2026 Volvo EX60: Arrival timing set for new Tesla Model Y rival

Volvo Car Australia has confirmed that its most important electric vehicle (EV) yet – the all-new EX60 mid-size SUV – will be released Down Under in the middle of next year.

Positioned as an EV alternative to the best-selling XC60, the EX60 will slot between the small EX40 and large EX90 in the brand’s electric SUV lineup when it launches in mid-2026.

Volo’s first mid-size electric SUV – a new rival for the Tesla Model Y, Audi Q6 e-tron, BMW iX3 and upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology – will also debut the brand’s new SPA3 dedicated EV platform.

That aside, precious few details have been confirmed, although when it issued the above teaser shot on September 15 Volvo did confirm the EX60 would make its global debut on January 21 before it hits overseas showrooms.

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“We’re what we call a ‘deep water’ market, which means new models take time to come from Europe to us, but we’re planning the first arrivals in around July,” Volvo Car Australia managing director Stephen Connor told CarExpert.

“There will be small volumes for the first six months because it takes a while for production to get to full capacity. So we’ve got about 200 to 300 arriving for the first six months. Then in 2027 you’ll see a full year of production for us, or about 2500 cars.

“It’s really, really exciting… if anything, we’re really disappointed that we couldn’t have it this year.

“There’s very little competition in that range. At our level, there’s very little competition for that family SUV that’s fully electric.”

The EX60 will be sold alongside the similarly sized, combustion-powered XC60, which recently received updates including a larger infotainment touchscreen and revised trim to better compete with the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.

It’s been a significant year for the XC60 – it leapfrogged the iconic 240 to become the best-selling Volvo ever after global sales surpassed 2.7 million units back in June.

A vehicle of many achievements, the XC60 will also go down in Volvo history for becoming the first global model from the Swedish brand to be produced in China, while the second-generation model won World Car of the Year in 2018.

In other words, the EX60 will have big shoes to fill when it eventually takes over the mantle as Volvo’s leading mid-size SUV.

The EX60 will also set the tone for other vehicles built on the new SPA3 architecture, a platform that’s more scalable than SPA2 and can underpin cars of all sizes.

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