All-New Volvo XC90 Due In 2021 With Petrol-Hybrid And Electric Powertrains

Volvo is shaping up the successor of the current XC90, which will reportedly drop diesel engines completely.

Expected in 2021, according to AutoExpress, the third generation XC90 will sit on an updated version of the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), known as the SPA2.

Besides the drop in weight compared to the current iteration, the platform has been created with electrification in mind. This will allow Volvo’s flagship SUV to be offered with petrol-hybrid and electric powertrains only, as confirmed by the company’s CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, to the British website.

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“We have to prioritize – we cannot do everything. So, if we want to be faster in electrification, we can’t say yes to everything”, said Samuelsson. “That’s why [the S60] has no diesel alternative and we are not planning to have a diesel alternative in any new cars. The XC90 will follow this.”

Before pulling the plug on the second-gen XC90, Volvo is expected to give it a facelift, probably in 2019. The mid-life refresh shouldn’t bring any dramatic changes, just updates that should keep it relevant until its successor arrives.

Besides going down the electrified route, the 2022 Volvo XC90 will come with Level 4 autonomous driving. The system will allow the car to accelerate, brake and steer on its own and, thanks to it, the upcoming XC90 will be able to haul “sleeping passengers”, according to Volvo’s Senior VP Henrik Green.