The modern transition to battery-electric vehicles has forced automotive manufacturers into a complex balancing act between mechanical refinement and advanced software ecosystems. For some brands, that means abandoning traditional proportions altogether, much like the 1,153 hp disruption of Mercedes-AMG’s all-electric masterpiece, which completely alters the rules of high-end performance to aggressively hunt down Porsche’s crown by leveraging hyper-focused, state-of-the-art track engineering. Volvo, on the other hand, is taking a deeply human-centric route. With the debut of the 2027 Volvo EX60, the Scandinavian automaker is aiming directly at the sweet spot of the premium market, delivering a remarkably plush, mid-sized family cruiser for an expected starting price of around $60,000.
While a striking exterior silhouette is always great for showroom appeal, it is the interior layout that ultimately dictates your day-to-day happiness behind the wheel. Thankfully, the EX60 hits an absolute home run the moment you shut the door.
Tactile Evolution: Ditching the Touchpads
The interior architecture bridges the gap between the ultra-austere, entry-level EX30 cabin and the premium, three-row luxury of the flagship EX90, while introducing several critical quality-of-life upgrades across both platforms. The most significant victory for driver ergonomics is Volvo’s retreat from frustrating capacitive touchpads on the steering wheel. Instead, the EX60 welcomes back real, physical steering wheel controls that click with reassuring tactile feedback. That said, the steering wheel itself is curiously small and skinny, giving the SUV an unexpectedly quirky handling feel during initial drives.
The rest of the primary switchgear is beautifully sorted. While purists might mourn the total absence of Volvo’s classic, oversized physical volume knob right in the center of the dash, the new roller-style console control is a stellar substitute. You can press it inward to pause your media track or use the flanking buttons to skip through your playlist seamlessly.
To maximize that tactile premium feel, Volvo is leaning heavily into sustainable luxury:
- Tailored Wool Blend: An available natural-fiber textile upholstery that is incredibly soft to the touch and remarkably resilient against daily wear and tear.
- Kid & Pet Alternatives: For drivers dealing with messy juice-box explosions or motion-sick dogs, Volvo offers highly cleanable synthetic Nordico or traditional leather surfaces.
A Rolling Concert Hall with 28 Speakers
For audiophiles, stepping up to the top-tier Ultra trim, which carries a $7,100 price premium over the standard base Plus model, unlocks an absolute masterpiece of acoustic engineering. The upgrade wraps the cabin in a spectacular 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system. When you fire up high-resolution Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos tracks natively in Apple Music, the EX60 instantly transforms into one of the most vivid, immersive rolling soundstages on the market today, regardless of price.
The Android Dashboard: Gemini’s Split Personality
The underlying infotainment suite is built on the Android Automotive operating system, providing seamless, deeply integrated integration with Google Maps. The navigation system continuously reads the vehicle’s real-time battery status, offering hyper-accurate range projections for your route and automatically pinning optimal charging stops along your journey.
The system also marks a major milestone as one of the first production vehicles to deeply embed Google Gemini as its core virtual assistant, though the current user experience feels noticeably fragmented.
During everyday driving, you will constantly encounter a jarring audio disconnect. Standard turn-by-turn navigation prompts speak to you in one distinct voice. If you issue a voice command to adjust a physical vehicle setting, such as dialing down the climate control or activating the heated seats, a second, entirely different voice responds. Finally, if you initiate a casual, multi-turn conversation with Gemini to ask complex questions, a third voice takes over.
This audio patchwork feels messy, and Gemini’s slightly sluggish processing delays can occasionally try your patience. However, the raw utility of localized artificial intelligence is undeniable. Beyond locating restaurants along your route, you can ask Gemini to parse detailed culinary reviews or scan menus for specific dietary restrictions. It can even bail you out of a mundane commute; asking the assistant for an interesting detour from a monotonous highway route can lead to scenic, entertaining secondary roads.
Pre-Production Software Bugs
Because the early test cars are still running pre-production software, a few notable digital gremlins popped up during initial testing:
- Digital Key Failure: Following a brief lunch stop, the phone-as-a-key system completely glitched out, refusing to authorize the vehicle to drive despite an authorized iPhone sitting directly inside the cabin. The issue required cycling the phone’s Bluetooth radio off and on before the vehicle would respond.
- Cold Boot Delays: Leaving the vehicle unattended for too long during a quick photo session caused the onboard computer to power down completely. Getting the vehicle to reboot and allow the driver to shift into gear required a full, agonizing 20-second system boot sequence.
The Final Verdict
Volvo has plenty of time to flash-patch these minor software kinks before the mid-sized EV officially hits dealership lots later this year. By prioritizing genuine physical buttons, uncompromised cabin comfort, and world-class acoustics, the 2027 Volvo EX60 shapes up to be one of the most relaxing, practical, and compelling premium family transport options on the horizon.
