A massive new battery could make owners of the XC60 PHEV forget their car has a petrol engine in support.

UPGRADING to a new battery so much larger than the current choice it had to move from its previous location under the rear seats, to an EV-like position under the main floor, has given a Volvo staple here substantially more electric pure range.

Presently offering with a 18.8kWh battery offering up to 67 kilometres’ electric range, the XC60 will from early next year here step up to a 37.9kWh unit, which lends two-and-a-half times more range.

The WLTP figure for the T6 now stretches to 200km on electric power, while the T8 (sitting on 21-inch wheels) can manage 189km.

Announced overnight, this hugely significant change should mean most New Zealand drivers might always have the petrol side in dormancy for most daily driving, the national distributor believes.

In turn, this factor could also further raise the stature of the medium SUV, which presently starts at $116,000 in PHEV, and in time the larger XC90 PHEV, as it is also due the technical upgrade later in 2027.

“We look forward to introducing the long range plug in hybrids enabling more electric for every day,” said Volvo Cars NZ country manager Daile Stephens.

In announcing the revisions from Sweden, Volvo expressed confidence that most drivers across Europe will be able to do all of their daily commuting and driving on just the batteries, with a need for only one charge-up during the week.

Then, at the weekend, there’s a quoted 1200km total range on a fully charged battery and full tank of fuel together.

XC60 isn’t just the top selling Volvo here; it’s the Geely-owned make’s its bestselling car ever, with more than three million delivered.

Another element of the update is a revision to styling. Everything forward of the door pillar and windscreen is new, from the metalwork of the wings, bonnet and bumpers to the new grille — which is both shallower and wider.

Meanwhile, the new LED Matrix headlights get a much slimmer interpretation of the “Thor’s Hammer” signature shape,

At the rear, the tailgate is also all new — only the glass iscarried over — and again, there are slimmer LED lights which are designed to emphasise the width of the XC60, rather than its height.

There are new alloy wheel options too — aero-friendly 20-inch rims, and a sportier 21-inch design with diamond-cut sections.

As before, there’s the option of having either a chrome or dark trim exterior finish, and there’s an all-black Black Edition (top photo) too. And also a new colour called Heather Bronze, a rich brown that, under direct sunlight, reveals an intriguing lilac undertone.

Volvo here has yet to make clear if it will put all its hopes on the PHEVs, badged T6 and T8, or also keep the mild-hybrid petrol options that allow entry at lower price.

The enhanced PHEVs get more power. The T6 now has up to 265kW, while the T8 makes a robust 340kW, giving it a startling 4.8-second 0-100kmh time.

other revisions for the car include it taking a new set of cameras on the outside means that the parking system now optionally includes a high-definition 3D 360-degree view.

These are part of a comprehensive new active safety suite that also brings new radar units, better designed to prevent a driver from inadvertently turning into the path of oncoming traffic.

There are new ultrasonic sensors too, and the XC60 also gets a new central safety computer ‘brain’ which Volvo says makes a better fist of interpreting what the various sensors can see.

There’s also a new automated lane-change assistant, and a new door opening alert system to prevent anyone swinging the door out into the path of an oncoming cyclist.

The XC60 updated to a 11.2-inch touchscreen last year, and because it runs on Google-based software, that now means that it comes with ‘natural speech’ Google Gemini AI voice assistance too. There are also over-the-air software updates, and the option of a Bowers & Wilkins stereo.

The XC90 is also getting the new plug-in-hybrid system, and the addition of Google Gemini, but without any additional styling changes.

It gets the same T8 engine as the XC60 and the bigger battery gives an electric range of 164km. With XC90, the neat feat is that it retains seven seat capacity.