The Volvo EX60 lands in the premium midsize electric crossover segment at a weirdly perfect moment. The segment leader, the Tesla Model Y, though recently updated and better than ever, is experiencing falling sales around the world, leaving space from new entrants from BMW, Mercedes and, now, Volvo.
The company has done a terrific job with the EX60. It has a huge battery pack that makes it the longest-range vehicle in its class, with quicker charging than its rivals and more power, with better acceleration, too. It really shows all the benefits of building a clean-sheet, software-defined electric vehicle on a cutting-edge 800-volt platforms. The result is an EV that’s elegant and competitive across the board.
It needs to be good, since it’s facing serious competition. BMW’s new iX3 majors on efficiency and charging performance, while Mercedes is aiming for a familiar luxury-SUV feel with big EV numbers with its electric GLC. Meanwhile the Audi Q6 E-Tron, built on the same underpinnings as the Porsche Macan EV), shows how quickly EVs are evolving.
Let’s stack the key specs side by side to see how the four European rivals compare.
Battery Bragging Rights
Photo by: Volvo
The Volvo EX60 will be offered in multiple versions with several battery pack sizes. The range-topping P12 variant features a huge 117-kilowatt-hour battery pack, good for a WLTP range of 503 miles (810 km). Its exact EPA range has not yet been confirmed, but Volvo expects a 400-mile rating.
The EX60 dethroned the BMW iX3, which was the longest-range vehicle in the class, rated at exactly 500 miles of range (805 km) in Europe thanks to its 108.7 kWh battery pack and an excellent efficiency of 3.8–4.1 miles/kWh (15.1–17.0 kWh/100 km). BMW says the iX3 will deliver an EPA-estimated range of up to 400 miles.
Mercedes-Benz gave the GLC EQ a smaller 94 kWh battery pack that’s capable of delivering up to 443 miles (WLTP) of range. That should translate into an EPA rating of well over 300 miles when it reaches the United States in the second half of the year—possibly even around 400 miles. Its WTLP efficiency rating is between 4.17 and 3.31 miles/kWh (14.9 and 18.8 kWh/100 km).
The Audi Q6 E-Tron is the oldest vehicle in this comparison, as it’s been on sale for over a year. Its larger long-range battery has a usable capacity of around 95 kWh, giving the dual-motor Quattro variant a WLTP range of up to 392 miles (625 km), with an average efficiency of 3.14 miles/kWh (19.8 kWh/100 km). The EPA estimate for the same dual-motor version in the U.S. is predictably more conservative at 307 miles (494 km) with a lower average efficiency of 2.96 miles/kWh (21 kWh/100 km).
The 20-Minute Club
Photo by: Volvo
All four vehicles have 800-volt platforms and advanced battery technology, which allow them to charge very quickly, topping up from 10% to 80% in around 20 minutes. All three can add around 186 miles (300 km) of range in 10 minutes.
The Volvo EX60 has the quickest 10-80% time of 19 minutes (18 minutes with the smaller pack options), while the BMW iX3 and Audi Q6 E-Tron need 21 minutes, and the Mercedes GLC EQ needs 22 minutes. But remember that automakers sometimes over- or under-estimate their own charging speeds, so we’ll have to see who wins out in the real world.
Both the Volvo and BMW can charge at up to 400 kilowatts, but the former’s shorter charging time suggests a more consistent charging curve with a higher average charging power. Next come the Mercedes with 330 kW and the Audi with 270 kW, which are still good values, just not up to the level of the leaders.
Performance Numbers
Photo by: Volvo
For now, the Volvo is the quickest of the four. The P12 AWD variant has 670 horsepower and 582 lb-ft (790 Nm) of torque, giving it a claimed 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h).
The Mercedes GLC 400 4Matic EQ (the only variant that we have details on) is next with 482 horsepower and a very impressive 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque, which bests the Volvo. Its benchmark sprint time is 4.3 seconds, and its top speed is 130 mph (210 km/h).
There are more powerful variants in development and the model will likely gain a dedicated AMG performance variant that will surely be quicker than the EX60 P12 thanks to a three-motor configuration (featuring axial flux motors) and a combined output of over 900 hp. Plus, the GLC gets a two-speed gearbox for quicker acceleration and more efficient highway cruising, so we’ll see if that pays off on tarmac.
The most powerful Audi Q6 E-Tron currently available is the 509 hp SQ6 Quattro, which hits 62 mph in 4.4 seconds and tops out at 143 mph (230 km/h). The non-S Q6 E-Tron Quattro makes 456 hp and a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 5.1 seconds.
BMW is also working on more powerful versions of the iX3, but for now, the xDrive 50 is the only available model. Its dual-motor powertrain produces 462 horsepower and 475 lb-ft (645 Nm) of torque, launching it to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. We don’t exactly know how much more power BMW intends to give the iX3, but if the electric M3 built on the same Neue Klasse platform is any indication, things could get pretty crazy with a quad-motor configuration and 1,000 horsepower.
The Audi could also get a more potent version. Its brother, the Porsche Macan EV, gets a 630 hp Turbo variant that drops the acceleration time to 3.3 seconds. If Audi ever decides to put an RS badge on the Q6 E-Tron, expect a similar power level.
No Bad Choices Here
Photo by: Volvo
The Volvo is therefore the quickest to accelerate and charge out of the four, but it is the only one that can’t reach 130 mph. Once the Germans launch dedicated performance versions of their models, I’d also expect them to be considerably quicker than the EX60. They should handle better too, with uprated suspension systems, better tires and improved brakes, as well as aero tweaks.
Still, this lineup shows how quickly EVs are evolving. The Q6 used to have remarkable class-leading specs, but it lands in dead last only a year later, as it can no longer match its competitors’ charging power and range figures. Breaking down the numbers also highlights the EX60 as the overall winner, even in terms of performance, at least for now. Volvo has good reason to be optimistic about the model’s sales.
The bigger takeaway from all this is that this segment is no longer a compromise contest filled with compliance vehicles. The EX60’s charging and range numbers are class-leading, but the Germans are putting up a tough fight, and none of these vehicles has a clear advantage that makes the others irrelevant.
There is no wrong choice here, as all four models are excellent compromise-free vehicles with plenty of range. But if you want the best of the best today, get the Volvo.
More Volvo EX60 Stories
We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com?
– The InsideEVs team