Designing the Volvo EX60: “The electric architecture means we can craft proportions to our liking”

Sitting proudly in Volvo’s Gothenburg design studio, the Volvo EX60 practically glowed – helped by some unusual March sun. And much like the sun coming out after a long winter, this new Volvo marks the beginning of a new season of vehicles for the brand.

The EX60 is arguably Volvo’s most important release to date, a key milestone in the brand’s line up as it features the new SPA3 platform architecture that will be in all future electric Volvos. 

The significance this vehicle was clear when speaking to Volvo’s head of interior design Lisa Reeves and director of exterior design Florian Mockenhaupt, who showed Car Design News around the mid-sized electric SUV. 

Exterior design

Starting from the side profile of the EX60, that SPA3 architecture gives the SUV rather large proportions, as Mockenhaupt expands: “You can see the car already has quite a long wheelbase, nearly three metres, but it has a similar exterior footprint like an everyday car. We have done this deliberately to give more space to the interior – which is a big benefit of an all-electric car. 

“To support the visual weight of the car, we have also increased the wheel size slightly, because with a longer wheelbase, you need to increase the wheel size to make it look good. Very short overhangs front and rear give the car a good stance on the road, and we’ve gone to great lengths to push the wheels out as far as we can. Thanks to the electric architecture we can craft the proportions to our liking.” 

Moving onto the front three quarters, Mockenhaupt points out the wraparound nature of the cabin glass aids aerodynamic efficiency. “The front of the car is quite low, a bit hunkered down and all of that together just lets the air slip over the car smoothly.” 

Lighting plays a key role in the EX60, with a segmented ‘Thor’s Hammer design’ at the front. “The hammer is quite iconic, people recognise this as Volvo when it appears in their rearview mirror. We’ve actually done a little trick on this car: the auxiliary lamp below the hammer has all the main functions which allowed us to tailor the hammer lighting above to make even the outline of the lights the shape of a hammer.” 

The rear features Volvo’s signature vertical tail lamps, with a hidden safety feature. “When the weather in foggy, it’s sometimes quite hard to see cars in the front of you and with the vertical lamps, you can see these lights from further away,” Mockenhaupt explains. “This is something we hold dearly as we are trying to be the world’s safest car brand.” 

And Mockenhaupt was particularly passionate about the frunk of the EX60, describing this iteration as “our best execution yet. You don’t have an extra panel on the inside of the wood, so it seals straight to the hood structure and still provides dry storage. It can hold around 60 litres liquid volume and a yellow line marks the maximum loading point.”

Interior design 

The SPA3 architecture also gave the design team much more room to play with inside the vehicle, and it certainly feels spacious, purposeful and calm. 

“We started with the front fascia,” Reeves explains. “We’ve lowered the instrument panel, it is slimmer, and our new centre screen is landscape with a very subtle curvature so the information is pointing towards the driver. Plus, you can split the display between the driver and passenger. We also have the forward mounted driver display.” 

The screen is now tiled, with this organisation system originating from feedback from customers. “You always have a bar at the bottom [of the screen] with go-to functions. Also, from the screen, you can turn off individual electric air vents, change the direction of the flow of air and put the shading on the sunroof,” Reeves adds. 

Proportion was a key consideration for the interior design team, with Reeves explaining that the team wanted to find a balance between the proportions of the steering wheel and instrument panel, ensuring one does not outweigh the other. 

Materials are carefully considered within the EX60, with tactile and premium materials (including recycled textiles, recycled plastic and pine resin) used throughout to generate an emotional quality to the interior. A natural centrepiece made from certified wood from Scandinavian forests flows across the whole instrument panel – which Reeves later flags as one of her favourite elements of the interior design. Delving into the process, Reeves expands: “We always start by collecting samples, laying out objects for tonality and texture. It’s rooted in Scadinavian design – how you create a subtle difference in the materials by combining texture, placements and proportions so they all work in harmony.” 

It’s impossible not to recognise the comfort of the seats, and Reeves is clearly proud of the final product, explaining that “we work with comfort sections, bolsters, how they support the body, how wide are the shoulders and a strong graphical design that really works with the tailoring so it feels special – with all the stitching and piping. In the back [of the seats] we have got pockets too.” 

Safety progressions for Volvo come in the form of a pre-tensioner on the seat belt, where the belts are tuned depending on what type of accident has occurred as well as the size and weight of the person. “This is really personal safety, and we’ve given it a subtle nod in the design through the small text reading ‘multi-adaptive safety belt’ [at the top of the seatbelt holder],” Reeves notes. 

Moving round to the trunk, a split floor can be flipped back on itself to reveal a deep recess, waterproof bags and a bucket with a quaint illustration of a family crab finishing – a nod to the Swedish lifestyle. 

Both interior and exterior teams worked closely on the EX60, with Reeves reflecting: “We all have the same vision. The physical side is very important for us on interior to feel the space and bring in objects that work.”