Volvo XC90 vs Volvo V60

Volvo has had plenty of news this year, most recently with the introduction of the all-new, fully electric 2025 EX90. But that doesn’t mean the automaker is content to let its stalwart top sellers run on autopilot.

The second-generation XC90 gets its second substantial refresh for the 2025 model year. It’s still offered in Core, Plus, and Ultra trims and with a choice of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, but Volvo has upped the ante. The midsize three-row gets updated styling, materials, and feature offerings, as well as some mechanical tweaks that aim to improve ride comfort and handling. We had the opportunity to experience the T8 and the B5 powertrains, both in Ultra trim, on a Volvo drive program in Europe.

Verdict: The Volvo XC90 was already quite a good vehicle. It’s earned its position as Volvo’s flagship SUV with oft-praised style and substance. For 2025, it has been made even better.

Station wagons are to Volvo what pickup trucks are to Ford or Chevrolet. They’re this automaker’s bread and butter, vehicles that are integral to the Volvo brand and that represent a comfort zone for the Swedish automaker’s designers and engineers.

So while wagons have been declining in popularity for decades, Volvo has stuck with them. The current-generation Volvo V60 was introduced for the 2019 model year as the wagon companion to the Volvo S60 sedan. Its closest competitor is the Audi A4 Allroad, a similarly-sized wagon from another luxury brand. Given the lack of choices, the V60 could also be cross-shopped against the larger Audi A6 Allroad and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, as well the Subaru Outback, which lacks a prestige badge but fills a similar functional niche.

Because the V60 is relatively fresh, it gets no significant changes for the 2021 model year. Volvo offers the standard 2021 V60 in Momentum, Inscription, and R-Design trim levels but also has two spinoff versions of the wagon. The V60 T8 Polestar Engineered sports a plug-in hybrid powertrain, while the Volvo V60 Cross Country gets more SUV-like styling. We tested a Cross Country for this review.