Gothenburg — Move over, brick-on-wheels. The Swedish icon once synonymous with family safety and suburban carpool lines has officially been dethroned. After years of chasing its boxy ancestor’s legacy, the Volvo XC60 has now become the best-selling Volvo of all time, racking up a cool 2.7 million units sold globally — and counting.
The XC60, Volvo’s mid-size SUV launched in 2008, has quietly (and very safely) made its way into the garages and hearts of families around the world, officially overtaking the beloved Volvo 240. And yes, for all the 1980s kids whose childhood involved sliding around in the backseat of a 240 with questionable seatbelt use — the circle is now complete. You’ve grown up, and now so has your Volvo.
240 Walked, So XC60 Could Glide Silently on Electric Mode
While the 240 taught the world that station wagons could be safe, sturdy, and weirdly charming, the XC60 brought Volvo into the Instagram era — now with plug-in hybrid powertrains, automated emergency braking, lane mitigation systems, and an infotainment screen that won’t try to gaslight you like the cassette deck of the 240 once did.
“Growing up in Sweden in the ‘80s, you couldn’t throw a snowball without hitting a Volvo 240,” recalls Susanne Hägglund, Head of Global Offer at Volvo Cars. “Now the XC60 has taken its place as the family MVP — and unlike the 240, you don’t need to hit it with a hammer in winter to get it started.”
Same DNA, Less Denim
The XC60 may be sleeker and smarter than its grandparent, but it hasn’t forgotten its heritage. Where the 240 introduced world-firsts like the child booster seat and actual crumple zones (thanks, science), the XC60 now comes with Oncoming Lane Mitigation — which basically means your car knows when you’re not paying attention and politely shoves you back into the correct lane.
Volvo’s award-winning City Safety tech, which debuted with the XC60 in 2008, has since become standard industry practice. That’s right — what started as a quirky Swedish party trick is now on cars across the globe. Safety isn’t just a Volvo feature anymore — it’s a Volvo export.
Plug In, Chill Out
The XC60 isn’t just a trip down memory lane for 240 enthusiasts. It’s also Volvo’s bridge to a fully electric future. As a plug-in hybrid, it allows you to whisper through your daily commute on electricity alone — for about half the distance, according to company data — before calling on its petrol engine for backup when Spotify’s mood playlist takes you a little farther than expected.
From Kalmar to Chengdu: A Global Family Wagon
The XC60 is now produced in both Sweden and China — because family values travel, but sometimes they need a connecting flight. From its origins as a Euro-only SUV to its global rollout, the XC60 proves that good design, safety, and Scandi style are universal languages.
Farewell, 240. You Were Square, But You Were Ours.
To the Volvo 240: you were a legend. You helped raise a generation. You survived collisions with moose, mild floods, and at least one heavy metal band. But as families evolved, so did their cars.
The XC60 has now taken the torch — LED, of course — and is sprinting (in a safe and regulated manner) toward a greener, sleeker future.
And somewhere out there, a 240 is nodding in approval. Probably in a driveway. Still running.
