Volvo didn’t go too crazy with this XC60 makeover — it’s still the same svelte SUV it always was.
While some European automakers go berserk with their small luxury crossovers, launching models with 671 horsepower (in the case of the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E-Performance), Volvo’s XC60 offers up a subtler, more reserved option. Much like it’s larger XC90 sibling, though, it’s getting a bit long in the tooth, so it’s time for an update. This 2026 model year facelift brings in a range of minor tweaks, including a front-end update as well as quality-of-life changes with the interior tech features.
On the styling front, the 2026 Volvo XC60 looks…well, remarkably similar to the old one. Again, we’re talking about a car that’s not known for being particularly loud or brash, so it makes some sense that the exterior changes reflect that ethos. Just a new grille to match the XC90 with the company’s updated iron mark, darkened taillights and new rear wheel options, and that’s about it. Three new color options are available: Forest Lake and Aurora Silver are new, while Mulberry Red makes its way to the model for the first time.
More noteworthy changes come into play once you look inside the revamped XC60. There’s a new 11.2-inch touchscreen with a fresh Google built-in infotainment system, powered by Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit platform. For the non-techie people out there, it’s supposedly going to be twice as fast as the outgoing system with far better graphics capability. That’s good news in practical terms, since Volvo’s past infotainment systems have been notoriously unresponsive. Volvo says the snappier system will cut down on driver distraction…and I can attest to that problem from my last experiences driving the pre-facelift XC60 and XC90.
Broadly speaking, the 2026 model XC60 is still a Volvo, and this isn’t a seismic shift from the brand’s outgoing compact SUV. Nevertheless, thoughtful updates can make a difference for some, so a more modern look and better tech could be the clincher when this car hits certain markets in the near future.
Volvo didn’t lay out specific plans for the North American launch just yet. This is a global debut, technically, with the automaker saying the refreshed XC60 is available to order today in “certain countries”. Going further, it also plans to stagger availability and launch timing of this updated model market-to-market. That said, considering this is a relatively minor refresh, we should expect the XC60 and its plug-in hybrid counterpart to reach the U.S. sooner rather than later. If current pricing is anything to go by, we can also reasonably assume the 2026 XC60 will carry a similar price tag to the $48,345 to $59,345 Volvo lists for the current car.
While we haven’t driven the updated XC60 yet, Roman did check out the new XC90 in Sweden. Check that out below:
