Swedish automaker Volvo discontinued the V60 and V90 in the United Kingdom at the beginning of August 2023 due to falling demand. Not even a year after that fateful moment, the company decided to bring the V60 and V90 back with hybrid power only.
According to Autocar, the automaker went back on its original decision due to resurging demand for estates. It should be noted that new vehicle registrations totaled 1,903,054 automobiles last year in the United Kingdom, but alas, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders does not break down the new vehicle registrations by body style.
Even so, we do know that none of the best sellers can be had in station wagon flavor. The top ten comprises the Ford Puma with 49,591 units, Nissan Qashqai, Vauxhall Corsa, Kia Sportage, Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Tucson, MINI, Nissan Juke, Audi A3, and Vauxhall Mokka with 29,984 units.
On the other hand, SMMT data shows a growing appetite for mild hybrids. No fewer than 362,192 were registered with delivery miles on the clock last year, whereas BEV registrations totaled 314,687 units. Given the aforementioned, it shouldn't come as a surprise that said wagons are coming back with both mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
Autocar understands that the online configurator will be updated in July 2024 with a choice between 197, 350, or 455 horsepower for the V60. The former is a mild hybrid based around a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine connected to an eight-speed automatic supplied by the folks at Aisin.
Photo: Volvo
The mild-hybrid V60 is good for 7.6 seconds from zero to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour). The plug-in hybrid powertrains, meanwhile, will carry over to the larger V60. The 455-hp setup needs 5.5 seconds to hit 62 miles per hour, whereas all-electric range is rated at 36 miles (58 kilometers) in the notoriously optimistic WLTP cycle.
There is, however, a problem with Volvo's decision to reintroduce wagons to the United Kingdom. Both the V60 and S90 are very old, with the current-gen V90 dating back to 2016. The V60 is a bit newer, but when compared to German compact executive station wagons, it surely shows some gray hairs.
The D-segment V60 has to prove itself against the likes of the Audi A4 Avant, BMW 3 Series Touring, and Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse T-Modell. The A4 Avant doesn't come as a plug-in hybrid, whereas the BMW and Merc sure do. They're called 330e Touring and C 300 e Estate, respectively.
Manufactured in Sweden, the V60 is twinned with the S60, which is made in the United States. Only recently, Volvo Cars killed off the S60 in North America due to – as expected – low demand. Over the course of 2023, Volvo Car USA moved a meager 10,357 units in the US market.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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