It is just after 8:30 on a grey morning in Hamburg when a member of the Volvo team hands me a smartphone instead of a key. There is no key fob or card: the Volvo EX60 uses a Digital Key. It is the first time I have started a Volvo test drive without a conventional key, and the experience feels unfamiliar. Whether it becomes second nature in everyday use is impossible to judge during a four-hour drive. Even so, it is a fitting introduction to a vehicle that takes a different approach in several areas.
Why the EX60 is so important for Volvo
Before setting off, it is worth explaining why the EX60 is such an important model for Volvo. It fills a gap in the Swedish carmaker’s electric portfolio. Until now, the range jumped from compact models such as the EX30 and EX40 and the large EX90 (review here), leaving the brand without the mid-sized SUV segment that has long been one of its core strengths. Measuring 4.80 metres in length, the EX60 is the electric counterpart to the conventionally powered XC60, which will remain on sale alongside it.
I deliberately leave the city behind and head towards the Alte Land. The reason is simple: I want to drive, not spend the journey in stop-and-go traffic. The route covers around 30 kilometres each way, taking in motorways, country roads and a short stretch of urban driving. Each leg takes about 50 minutes. The weather is typical for northern Germany, with temperatures of 18 degrees Celsius, mostly cloudy skies, occasional rain and brief spells of sunshine. I set the seat heating to level two, the steering wheel heating to level one and the interior temperature to a comfortable 22 degrees Celsius. Like all the test vehicles available that day, my car is a P10 AWD Ultra, combining the mid-range powertrain with the highest trim level.
