Volvo planning new EV crossover between XC60 and XC90 - report

With Volvo planning to become an EV-only manufacturer by 2030 and to expand its crossover range, this latest report should come as no surprise.

Two sources have told Automotive News the Swedish car maker is planning to build a new electric crossover at the company’s factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina.

The new model — codenamed V546 — is reportedly sized to sit between the replacements for the 4.69m XC60 and 4.95m XC90 models.

V546 will be built in both the USA and China. Production in China is due to get under way in late 2024, and will account for 60 per cent of all global production for this model.

The Ridgeville plant will begin churning out the new crossover from 2025. Volvo currently expects to make a total of around 100,000 of this new model per year.

It’s not known what the new crossover will be named, but like all new Volvo models it will have a “proper name”. The first car to benefit from this strategy is the XC90 replacement, which according to trademark filings and reports could be badged Embla.

Styling for V546, like the XC90 replacement, will be based on the 2021 Concept Recharge.

This latest report gels with information that’s been dripping out of the Swedish automaker of late.

Last month Hakan Samuelsson, Volvo’s outgoing CEO, confirmed the automaker is committed to making sedan and wagon models based on its next-generation car platform, although there will be fewer offerings of these traditional body styles than at present.

Samuelsson also noted the company is planning to expand its range of crossovers.

This all makes sense given the declining popularity of sedans and wagons, and the seemingly unstoppable momentum of crossovers.

If this report proves to be true, it should provide a massive boost to Volvo’s factory in South Carolina. Since it opened in 2018, it has been operating well under its 150,000 car per year capacity.

Suppliers have told Automotive News Volvo made just 28,000 S60 sedans at the plant in 2021.

The Ridgeville factory will also produce Polestar 3 crossover, and EV variants of the XC90 replacement starting from 2023.