The Volvo Car Corporation is a Swedish car manufacturer. The company started building cars in 1927 as a subsidiary of the Swedish corporation AB Volvo. (Volvo means “I roll” in Latin; initially, it actually referenced the company’s ball bearings.) The company began exporting cars to the U.S. in the 1950s, then fleshed out a lineup of family sedans and wagons in the 1960s and 1970s.
Since its inception, Volvo’s hallmark has been safety. The three-point seatbelt, introduced by Volvo in 1959, may be the most important life-saving innovation in automotive history. Volvo also pioneered features like crumple zones, side-impact protection and collapsible steering columns. Today, the company remains at the forefront of accident prevention and mitigation technology; to give you a sense just how audacious they are, remember that this is the company that set a goal of eliminating all fatalities in its cars by 2020.
Over recent decades, the brand has steadily moved upmarket. Ford bought Volvo from its parent company in 1999, merging it into what it called the "Premier Automotive Group" along with Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover. When that strategy didn't work quite as hoped due to myriad reasons, FoMoCo sold Volvo to Chinese company Geely in 2010.
Volvo Nomenclature
Old-school Volvos from the 1960s to the early 1990s used a three-digit number designation for their names. Generally, the first number represented the series number, the second number revealed the number of engine cylinders and the third number — used either externally or internally — denoted the number of doors. So, the Volvo 244 was, initially, the brand's second vehicle, with a four-cylinder engine and four doors.
Volvo switched to the current alphanumeric system in the late 1990s. The letters tell what kind of vehicle it is: “S” models are sedans; “V” models are wagons; “XC” models are SUVs, with the letters standing for "cross country." (Somewhat confusingly, Volvo also sells “Cross Country” versions of the V wagons.) "Recharge" can mean a hybrid or an electric car. Volvo uses the "EX" moniker for new electric SUVs. The numbers track the size of the vehicle: larger numbers equal a larger vehicle.
Volvo Powertrains
Volvo is in the process of phasing out combustion engines going all-electric. Volvo has been steadily simplifying the engine lineup down to three options, all based on a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
- B5: turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 247 horsepower and 258 lb-ft; FWD or all-wheel drive
- B6: turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 316 hp and 295 lb-ft; AWD only
- T8 eAWD: the T6 engine, plus two electric motors for a combined 400 hp and 472 lb-ft; Volvo also terms this "T8 eAWD" or "Recharge plug-in hybrid"
Volvo Electric Cars
Volvo EX30
- Body Style: SUV
- Trims: EX30 Extended Range, EX30 Performance
- Engines: Single-motor EV RWD, Dual-motor EV AWD
- Range: 275 miles
- Drive: AWD
- Starting Price: $34,950
The Volvo EX30 is a new electric car that will arrive for the 2025 model year. Volvo is calling it a "small premium SUV." It will be the smallest and most affordable vehicle in the Volvo lineup. The single-motor will deliver up to 275 miles of range with a starting price under $35,000. The dual-motor performance model will pack 422 horsepower, a 3.4-second 0-60 mph time and all-wheel-drive. Volvo also says a Cross Country variant is coming.
Volvo EX90
- Body Style: SUV
- Trims: TBA
- Engines: Dual-motor EV AWD
- Range: 300 miles
- Starting Price: TBA
The Volvo EX90 is a three-row electric SUV. It's basically the electric equivalent of the XC90. Volvo says it will pack 496 horsepower in top-spec and offer up to 300 miles of EV range. It will also pack some of Volvo's latest safety tech. We don't have the full pricing on the EX90 yet. But Volvo says you'll be able to buy one "well-equipped" for under $80,000.
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Volvo C40 Recharge
- Body Style: SUV Coupe
- Trims: C40 Recharge
- Engines: Dual-motor EV AWD
- Range: 226 miles
- Starting Price: $55,300
The C40 Recharge is a swoopy, coupé take on the Volvo XC40 Recharge. It comes standard with a dual-motor AWD powertrain packing 402 horsepower and up to 226 miles of EV range on a 100 percent charge. It can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.
Volvo Sedans/Wagons
Volvo S60
- Body Style: Sedan
- Trims: S60, S60 Recharge
- Engines: B5 FWD, B5 AWD, T8 eAWD
- Drive: FWD, AWD
- Starting Price: $42,000
The S60 is Volvo's compact sedan, which debuted for the 2019 model year. It currently comes in two forms. The S60 features a 2.0-liter B5 gas engine with 247 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. You can get it with either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. The S60 Recharge is a plug-in hybrid, delivering 455 horsepower, 523 lb-ft of torque and 41 miles of EV-only range.
Volvo S90 Recharge
- Body Style: Sedan
- Trim: S90 Recharge
- Engines: T8 eAWD
- Drive: AWD
- Starting Price: $65,650
The S90 Recharge is Volvo's midsize sedan. It debuted for the 2017 model year. Volvo only currently sells the plug-in hybrid S90 Recharge, which offers 455 horsepower, 523 lb-ft of torque and 38 miles of EV-only range. It's only available with all-wheel-drive.
Volvo V60
- Body Style: Station Wagon
- Trims: V60 Cross Country, V60 Recharge
- Engines: B5 AWD, T8 eAWD
- Drive: AWD
- Starting Price: $49,750
The V60 is Volvo's compact wagon. The second-generation launched for the 2019 model year. Volvo has trimmed the V60 lineup down to two options. The V60 Cross Country has a gas engine pushing out 247 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, all-wheel-drive and a softened suspension. The V60 Recharge is a plug-in hybrid with 455 horsepower, 523 lb-ft of torque, 41 miles of EV range and a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds.
Volvo V90 Cross Country
- Body Style: Station Wagon
- Engines: B6 AWD
- Trims: V90 Cross Country
- Drive: AWD
- Starting Price: $52,495
The V90 is Volvo's midsize wagon. Volvo eliminated the standard version. So, it only comes with the softened Cross Country suspension. All V90 Cross Country models use the B6 engine with 295 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque and come standard with all-wheel-drive.
Volvo SUVs
Volvo XC40
- Body Style: SUV
- Engines: B5 AWD, Dual-Motor EV
- Trims: XC40, XC40 Recharge
- Drive: AWD
- Starting Price: $40,100
The XC40 is Volvo's sub-compact crossover. Volvo has simplified the lineup. The gasoline XC40 comes standard with the B5 powertrain (247 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque) and all-wheel-drive. The XC40 Recharge is an all-electric version. It offers 402 horsepower, 223 miles of EV-only range and starts at $53,550.
Volvo XC60
- Body Style: SUV
- Engines: B5 AWD, T8 eAWD
- Trims: XC60, XC60 Recharge
- Drive: AWD
- Starting Price: $46,450
The XC60 is Volvo's compact crossover. The second generation debuted for the 2018 model year. Gas versions come standard with the B5 powertrain putting out 247 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and all-wheel-drive. The XC60 Recharge is a plug-in hybrid delivering 455 horsepower, 523 lb-ft of torque and up to 35 miles of EV-only range.
Volvo XC90
- Body Style: SUV
- Engines: B5 AWD, B6 AWD, T8 eAWD
- Trims: XC90, XC90 Recharge
- Drive: AWD
- Starting Price: $56,000
The XC90 is Volvo's three-row midsize crossover. The second-generation model debuted for the 2016 model year. The base XC90 comes with either the B5 (247 horsepower and 258 lb-ft) or B6 (295 horsepower, 310 lb-ft) powertrains and all-wheel-drive standard. The XC90 Recharge is a plug-in hybrid. It offers 455 horsepower, 523 lb-ft of torque and 35 miles of EV only range.
