The Volvo XC60 has officially become the best-selling model in the company’s history, with over 2.7 million units sold globally, overtaking the Volvo 240.
Since its release in 2008, the mid-size SUV has become a huge part of Volvo’s line-up and appealed to a wide range of drivers thanks to its focus on safety, quality, and everyday usability. Originally built in Europe and later in China, the XC60 was also awarded World Car of the Year in 2018.
The Volvo XC60 introduced hybrid drivetrains to a wide audience and topped Europe’s plug-in hybrid sales charts in 2024.
For 2026, the XC60 has been refreshed with a cleaner design, improved interior comfort, and a more responsive infotainment system, aimed at improving everyday usability.
“Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car – you could spot one in almost every driveway. Today the XC60 has taken over that position in two ways. Not only as the family favourite, but also becoming our all-time top-seller, which in itself is the ultimate proof point of a successful car. And now, with the latest updates, it gets even better.”
Susanne Hägglund, head of Global Offer at Volvo Cars
The XC60 has always been seen as a natural successor to the Volvo 240 estate, a car that shaped the family car market through the late 20th century.
Where the 240 led the way in safety with crumple zones, reinforced cabins, and early child safety features like the booster cushion, the XC60 builds on that. City Safety, a standard low-speed automatic emergency braking system, made its debut on the XC60 in 2008. More recent features include Oncoming Lane Mitigation, which was introduced in 2017.
The new model also plays an important role in Volvo’s electrification strategy, offering plug-in hybrids that combine electric-only capability with the flexibility of a combustion engine. Volvo’s data shows that nearly half the mileage driven in their latest plug-in hybrids is powered purely by electricity.
Statistics
- The Volvo 240 was produced between 1974 and 1993, with 2,685,171 cars built.
- The 240 was made in Gothenburg and Kalmar, Sweden, as well as in Ghent, Belgium.
- The final Volvo 240 rolled off the line at the Torslanda plant in Gothenburg on 5th May, 1993.
- The XC60 is currently produced at Volvo plants in Torslanda and Chengdu, China.
- *Volvo Cars data covering long-range plug-in hybrid cars in global markets: on average, 48% of the distance driven uses electric-only power.
The UK Market
- The Volvo 244 and Volvo 245 went on sale in the UK in 1975 (until 1992 and 1993, respectively)
- Over 240,000 Volvo 240s were sold in the UK in total
- 112,921 (Volvo 244)
- 127,786 (Volvo 245)
- The best-selling year for the Volvo 244 was 1979 (13,372 units)
- The best-selling year for the Volvo 245 was 1984 (12,404 units)
- Since its launch in 2008, the XC60 has sold over 160,000 units
- In 2024, the UK sold 12,810 units
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