Geneva show: Volvo teases new XC60

VOLVO has released a number of teaser images on social media of its upcoming second-generation XC60 mid-size SUV, giving some hints to the design of the vehicle which will be revealed in full at the Geneva show next week.

The trio of images reveal the grille with the headlights illuminated, a close-up of the front headlights and a profile shot of the car draped in a semi-transparent cloth.

The now familiar ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED design headlights from the XC90 large SUV and related S and V90 will trickle down to the mid-size XC60.

On the XC60, the headlights are simpler, and feature a more rounded style than the XC90.

The size of the XC60 is expected to grow somewhat, given that it will be built on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform, shared by the 90-series vehicles.

One photo shows the profile of the car which appears to retain the long, vertical tail-lights from the outgoing model and current XC90, a signature design element of Volvo SUVs.

The lights are illuminated by LED strips, and show a sloping tailgate that gives the XC60 a more SUV coupe-style profile.

Powertrain choices are yet to be announced, however it is expected that Volvo will drop the current 2.4-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine in favour of uniform 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines across the board, as is the case in the XC90 and S/V90.

The XC90 is offered with a D5 twin-turbo-diesel making 147kW/470Nm, a T6 super- and turbo-charged petrol unit good for 235kW/400Nm, and a range-topping turbo-petrol hybrid T8 variant that teams the T6 engine with an electric motor with an output of 65kW/240Nm.

The new XC60 is a critical model for Volvo Australia, as it has been the best-selling model in its local line-up every year since it was launched Down Under in 2011.

Last year Volvo sold 2134 XC60s, ahead of the XC90 with 1486 sales and the V40 which found 1129 homes.

The XC60 still sits near the bottom of the pack in the premium mid-size SUV segment, leading the Jaguar F-Pace, BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe in 2016 but behind segment leaders such as the Mercedes-Benz GLC, Land Rover Discovery Sport and BMW X3.

The XC60 will be revealed in full on March 7 at the Geneva show.