Exclusive First Sight Q&A: Volvo’s interim design boss on EX60 and what’s next after Ingenlath’s return
Nick Gronenthal, acting head of global design talks to Car Design News on Volvo’s new design structure and dapper door handles
Volvo returned to its favourite Stockholm archipelago art hang-out last week to reveal the brand’s crucial EX60 mid-size all-electric SUV in regular and Cross Country formats.
The Artipelag modern art museum is certainly a stunning venue, especially cloaked in Swedish January snow, and Volvo was happy to use the building to unveil the all-new EV ‘sister model’ to its all-time best-selling XC60 in front of many hundreds of assembled global media.
Another returnee – chief design officer elect, Thomas Ingenlath – also appeared briefly on stage with the EX60 and was clearly glad to be back, even though he and most of the crowd knew he had nothing to do with the car’s creation. After a little anecdote about the fun of winning via a little boy’s story, he swiftly handed over the virtual presenting baton to acting head of design Nick Gronenthal (who took over when former head of Volvo design Jeremy Offer resigned in August 2025).
Indeed, it was a curious introduction from a design point of view. The 4803mm-long EX60 is visually very much in line with recent designs –somewhat akin to an enlarged EX30 – but as the first product on the brand’s new SPA3 platform architecture that will underpin all future electric Volvos it boasts major technical advances, including an impressive top-end 503-mile range, mega casting to reduce its parts count and built-in Google Gemini software. It is strategically very important then, but its design authorship remains slightly unclear. The EX60 was overseen by more leaders than is usual, likely including Robin Page (start), Jeremy Offer (middle) and Nick Gronenthal (end), before Thomas Ingenlath officially restarts on February 1st 2026 to promote its roll-out.
Either way, at the end of that unusual development path Car Design News secured an exclusive one-to-one chat on the reveal night with (still) acting head of Volvo design Gronenthal to talk many things EX60, his head of Americas role to come, clever new door handles and why he loves the Cross Country model the most…
CDN: Was this project quicker than normal? Were you trying a ‘China speed’ process or not quite?
NG: We try our best to make sure safety is the core thing we do, not necessarily ‘speed to market’. I would say it’s [taken] the appropriate amount of time [four years] to get the car out with all the tech, looking the right way and really understanding what the customer needs.
CDN: I’m just trying to put it into context because the bigger EX90 was delayed. Was the EX60 a smoother development?
NG: Oh yeah, totally. The SPA3 platform in general is a real game changer for the company. It takes what the SPA2 platform started and really improves on that. As far as the EX60’s launch time, we don’t expect anything to delay or slow it down. We’re taking orders and starting deliveries in the summer.
CDN: How much involvement did you have on this car?
NG: I was running the advanced concept studio in Camarillo, California until two years ago, so since then.
CDN: Thomas Ingenlath came on stage with the EX60 so he’s clearly happy enough with the product to show his face at its unveil. Will you go back to the US after he officially starts in February?
NG: That’s a good question. Maybe we can start with Thomas coming back. That’s a great thing for the company. I’ve known Thomas since starting [at Volvo] four years ago and he’s been around for the past six-to-seven months as an advisor. We’ve gotten to know each other super well since his coming back. I think the new role that I’ll be taking sometime soon shows that the US is still a vital market and it’s something we really need design input on. He and I, along with the US team, will come up with strategy that makes sense.
CDN: Is the title you’re taking new, as you were in the US before?
NG: Yeah, technically it’s different title. My previous role was head of design, USA. Since then, Volvo has taken a regionalised stance on the global setup of the organisation. There’s APAC (Asia-Pacific), Europe and the rest of the world, and the Americas. This is what makes it interesting, we will have a much more ‘present’ voice in those areas with a big swathe of customers.
CDN: But you don’t have any design studios in the US right now?
NG: No, at the moment Mahwah, our US headquarters in New Jersey is it, plus our manufacturing facility in South Carolina. When the US studio closed in 2024, I came here [to Gothenburg, Sweden] and took over as head of automotive design. But the team that really designed the EX60 has been intact the entire time regardless of design leadership changes. If I’m totally honest, they’re the ones that did the tough miles designing the car. To have that kind of robustness in the design team to follow through on those transitions, that’s what I’m proud about. The EX60 is a testament to Volvo’s ambitions and what it means for electrification, it’s such an important part of our story.
CDN: You must have pitched for a new US studio? Otherwise, what will you be doing, trend research? It must be more than that?
NG: I would hope so. But I’ll get back to you. Let’s put it this way, I’m super excited about it.
CDN: As the (ICE-powered) XC60 is Volvo’s global bestseller of all time, the natural thing to do design-wise for the similar size (all-electric) EX60 might be to stay conservative, i.e. don’t rock the boat. To me, the EX60 doesn’t appear a radical design. Are the game-changing aspects referred to at the reveal more to do with the technology onboard?
NG: I think Thomas [Ingenlath] said it well. We’re ‘understated premium’ in our design approach. All our designs, whether it’s the bestselling XC60 or XC90, or cars even further in the past have always been rooted in Scandinavian design. The things we hold true are some of the simplest things, the stuff we find in nature then bring back into our cars’ design. I think you see that everywhere on the car – interior and exterior – and the CMF is absolutely gorgeous, especially when we talk about sustainability.
This car’s CO2 footprint is the same as our smallest car (the EX30) and design does a lot of that behind the scenes to make sure the right amount of material is used and where we might be able to use less. It comes down to a minimalistic approach which is a foundational principle of Scandinavian design, form following function. Maybe it doesn’t have a bold over the top design theme, but I don’t know if that’s the responsibility of a car like this.
CDN: Can you give a few examples of exciting EX60 design details?
NG: The EX60’s interior layout is unique and created for a bunch of different reasons for the customer’s benefit. For instance, the forward screen in front of the driver is in a position that makes it very glanceable. Your eye isn’t constantly focusing on the road and then back [on the screen], because there’s no head-up display (HUD). And that influences the size of the steering wheel. That’s important for us from a UX perspective. Volvo goes the extra mile to make sure it’s not only satisfying our customers but also safety standards that go beyond what is needed to [legally] sell a vehicle.
CDN: Can you talk more about the EX60’s steering wheel?
NG: It’s a brand-new design and a different dimension. It comes down to the primary difference of looking over the steering wheel, not through it.
CDN: What about these new and unusual upward-facing door handles that stretch above the window line?
They are a first for Volvo. They’re very slim and robust. You can hang off them. The package gave more freedom and allowed their design to be much lighter, which is a big thing for every EV’s weight and range. Aerodynamically, it’s better than traditional ‘strap’ door handles sticking out [horizontally] too so there are all kinds of benefits. I believe they can meet the new Chinese standards too, which will probably end up being a global standard at some point. There’s a mechanical redundancy on the inside to make sure passengers can get out.
CDN: What does Ingenlath bring back to Volvo design in your opinion?
NG: Thomas is a legend in the car design world and an absolute inspiration for our team. His skill will bring great things for Volvo design and his energy and connection to the entire network inside Volvo is hugely important. I’m excited about this pushing the brand even further.
CDN: What was missing before then? The accusation from some insiders was that former design boss Jeremy Offer didn’t know how to push hard enough with senior management. It wasn’t about whether he was a good designer or not, but perhaps his lack of car design experience. Is it refreshing that your new head of design is actually a car designer? Is that kind of fundamental?
NG: Like I said, Thomas brings a lot of obvious talent and experience, and any design team is always hungry for that. They want certainty that we’re going a certain way and have a commitment with our leader.
CDN: Of the EX60 and EX60 Cross Country which one do you prefer?
NG: Oh man, that’s a tough question. I won’t give you the ‘all my babies are equal’ line, but I think the EX60 is a very particular flavour for people that need certain things while the Cross Country is more lifestyle oriented. With me being from California, I would probably take the Cross Country as California is similar to Sweden in a lot of ways with its focus on outdoor lifestyle, camping and going into the woods. I love the Cross Country. It just adds a little bit more and there’s something very Volvo to it. Living in Sweden for the past couple of years and taking these trips up north you see old Volvo Cross Country models that people have held onto for 20 years and still look great. They fit a very specific kind of customer need and we’re very proud of that model.
