Game-changing hybrid with 200km EV range

Volvo has officially revealed its reborn XC70 which is now a higher-riding plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV than the lifted wagon it once was.

The Swedish-Chinese carmaker has opened pre-orders for the XC70 in China and plans to introduce it to Europe “at a later stage”. It’s unclear whether this new Volvo will come to Australia.

Power comes from a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and one electric motor in the rear-wheel drive long range variant, or three electric motors in the all-wheel drive “ultra-long” range. Total system output is 234kW and 340Nm, respectively.

This is fed by either a 21.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or a 39.6kWh ternary lithium battery. Both are sourced from Chinese battery manufacturer CATL.

The latter of these battery packs offers up to 200km of electric range, according to lenient CLTC testing. It’s the most of any Volvo PHEV to date.

Volvo also claims the XC70 has an overall range of “over” 1200km, also according to CLTC testing.

The battery packs can be DC fast-charged at an undisclosed rate, however it claims to be able to be charged from 0 to 80 per cent in 23 minutes. Bi-directional charging is also available.

The Volvo XC70 is based on the Scalable Modular Architecture (SMA) which underpins the Lynk & Co 07 sedan and 08 SUV.

It measures in at 4815mm long, 1890mm wide and 1650mm tall, with a 2895mm wheelbase. It’s around the same size as a Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-60 and BMW X3.

On the design front there are matrix LED headlights with the ‘Thor’s Hammer’ lighting signature, a “shield-like” closed grille with an active grille shutter, as well as C-shaped vertical tail-lights that are integrated into the rear window.

Inside there’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 15.4-inch touchscreen multimedia system. A 92-inch augmented reality head-up display is available as an option.

As noted above, pre-orders for the Volvo XC70 have opened in China. It’s priced from 446,900 yuan (~A$95,900).

Volvo is far from the first carmaker to revive nameplates previously used on spacious wagons or people movers, and relaunch them as SUVs.

Recent examples include the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Renault Megane E-Tech and Scenic and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, among others.

The Volvo XC70 nameplate originated as a high-riding and more off-road-focused version of the V70 wagon, much like the Subaru Outback.

Initially called the V70 XC, the XC70 name was introduced in 2003 to align with the newly introduced XC90.

It was sold in Australia all the way up to 2016 when the model was retired globally.