There was a time when Volvo’s cars were better known for their boxy practicality and brute-force safety than anything else.
These days the Swedish brand is famous for making super-stylish cars that use lots of clever tech to make them among the safest on the market. The full Volvo range includes SUVs, saloons and estates, as well as full electric cars, plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids.
This guide will talk you through every car in their range, and cover some frequently asked questions. Let’s go!
Volvo SUV range
Volvo XC40
The XC40 is one of Volvo's most affordable SUVs, but that doesn’t mean you’ll find yourself missing out on features from the brand's more expensive cars. Until recently, it was the smallest SUV in the company’s catalogue, but it’s cleverly designed interior still packs loads of space for a family of four, and the 450-litre boot space is noticeably bigger than in a regular hatchback such as the VW Golf (although the boot shrinks if you get a plug-in hybrid or fully electric version).
It's available with mild-hybrid petrol engines (most of which are front-wheel-drive, with one 4x4 option), or there’s the XC40 Recharge lineup, which encompasses plug-in hybrid petrol engines as well as a pure electric version, available with either one or two motors. The real-world range of the pure-electric version is a shade over 200 miles, and the dual-motor version is seriously rapid, with a 4.9-second 0-62mph time. Perfect for those school run drag races… said no one ever. The XC40 EV is now called the EX40, covered below in more detail.
Check out our range of used Volvo XC40 cars or read our Volvo XC40 review
Volvo XC60
We jump up a size here to the XC60 which, at 4.7 metres long, is a good 30cm longer than the XC40. This gives you a noticeable boost to rear-seat legroom, and 470-480 litres of boot space depending on whether you get a plug-in-hybrid XC60 or not. The all-wheel-drive PHEV models are badged T6 and T8 – the T6 is less powerful but more affordable and more efficient than the 400hp T8. If you don’t want a PHEV then the mild-hybrid XC60 lineup gives you a range of four-cylinder petrol engines in a mix of front-wheel and all-wheel drive.
Find used Volvo XC60 cars or read our Volvo XC60 review
Volvo XC90
The peak of the brand's fuel-powered range, the five-metre-long XC90 is the brand’s flagship engine-powered seven-seat SUV. It’s stunningly designed, supremely comfortable – so long as you don’t get one with huge optional wheels – and has a faintly ludicrous 680 litres of boot space if you fold down the third row of seats. With all seven seats in place you’ll have 302 litres of space, which is still a useful amount and much more than you get in the Land Rover Discovery.
Like the rest of the Volvo range, the XC90 doesn’t get anything sportier than four-cylinder petrol engines, although there is the XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid, which will get you about 30 miles in electric-only mode. It does have 400hp, so is another weirdly fast family SUV.
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Volvo estate car range
Volvo V60
Moving over to 'things-that-aren’t-SUVs', the Volvo V60 is the brand’s smallest estate car although, at 4.7 metres, it’s the same size as a BMW 3 Series estate, so hardly small. That means the Volvo has a decently proportioned 529-litre boot and your back-seat passengers won’t feel cramped. In terms of engines, the V60 is available with a mix of mild-hybrid petrols, or a T6 plug-in hybrid, which claims 33 miles on electric power alone – but probably less in the real world.
Keen shoppers might want to hunt down a V60 Cross Country. This has slightly raised suspension, some rugged off-road plastic cladding around the wheelarches, and is generally aimed at those who have to drive across muddy tracks to get to work. Don’t think it’s a full off-roader – it’ll still scrape on the ground if you tackle anything more adventurous than a National Trust car park.
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Volvo V90
If the V60’s like an estate version of the XC60, the V90 is like an XC90 given the wagon treatment. It’s a shade under five metres long, has a 551-litre boot and – if you buy a white one – everyone will think you’re an undercover cop.
It's available with petrol engines powering either the front or all of the wheels, or as a four-wheel-drive T6 plug-in hybrid. As with the V60, there’s a ruggedised V90 Cross Country, which would look excellent parked outside the house caked in a winter’s worth of mud. A BMW 5 Series is a bit more fun to drive, but the Volvo’s just as practical and has a more interesting interior.
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Volvo saloon car range
Volvo S60
All of the things we said about the V60 apply to the S60… except for the fact the S60’s a saloon version so has 442 litres of boot space – almost 100 litres less than the V60 – and has a rear end that looks a lot like the back of the super-rare £140,000 Polestar 1.
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Volvo S90
Are you still awake at the back? Well then – you’ve probably guessed that the S90 is a saloon version of the V90. The S90’s 461-litre boot space is only smidge bigger than the S60’s, but rear-seat passengers get a fair bit more room to stretch out. Stick a couple of flags on the front wings and you can do your best impression of a diplomatic envoy.
Fancy one? Browse used Volvo S90 cars for sale
Volvo EV range
Volvo EX30
The Volvo EX30 is the smallest model in the lineup, with a 4.2-metre footprint taking up similar floorspace as a family hatchback like a Volkswagen Golf. Under the crisp, modern styling, you'll find clever EV technology shared with several models across the Geely group, including the competing Smart #1 SUV. It's impressively affordable for an EV, particularly one from a premium brand with new examples priced a little over £32,000. Entry-level models claim a little over 200 miles on a charge, while Extended Range versions boost this above 290 miles.
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Volvo EC40
All Volvo EVs get an 'E' at the start of their name to set them apart from fuel-powered versions. As such, the Volvo EC40 is the new name for the battery-powered C40 coupe-SUV. All models achieve respectable range performance – entry-level versions come in just shy of 300 miles, while Performance models cover more than 330 and Extended Range cars hit more than 340. Speaking of performance, this sensible Swedish electric SUV is available with more than 400hp in range-topping guise, achieving a sports-car baiting 4.7-second 0-62mph time.
Volvo EX40
The Volvo EX40 is the battery-powered sibling to the XC40 compact SUV, previously called the XC40 Recharge. Mechanically, its basically the same as the EC40 above, with the same entry-level, Extended Range and Performance models. The EX40's blockier shape means it's slightly less efficient, trading two or three miles of range away to the EC40 for each battery choice, and around 0.1 seconds off the 0-62mph time – negligible numbers. You get a little more rear headroom in return, and the option to load taller items into the boot.
Volvo EX90
This is the fanciest and most expensive model in the brand's lineup. The Volvo EX90 is the fully battery powered counterpart to the XC90 SUV, which is already a fairly posh car in its own right. Slung underfloor is a 111kWh battery with a claimed range above 370 miles – impressive for a five-metre seven-seat luxury bus. Entry-level models must make do with a 'mere' 300kW (402hp), while Performance versions up this to 380kW (510hp), so this is a vast family hauler that can keep up with serious sports cars.
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Browse Motorpoint's wide selection of nearly new and used Volvo cars for sale. For more inspiration, take a look at our picks for the best family SUVs you can buy.
