2018 Volvo XC60 vs 2017 XC90: Differences in photo comparison

At first blush the second-generation Volvo XC60 and XC90 look very similar, and initially we thought they shared body panels, but in this side-by-side comparison we see that they don’t.

Both cars are based on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), and naturally share similar styling traits.

XC60

XC90

At the front, the XC60 and XC90 both have different headlights, grille, and front fascia treatments.

XC60

XC90

Possibly the most striking thing, and probably the biggest clue about their shared architecture, is the XC60's really short rear doors.

XC60

XC90

Out the back, both cars continue the Volvo wagon tradition of having a long thin stack of tail-lights next to the tailgate. While the XC90's looks a bit like a lacrosse stick, the XC60 has a more traditionally shaped set, but in this iteration they extend into the tailgate.

XC60

XC90

On the inside, the dashboard is 'same, same, but different'. Very clearly they're designed by the same team, and possibly share an underlying architecture, but the styling is subtly different. For example, the XC60 has longer, and thinner air vents than the XC90.

XC60

XC90

Under the skin, both cars share drivetrains, all featuring a 2-liter four-cylinder engine.

XC60

XC90

There will be a D4 and D5 turbo-diesels, a T5 turbocharged petrol, T6 turbo and supercharged petrol, and a T8 plug-in hybrid with that the twincharger motor.

XC60

XC90

As the XC60 has a shorter wheelbase and shorter overall length, it can only seat five, whereas the bigger XC90 has seven seats across three rows.

XC60

XC90

Both the XC60 and XC90, as well as the S90 and V90, and presumably the S60 and V60 too, are available with a large high-resolution tablet-style infotainment display that has satellite navigation, climate control, and audio functions.

XC60

XC90

Every car brand, nowadays, needs to have its own signature headlight beam. For Volvo, it's Thor's hammer, or flipped over Y-shaped LED driving lights.