Volvo is reviving the XC70 name for a new range-extender [EREV] SUV for the Chinese market.
The company’s first ‘extended-range plug-in hybrid’ has been previewed for the first time today ahead of a reveal in the coming months and a launch later this year.
Volvo says the new XC70 is designed specifically “to meet the demand for longer-range plug-in hybrids in China”, but says it is “exploring potential additional markets at a later stage”.
Technical details remain thin on the ground, but Volvo has promised a pure-electric range of up to 124 miles, which is more than double what the similarly sized Volvo XC60 PHEV can achieve.
The XC70 is described as slightly larger than the XC60, and looks essentially like a downscaled XC90, but rather than being a close technical relation of that car it is based on a new architecture designed specifically for EREVs.
The Scalable Modular Architecture, or SMA, is said to be “a premium extended-range plug-in hybrid architecture”, but no details of its relationship to Volvo’s other platforms – or indeed those from the wider Geely group, of which Volvo is a part – have been given.
Geely-owned sibling company Lotus is also investing in EREVs over the coming years in response to lower-than-anticipated demand for pure-electric luxury cars, and Coventry-based LEVC has been using an EREV powertrain in its Volvo-engined TX taxi since 2017.
EREVs are currently much more popular in China than in other global markets, and Volvo’s announcement of a new EREV SUV follows the recent unveiling of the new China-oriented Volkswagen ID Era SUV concept at the Shanghai motor show.
That car – similar in size to the XC70 – has been engineered in partnership with MG owner SAIC to cater to burgeoning demand for EREVs in China, with companies like Li Auto, Leapmotor and Avatr among the biggest players.
However, like Volvo, Volkswagen’s sales and marketing boss told Autocar that a global launch was not off the cards: “Range-extenders today are already a very big thing in China. They will be of relevance in North America and we are convinced they will also have relevance in Europe.”
Volvo’s CEO Håkan Samuelsson said the technology provides “a perfect bridge to full electrification” amid a slowing of demand for pure-EVs.
“It enables us to maintain and develop a balanced product portfolio, while offering a highly attractive alternative to customers who are not yet ready for fully electric cars. This is also an example of regionalisation, where we adapt to the local market needs,” he said.
