Volvo teases small electric SUV

Blink and you’ll miss it, but Volvo just teased a little brother to the new EX90.

A frame in its recent video reveal for the seven-seat EX90 showed a much smaller car with a similar silhouette. It’s not clear what badge the smaller SUV will wear, and whether it’s a fresh take on an existing car like the XC40 or something different.

The lighting graphic is a dead ringer for that of the EX90, but the car’s silhouette suggests it’s XC40-sized or smaller.

Reports from Europe have previously suggested Volvo was preparing to introduce an entry EV SUV in 2023 to fill the gap left by the now-defunct C30 and V40 hatchbacks. If that is the case, it’s likely the smaller SUV will be dubbed the EX20 or EX30.

The small SUV will reportedly be the first model from the Swedish brand to use parent Geely’s new open-source Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), previewed in the new Zeekr 001.

It’s been three years since the V40 was axed from the global Volvo range, at which point the XC40 became its smallest and cheapest model.

Volvo has confirmed it plans to launch an new electric vehicle every year for the next five, starting with the EX90. Along with an electric version of the XC60, this unconfirmed small SUV is clearly part of that plan.

Globally, the brand has committed to selling only electric vehicles by 2030. In Australia, it’s pulling that lever four years sooner.

Although upstarts such as Tesla, BYD, and its corporate cousins at Polestar are already electric-only, Volvo plans to be the first brand to fully transition to pure-electric power in Australia having previously offered petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid options locally.

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