.

This will also be Volvo’s first car with integrated Gemini, and the first car on the road with Google’s smart agent. Yes, you can do typical Gemini things like asking about the weather or the nuances of René Descartes’ ideas about dualism. In addition, Volvo’s CTO Anders Bell said that it will eventually have access to the car’s external cameras, which means that you will be able to ask for more information about anything you see from space.

Volvo calls the vehicle’s software-defined architecture and the hardware that powers it HuginCore, named after Huginn, the raven of Norse mythology and representing the mind and senses of Odin. Qualcomm powers the infotainment side of the bird experience, but when it comes to active safety, the EX60 relies on the NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin chipset. Unlike the EX90, the EX60 will not use a LiDAR sensor.

Volvo CTO Bell downplayed the absence of a sensor. “We realized that we can now accomplish more automated and safer tasks without LiDAR than we could have years ago,” he said. Per Bell, LiDAR was never in the EX60’s lineup anyway, a decision that seems all the more obvious given the recent bankruptcy of Luminar who was Volvo’s partner in LiDAR.

The car’s cameras and radar sensors all tie in nicely with the EX60’s new exterior, which doesn’t look miles away from the EX90 or the current, all-electric XC60. But the bold flares on the front fenders add a nice touch to the otherwise SUV personality.

At the heart of the EX60 is Volvo’s new platform called the SPA3, with a chassis made using gigacasting. This refers to the energy required to inject molten aluminum into large molds, allowing more cars to be made from fewer materials. Volvo says the EX60’s carbon footprint is even lower than that of the smaller EX30.

The battery packs use the trending cell-to-pack construction method, which means that all the cells are joined together into a single unit. Often, this increases the density at the cost of maintenance, a tradeoff that most manufacturers seem willing to make in pursuit of high range and low cost. However, Bell said the company has actually made storage of the packs easier by improving the design of the compatible devices.

“The absolute majority, 90 percent of everything that needs fixing in a battery pack is the electronics,” he said. In the EX60, Volvo has placed the battery compartment under the rear seat for easy access. “We save a lot of weight, save a lot of costs.”

The EX60 will be the first Volvo car to use the Tesla-style NACS charging standard, and the two large packs will be compatible with charging speeds of up to 370 kW. That’s down to 320 kW on the 80-kWh net P6.

Physically, however, they are all the same. Each model charges from 10 percent to 80 percent in less than 20 minutes, adding between 160 and 173 miles of range in 10 minutes. Not all of the 200 miles BMW’s iX3 can do in the same amount of time, but it’s close.

The iX3 will likely be the EX60’s fiercest competition when Volvo opens orders later this spring. The EX60’s $60,000 price for the midrange P10 Plus puts it right in line with the $60,000 BMW says it expects for its iX3. Mercedes has yet to set US pricing for its GLC, but that, too, will be on most buyers’ lists for comparison.

I’m already impressed with how both the iX3 and GLC drive. Sadly, Volvo hasn’t let me get behind the wheel of its EX60 yet, but hopefully I can report back on impressions soon so I can start seeing how these all hold up on the road.