By William Byrd
Howdy Hoons! It’s time for another one of our consumer comparisons. A couple of weeks ago, I spent a week with the VW GTI and the Golf R. This time, we’re back with two Swede SUVs, the 2025 Volvo XC60 T8 AWD Polestar Engineered and the 2025 Volvo XC90 T8 AWD Ultra. They are both AWD plug-in hybrids with the same powertrain, and their starting MSRP is within $5,000 of each other. So, should you go for the sporty five-passenger Polestar XC60 or the luxurious seven-seat XC90 Ultra?
Overview
OK, from a base model-to-base model perspective, this isn’t much of a comparison. The plug-in hybrid XC-60 starts at just over $61,000, while the XC-90 starts at over $76,000. However, as you approach the peak trim level, things begin to even out. As you can see in the image-slider-thing below, there is only a $3,600 delta between the XC-60 Polestar Engineered and the XC-90 Ultra.
Of course, the XC-90’s options list is extensive, and Volvo added quite a few extras. There’s another slidey thing below so you can check out each window sticker. Will this give the edge to the ’90, or will the big wheels and yellow brakes be enough to secure the win for the ’60?
2025 XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered vs. 2025 XC90 T8 Ultra: Exterior
2025 XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered
First up: the XC-60 Polestar Engineered…and it looks fabulous! I’m a sucker for a pedestrian people-carrier with a bit of attitude. The attitude in this case comes from a gorgeous set of 22-inch Polestar wheels ($800) on summer tires and some gold brake calipers. That’s an upgrade from the standard 21-inch Y-spoke wheels. Remember when 20s were considered huge?
The Polestar is only available in two colors: Onyx Black and Vapour Grey, like our tester. It’s a great color, and those wheels are fantastic. Honestly, seeing something shiny vs. blacked out is refreshing. The XC-60 is about 10 inches shorter, so it has more svelte proportions than the XC-90.
2025 XC90 T8 Ultra
While the XC-60 is a bit brash, the XC-90 is a tad anonymous in a sea of crossovers. The XC-90 Ultra does offer a host of colors; ours is finished in an interesting Mulberry Red. All Ultra models come with 21-inch five-spoke black diamond cut wheels. Black wheels are on the way out, but Volvo added some polished bits to brighten it up. The XC-90 looks classy and formal, like a dark three-piece suit, compared to the XC-60’s open-collar shirt, a sport jacket, and jeans.
The real comparison starts on the inside, so let’s move on, shall we?
2025 XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered vs. 2025 XC90 T8 Ultra: Interior
2025 XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered
The sporty flair continues on the inside of the XC-60, with flashy gold seatbelts. Some may not like that in their family hauler, I think it’s cool. The seats are quite comfortable, but they only come with a heating function and lack cooling, which is surprising at this price. The XC-60 has 22.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 63.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. The dash design is very minimalist, and looks great. Thankfully, there are a few native buttons that are actual buttons rather than some kind of capacitive nonsense. I love the beefy steering wheel, and Volvo added a few buttons on the wheel, but not too many.
All other functions are found via the touchscreen, sometimes buried a few layers in. Speaking of the screen, it’s not very large. I’m not a fan of massive screens, but even the screens on my 2023 WRX and 2025 Wrangler are both larger. It would’ve allowed them to have some more native buttons for go-to functions along the side, or bottom of, the screen.
It does have some built-in apps, including Waze and Google Maps. I found them a bit clunky to use; the voice-to-text feature for adding a destination while on the move never quite worked. Also, if you have Waze open on your phone, it won’t let you use Waze on the screen. I received a notice that it could fix the issue and close one app, but it wouldn’t do it.
2025 XC90 T8 Ultra
The XC-90 has a very appealing mix of materials. The dashboard features both wood and a denim-like material that I really loved. The sound system is excellent, although you still need to use a USB cable to connect and use CarPlay. There is no wireless option, which is also surprising at the price point.
The resting spot for a cell phone is one of the best I’ve seen. Sitting right next to the gorgeous Orrefors crystal shift knob, it’s easy to access. However, if you’re using CarPlay, you’ll be plugged into USB I suppose. The massaging seats are excellent, with a host of settings. I did find it amusing that they do not offer a Swedish massage option.
Out back, you’ll find 12.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 35.6 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum of 85.7 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded down.
2025 XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered vs. 2025 XC90 T8 Ultra: On the Road
Both Volvos have an electric setup paired with a two-liter inline-four-cylinder engine. It doesn’t sound like much, but at full chat, you’ll get 455 horsepower and 523 ft-lbs of torque. That’s impressive, and the XC-60 will hit 60 in around 4.5 seconds, while the XC-90 will be slightly slower at 5.0 seconds. Both are incredibly comfortable with the right level of ride quality you’d expect from a luxury SUV. I didn’t notice a significant difference in ride quality between the sportier XC-60 and the XC-90 Ultra.
Don’t expect to go far on solely EV power; the XC-60 has an EPA Electricity Range of 36 miles, while the XC-90 is rated at 33 miles. Most buyers will operate the entire system in hybrid mode, and the XC-60 achieves a 28 mpg combined city/highway rating, with the XC-90 slightly lower at 27 mpg. Both SUVs offer maximum driving ranges of over 500 miles, making them great options for road trips.
I would be remiss not to mention some issues that arose during my week each Volvo. On the second day, the audio system in the XC-60 stopped producing any sound. The problem was the same across all sources—CarPlay, XM, FM radio—and even the turn signal made no noise. I received some guidance on resetting the system, but it didn’t work, and the last few days were spent in silence.
Unfortunately, there were issues with the XC-90 as well. On the first day, warning lights appeared on the dashboard, indicating various malfunctions, including the right turn signal and another light. I didn’t notice any specific effects, but it was concerning to say the least.
Verdict
These two Volvos each had some issues lurking somewhere in the maze of wires and computers, which is a bit concerning. They also don’t offer some common features in this price range, like cooled seats and wireless CarPlay. Still, I’ve always admired Volvos but never owned one. I’ve come close several times; they offer great exterior designs paired with luxury and comfort-focused interiors.
As for which one I would choose, it’s the XC-60. If you had asked me that question a few years ago, when my kids were younger, I would have picked the larger XC-90. A three-row SUV is incredibly useful, and even if you don’t need all the seats, it’s nice to have them available. Either would make for an exceptionally comfortable daily driver.
Kamil Kaluski 
Jeff Glucker