Volvo has a new car launching in 2027 that we don’t know very much, and everything we do know is in this article. What is it, when is it, why is it? 

We reckon it’s going to be called the Volvo EX50, but that’s mainly because it’s the only gap left in the Swedish carmaker’s current naming convention for EVs. Seems legit, doesn’t it? 

What is the Volvo EX50? 

So let us start with what Volvo has confirmed so far, which is not a lot. It said in its Q3 financial report – a £281m loss in the quarter incidentally, so a helpful distraction – that it is going to “introduce its next global BEV car, which targets a large, lower priced market segment in Europe”. 

I did do a little joke in the intro – there are good grounds for thinking it’s called the EX50, because Volvo has registered the EX50 name with the European Union’s IP protection office and it was authorised just at the end of October 2026. 

It’s going to slot between the EX60 and the EX40 (naturally) but will be based on the 800V platform of the former rather than the aging Geely platform of the latter. 

The EX40 was recently given a very light facelift, but expect it to come off sale in the next year or two once petrol sales begin to die back properly. 

The EX50 is being developed under the codename V326 and has been confirmed for production at the same new factory in Slovakia as the upcoming 2028 Polestar 7, which is going to be the new baby entry level SUV for Volvo’s sibling brand.

When will the new Volvo EX50 go on sale?

Volvo has said that it will start delivering the vehicles after the summer of 2027, which means we could get to see the car quite early in the year – maybe at the Brussels motor show in January?

We’ve got no information on when it will go on sale in the UK, but right-hand-drive sales usually happen a little after the initial launch in wrong-hand-drive markets. 

How much will the Volvo EX50 cost?

The EX40 currently starts from around £40k and the EX60 from around £57k, so you can guess what sort of price a car that’s fitting between those two in the range might cost. 

The entry level EX30 model range tops out around £46k for the fanciest version, perhaps Volvo will want to avoid any overlap with that. 

If the EX50 is intended to replace the EX40, then Volvo might start out with the most expensive long range versions of the car on sale and then add cheaper entry versions later on. 

What range will the Volvo EX50 have?

Again, still speculation here, but the EX40 manages a maximum of 356 miles of WLTP range while the EX60 is rated at a maximum of 503 miles of range. Somewhere a smidge over 400 miles would be lovely. 

The nice thing about the EX60 platform is that it has been designed for electric (unlike the EX40, which has been compromised by having been developed for petrol power in the first instance) and it is lovely and efficient.

How fast will the Volvo EX50 charge?

The EX60’s SPA3 platform has an 800V architecture that manages peak charging rates of 370kW on the fanciest models, 320kW on the entry ones. They all get from 10–80% in around 16 minutes.

What will the Volvo EX50 look like?

Well, we won’t know until we actually see it, but let’s imagine a slightly smaller EX60 with angular lines and perhaps an upright rear end that pays tribute to some of the brand’s 1990s estate cars. 

Volvo’s current design is very elegant and minimalist, which stands in stark comparison with the likes of Mercedes and even BMW’s Neue Klasse styling, which is fresh and modern but still a little ungainly in places. 

I'm also going to stick my neck out and say that the Thor's hammer headlights will be a non-negotiable. 

What will the Volvo EX50 be like inside?

The EX50 will likely have a similar 15in screen to the EX60, running Volvo’s Google software complete with the Gemini AI-powered assistant for advanced tasks like turning on the radio or adjusting the aircon. 

The EX60 was describing during its launch as the safest car that Volvo has ever made – you would hope that the new car is at least able to match the bigger car’s protection levels. 

Will the Volvo EX50 replace the EX40?

The EX50 is definitely set to replace the EX40 in the United States market – Volvo has taken the EX30 and EX40 models off sale over there, so the new car will be the company’s entry model in the US market. 

The EX40 and EC40 are of course still on sale in European markets following the latest round of tweaks for the range – how long that car stays on sale is anyone’s guess. Volvo will want to keep the petrol version of the car going as long as it can just to mop up some sales. 

What cars will rival the Volvo EX50?

The benchmark target will be the Tesla Model Y, but we don’t think the Volvo will be quite as big as that car. 

The EX50 will go up against the likes of the Skoda Enyaq, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ford Mustang Mach-E in the family EV heartland – so it’ll have to be good.