Volvo has produced over 2.7 million XC60 SUVs in the intervening 17 years since it first launched back in 2008.
When thinking about Volvo, likely the first thing that will come to most people’s minds is a box on wheels. And this is in no small part due to the ubiquity of its 240, which is arguably the Swedish automaker’s most iconic model.
But if icon status were measured by popularity alone, the 240 has unfortunately just been knocked off its perch. Such is as of very recently, the XC60 has overtaken its boxy predecessor to become Volvos best selling model ever.
In a sign of just how dominant the SUV segment has become — and how much Volvo’s sales have grown in recent years — over 2.7 million XC60s have found homes globally since its debut in 2008. The 240, by comparison, took nearly two decades (1974–1993) to rack up 2,685,171 units.
The first generation XC60 first emerged in 2008 serving as the Swedish automaker’s entry into the mid-sized premium SUV segment. The current iteration meanwhile is the second generation, which made its debut in 2017.
Initially built exclusively in Europe, Volvo touts that the XC60 later became the first global Volvo model to also be produced in China. It is nevertheless worth bearing in mind however this mid-sized SUV has also been churned out right here in Shah Alam since 2010!
When the Volvo 240 was introduced in 1974, it set safety benchmarks that would remain relevant for decades. Its boxy body came integrated with front and rear crumple zones, as well as a reinforced passenger compartment that rightfully earned the automaker’s currently much-touted safety credentials.
The 240 was also among the first cars to incorporate enhanced side-impact protection, which later evolved into Volvo’s patented Side-Impact Protection System (SIPS). Additionally, the introduction of the Child Booster Cushion in 1978 marked a world-first innovation.
The Volvo XC60 has continued this legacy of innovation with a string of industry-firsts in modern safety. Among the most notable is City Safety, launched with the original model in 2008 — the world’s first standard low-speed autonomous emergency braking system, capable of preventing or mitigating collisions at speeds of up to 30 km/h. Then in 2017, the second-generation debuted Oncoming Lane Mitigation, a system designed to steer you back into your lane if it detects that you’ve drifted into the path of oncoming traffic.
A quick look at the official Volvo Malaysia website shows that the only XC60 variant currently on sale is the B5 AWD mild-hybrid, priced at RM 328,888. Though it was really not too long ago (February 2025 actually) that the Swedish automaker was still offering the spicy hot T8 Ultra plug-in hybrid trim locally, which delivered a supercar-rivalling 462 PS and 709 Nm of torque for just RM 357,888.
More recently, Volvo has given the XC60 a light refresh, introducing a new criss-cross grille design inspired by the latest XC90 and enlarged 11.2-inch touchscreen and updated interface. These updates arrive just ahead of the debut of its all-electric EX60 counterpart, which is supposedly slated for an international launch later this year.
