Volvo XC60 vs Ford Everest

What's the difference?

The facelifted Volvo XC60 Ultra B5 Dark is the car at school pick-up that doesn’t need to brag. It just gets on with things and it looks good doing it. It offers a strong mix of family-focused features, comfortable and composed road manners and thoughtful practicality throughout the cabin.

The updated media system is crisp and responsive, though it could use a few tweaks to be truly intuitive. Overall, the XC60 mild-hybrid remains a solid choice for families who value understated luxury, comfort and safety over flash. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does what it does well.

The Ford Everest has always been an impressive 4WD wagon, with useful day-to-day driveability and real off-road capability.

As standard, it has a lot going for it. It’s quiet and refined on-road, very capable off-road and it’s packed with features.

The 2.0-litre single-turbo Active is a solid entry-point into the Everest line-up and, though it lacks the polish of its higher-spec stablemates and doesn’t yield the kind of improvement in fuel economy you might have hoped for, it makes a strong case as a touring vehicle with plenty of aftermarket-build potential.

The XC60 has a graceful, poised curbside presence. Its wide stance and smooth body panels give it a confident silhouette, while the redesigned grille with dark accents, integrated intake vents (both faux and real), and those sharp 'Hammer of Thor' headlights tie it all together. It’s not trying to be sexy, but it is undeniably handsome. It's the kind of SUV that turns heads quietly rather than shouting for attention.

Inside, the vibe is pure Scandi chic. There’s a refreshing lack of plasticky surfaces, with everything feeling solid and premium to the touch. The supple Nappa leather seats and expansive panoramic sunroof instantly make the cabin feel airy and refined.

Taking centre stage on the dash is a new 11.2-inch portrait-style media display. The layout is a little too reminiscent of an oversized iPad for my taste, but the crisp graphics and quick touch response are big pluses. Adding a touch of craftsmanship, the crystal Orrefors gear shifter and genuine driftwood inlays across the dash and centre console bring warmth and texture you don’t find in most rivals.

Is this facelift breaking new ground? Not really. But then, it doesn’t need to. Volvo has long been firmly planted in the premium end of the field and this update simply shows it's still cultivating all the right qualities.

In terms of design, the Everest’s exterior and interior remain largely unchanged although some minor trim elements have been made darker in colour, and there are some new alloy wheel designs and exterior paint options on higher-spec variants.

Otherwise the Everest retains its chunky presence and recognisable profile. At 4914mm long (without the tow receiver installed), 2207mm wide (with its wing mirrors out), and 1876mm high, the Everest is not an insubstantial 4WD wagon but it manages to avoid being showy about it.

The cabin is a clear, well-laid out space and in design terms it errs more towards function than fashion – more about that soon.

Inside and out, the Everest is familiar in a good way and outshines many of its rivals.

The XC60 is spacious without being sprawling. The front row is the sweet spot for comfort, with generous leg and headroom plus ergonomic seats that offer excellent under-thigh and side-bolster support. They also bring the luxury of heating, ventilation and even massage functions.

The rear row uses firmer padding, and while the backrest looks fairly flat, it’s deceptively supportive. Adults should be comfortable back there on longer journeys. Access is only slightly compromised by the wheel arch eating into the rear aperture, but otherwise it’s an easy SUV to get in and out of. My eight-year old pointed out that the rear doors are on the heavy side, though, and often need a good slam to latch properly.

Storage is well thought out throughout the cabin. Up front you get a decent glove box, cupholders, drink bottle holders, door bins, a dedicated phone tray that doubles as the wireless charging pad and a shallow centre console with two USB-C ports. One niggle. The cupholders don’t grip cups as snugly as they should.

The rear row has a 60/40 split with a 'ski-port' door and a fold-down armrest. And in the back, there are door bins with bottle holders, a fold-down armrest with cupholders and net map pockets. Rear passengers are also spoiled with dual-zone climate control, four directional air vents and two more USB-C ports.

One of the XC60’s best family-friendly features is the integrated booster seats, which have two height settings and fold neatly back into the base when not in use. They’re a lifesaver if you have kids who feel like they've 'aged out' of car seats but aren’t quite tall enough to go without. Of course, there are also ISOFIX mounts and three top-tether points if you still need to install child seats.

Out back, the boot offers a flat loading space, a powered tailgate with kick function and a healthy 613L of storage with all seats up (up to 1543L when the rear row is folded). You also get a 12-volt socket, a proper temporary spare tyre, and if you’ve got the optional air suspension (as per our test model) you can raise or lower the boot height for easier loading.

Tech usability is a bit of a mixed bag. The new 11.2-inch media display is sharp and responsive, and it comes pre-loaded with Google apps like Maps, Spotify and Assistant. But the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto isn't wireless, which feels like a miss at this price point.

The Bluetooth is patchy, with calls and music sometimes not syncing properly. A wired connection works better, especially for my iPhone 15 Pro Max, but I'm not a fan of leaving my phone on charge all the time. If you’re already familiar with Volvo or Polestar’s system, you’ll feel at home, but first-timers may need a little time to adjust.

The Active, being the entry-level Everest, has a well-laid out cabin and, as mentioned earlier, it errs more towards function than fashion.

If you’ve spent any time in an Everest cabin you’ll know.

Being the base variant the Active misses out on leather everything – though the seats are 'leather accented' – and most other things I would consider frippery are absent, but you do get all the things you actually need in a car.

Of note here is the fact the Active is a five-seater as standard but can be optioned up with seven seats; our test vehicle having the extra two-seat option.

There are plenty of storage spaces throughout the cabin (cupholders everywhere you’d expect, as well as map pockets and bottle holders in the doors) and charging points (USB-A, USB-C and 12-volt ports) and everything is easy to find, access and use.

The large portrait-style touchscreen takes pride of place upfront and can be used to control pretty much everything onboard, except your obnoxious teenagers.

All seats are comfortable, with that level of comfort – as well as space – dropping marginally as you move from the front seats to the second row and on to the less-spacious back row.

All rows have adjustable air vents. The second row has ISOFIX child-seat anchors in the two outboard seats, and three top-tether points. The third row has two top-tether points.

In terms of cargo space, with all seven seats in use, there is a claimed 259 litres. With the third row stowed away, there is 898 litres, and with the second and third row stowed away, there is a listed 1823L of room for your luggage.

Payload is 855kg in the Active and that’s the MY2026.50 Everest line-up’s biggest payload.

The Ford Everest Active is available with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine or a V6 turbo-diesel.

The 2.0-litre version, as per our test vehicle (125kW/405Nm, part-time 4x4), has a manufacturer suggested retail price of $58,990, before on-road costs, while the 3.0-litre V6 Active (184kW/600Nm, full-time 4WD) has a MSRP of $66,990, before on-roads.

Standard features in the Active include a 12.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system (now standard across the range), leather-accented seats, tinted rear windows, tyre-pressure monitoring and six drive modes (not for the four-wheel drive system).

All Everests now have LED headlights, power mirrors, roof rails, a powered driver’s seat, dual-zone climate-control and an electronic park-brake.

The standard wheel-and-tyre package is an 18-inch alloys and all-season tyre combination, but our test vehicle has a stack of extras onboard including a towing pack ($2000), third-row seating ($1350), 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 255/65 Goodyear All Terrain tyres and matching spare ($750) and prestige paint ($750).

Exterior paint choices include the no-cost Arctic White, or the extra-cost prestige shades - Meteor Grey, Aluminium (aka silver) or Shadow Black.

This base-spec Everest ranks well in the value-for-money stakes against its rivals, such as the GWM Tank 500, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota LandCruiser Prado.

The Ultra B5 Dark tested here is all-wheel drive and has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol mild-hybrid engine. It produces up to 183kW of power and 350Nm of torque.

The 'mild hybrid' tag comes from a 48-volt system paired with an integrated starter-generator. It’s not a full hybrid, so you won’t be gliding around silently on electric power alone, but it helps smooth out stop-start driving, boost efficiency and add a little extra shove when you put your foot down.

The result is an engine that feels lively in the city and confident out on the open road, with enough in reserve to make overtaking stress-free.

The big news here is that the single-turbo has replaced the twin-turbo and power and torque figures are down as a result.

The new engine – developed to improve fuel economy – produces 125kW at 3500rpm and 405Nm at 1750-2500rpm, compared to the 154kW and 500Nm that the outgoing Ford 'Bi-Turbo' engine produces.

There’s no discernible difference in the two engines in general daily driving, although there is some lag under foot with initial acceleration.

The 10-speed automatic transmission is now standard across the Everest range.

The Active’s 4WD system offers 2WD, 4WD high-range, and 4WD low-range – it does not have '4Auto', which means you can’t drive this vehicle in 4WD on high-traction surfaces, as you can in some higher-spec variants.

Selectable Drive Modes – including Normal, Eco, Tow / Haul, Slippery, Mud / Ruts, and Sand – all adjust engine outputs, throttle, transmission, braking, traction and stability controls to best suit the driving conditions.

The Active misses out on the Rock/Crawl drive mode that the higher-grade Tremor V6 gets, but it does have a rear diff lock.

Volvo claims combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel use of 7.6L/100km for the XC60 Ultra B5 Dark, which isn’t bad for a turbo-petrol but reminds you that this is only a mild hybrid. With a 71-litre fuel tank, you’re looking at a theoretical driving range of up to 934km which is great for a family SUV likely to see its fair share of school runs and road trips.

In my real-world testing, which included plenty of urban driving with one longer trip in the mix, I averaged 8.6L/100km. That’s a little higher than the claim, but still a respectable result overall.

Official fuel consumption for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 7.1L/100km and our fuel consumption on this test was 8.9L/100km.

The Everest has an 80-litre fuel tank so, going by those figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 900km out of a full tank.

Worth noting this Everest will need an AdBlue top-up (18.5-litre tank) every few thousand kilometres.

There’s plenty of power on tap, with enough left in reserve when you really need to push it. Around town, the XC60 keeps up with traffic effortlessly, and out on the highway it never feels strained. The transmission is fairly punctual with its shifts, though you do need to drive it a little more assertively to avoid any lag when accelerating from a stop.

Visibility is excellent thanks to the big, wide windows and higher driving position. It’s also refreshing to have a wide rear window behind the C-pillar as it's something not all rivals manage.

On the road, the XC60 feels composed and comfortable. The cabin stays quiet even at highway speeds and the suspension soaks up the worst bumps without ever feeling floaty or disconnected. Handling is equally predictable, with steering and dynamics that feel natural and reassuring. Take a sharp corner at speed and you will notice a slight loss of composure but it rights itself quickly.

Day to day it’s also very car park friendly. Parking sensors and the 360-degree camera view make manoeuvring simple, though the video feed looks a little blurry at the edges. A more seamless stitch between camera angles would improve the presentation, but functionally it gets the job done.

The Everest hasn't lost a step on road. It’s still very refined and very comfortable.

It is a large 4WD wagon, but never feels too cumbersome to manoeuvre, mostly due to its well-weighted steering.

The front seats are manually adjustable, as is the reach- and rake-adjustable steering wheel, so as a driver you can precisely dial-in your preferred position.

Though the engine loses out on some power and torque, you don't notice that during general driving, although there is a bit of lag under the right foot from pressure down to take off, but it's merely noticeable at times, not terrible.

Otherwise, this single-turbo engine is as capable as its twin-turbo predecessor of delivering smooth and sustained power and torque at low and high speeds.

Good news is the 10-speed auto works well here. And in even more good news the Active gets a proper auto shifter not Ford's 'e-Shifter', which is kind of an overgrown toggle switch.

As mentioned, the Everest offers a smooth and refined drive for myriad reasons, other than the engine and auto.

The suspension set-up, including coil springs all-round, helps smooth out road- or track-surface bumps, resulting in sure-footed ride and handling.

And well managed NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) levels mean it’s quiet in the cabin, with the intrusion of few noises other than low-level wind-rush around the sizeable wing mirrors.

There is one crucial difference between the Everest Active and some higher-spec variants. This base-spec vehicle misses out on 4Auto, which allows vehicles equipped with it to be driven in what is essentially 4H even on sealed surfaces without any risk of transmission wind-up. And that affords vehicle occupants a little more safety and security in, for example, the rain when the road or track surface may be slippery.

As for 4WDing, well… the Everest has always had ample potential as an off-road touring platform and, in Active spec, it loses none of the range’s efficacy on rough terrain, but does away with some of the frills and keeps the functionality.

The Everest has always been an impressive off-roader, whether it's been powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo or a V6 – and this 2.0-litre single-turbo engine is perfectly adequate. It gives you the ability to truck along through light to moderate off-roading and even on the fringe of more difficult 4WDing.

There is plenty of low-down torque on tap here, and the driver-assist tech and 4WD mechanicals are an effective combination.

The Active’s off-road- and touring-related drive modes – including Tow/Haul and Slippery – tweak throttle response, transmission, and traction controls to match the task and the prevailing driving conditions. It has a locking rear differential for when the terrain requires it.

The Everest has a listed length of 4914mm (with a 2900mm wheelbase), a width of 2015mm, and a height of 1876mm. It has a turning circle of 11.8m and an official kerb weight is 2245kg.

So, while it feels highly manoeuvrable, even on narrow overgrown tracks, it still requires the driver’s full and sustained attention.

Approach angle is 30.4 degrees, departure angle is 25.3 degrees, and ramp break-over is 22.2 degrees. The Everest has a long wheelbase so its undercarriage is vulnerable to hitting the ground on more severe terrain, so to avoid belly-scraping and sidestep run-ins with rocks, tree stumps or exposed tree roots, keep that in mind. Ford has put solid steel underbody protection on all 4×4 variants, so the vehicle is able to cop a knock or two.

The standard Active gets bush-suitable 18-inch alloys and all-season tyres, although 18-inchers on Goodyear Wrangler Territory (255/65R18) all-terrain tyres are an option, as per our test vehicle.

Off-road angles could be boosted with a mild lift and, while the tyres are good enough, you could always opt for more aggressive light-truck construction all-terrains with gnarlier tread and shoulder block bite.

The Everest is rated to tow a 750kg unbraked trailer, and 3500kg braked. Gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 3100kg and GCM (gross combined mass) is 6250kg.

The Everest has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on assessment of the closely-related Ranger ute in 2022.

As standard, it has nine airbags and a full suite of driver-assist tech including AEB (Auto Emergency Braking), front and rear parking sensors and a tyre pressure monitoring system. The Active does get adaptive cruise control but not a 360-degree camera view.

The XC60 is covered by a standard five-year/unlimited-km warranty, which is okay for its class, especially at the premium end. You can pre-purchase either a three- or five-year 'Volvo Genuine Service Plan'. The five-year plan will set you back $3870, which is steeper than many rivals, though Volvo sweetens the deal with five years' complimentary roadside assistance. Services are spaced at every 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever comes first.

One thing for regional owners to keep in mind, while Volvo has a decent retail footprint, there are only 34 Volvo service centres in Australia. Depending on where you live, that can mean a long drive. In my case, the nearest Volvo service centre is almost two hours away. That adds travel time and inconvenience for regular maintenance or unscheduled work.

The Everest is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and comes with 12 months of roadside assistance, which is extended every time your Everest is serviced at a Ford dealership for up to seven years.

Service is scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km and costs a reasonable $399 per workshop visit.

Ford Australia has more than 180 dealerships around the country.