Many of us, especially those of an older generation, still imagine a Volvo 240 when asked to think of a Volvo. And with good reason – aside from its iconic boxy shape, it has been Gothenburg’s best-selling vehicle, a title it has kept even after being out of production for 32 years. Well, until now, that is. That’s because its status as Volvo’s GOAT has been usurped by the XC60, sales of which have surpassed a cumulative 2.7 million vehicles worldwide since the nameplate debuted in 2008. The compact executive SUV achieved this figure over a comparatively shorter 17-year timeframe (albeit over two generations, meaning the 240 still holds the title for a single generation) and shows no signs of stopping, having just received a comprehensive refresh that brings with it a new infotainment system with Google services built in. “Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car – you could spot one in almost every driveway,” said head of global offerings Susanne Hägglund. “Today the XC60 has taken over that position in two ways. Not only as the family favourite, but also becoming our all-time top-seller, which in itself is the ultimate proof point of a successful car. And now, with the latest updates, it gets even better.” Building on the success of the XC90, the smaller and more affordable XC60 opened the brand to a wider audience, arriving just in time for the crossover revolution. It introduced a number of firsts, including being the first Volvo to be built in China for local consumption, having hitherto been produced exclusively in Europe. This being a Volvo, safety was also a highlight, with the first XC60 debuting a feature that would become commonplace today – autonomous emergency braking. City Safety, as it was then called, helped prevent or mitigate accidents happening below 30 km/h. Volvo continued to lead the segment with the introduction of the second-generation model in 2017, which became the World Car of the Year the following year. The car introduced Oncoming Lane Mitigation, which would detect if the car was veering into oncoming traffic and steer it back. Again drawing from the XC90, the second-gen XC60 also brought plug-in hybrid technology to the segment; in fact, even eight years after its launch, it still managed to become the best-selling PHEV in Europe last year. Volvo says that the latest XC60 PHEV provides a bridge to customers still not ready to drive a full EV, offering full electric driving with the fallback of a combustion engine. And the company adds that to date, around half of the distance driven by its latest PHEVs globally was done using electric power alone. The XC60 overtakes the 240 to become Volvo’s best-seller The XC60 overtakes the 240 to become Volvo’s best-seller The XC60 overtakes the 240 to become Volvo’s best-seller The XC60 overtakes the 240 to become Volvo’s best-seller The XC60 overtakes the 240 to become Volvo’s best-seller The XC60 overtakes the 240 to become Volvo’s best-seller The XC60 overtakes the 240 to become Volvo’s best-seller The XC60 overtakes the 240 to become Volvo’s best-seller GALLERY: 2026 Volvo XC60
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