The Volvo EX40 starts at $56,545 and largely flies under the radar. However, the company is reportedly plotting an all-new model that could adopt the EX50 moniker.

Expected to be significantly cheaper than the outgoing EV, the new EX50 will allegedly be priced in the “high $40,000s.” This would make it far more appealing as the current EX40 is only $3,250 less than the EX60.

More: Volvo’s Entry SUV Gets A Successor, But Dealers Aren’t Sure It’s The Right Priority

According to Automotive News, the entry-level crossover will arrive in the fall of 2027 and be based on the new SPA3 platform, which debuted on the EX60. It will be made at the company’s new Slovakian plant and the brand is reportedly aiming to sell 10,000 units in the United States in its first year. That would make it one of Volvo’s best-selling vehicles in America, although the publication noted the automaker could end up prioritizing production for Europe.

Little is known about the crossover, but it’s said to be longer and taller than the EX40. That should make it more appealing to Americans and buyers can also expect an 800V electrical architecture that offers faster charging.

When asked about the model, Volvo spokesperson Thomas McIntyre Schultz declined to comment. However, he said “we’re going to continue to invest in expanding our EV lineup.”

The XC40 Could Survive With A Facelift

SH Proshots

While the crossover is expected to replace the EX40, the gas-powered XC40 could continue chugging along. Back in June, spy photographers snapped a facelifted variant undergoing testing in Spain.

The updated model features a new front fascia with a revised grille and restyled headlights. They’re joined by a revamped bumper and a revised lower intake.

Changes continue out back with a new bumper and updated taillights. The model also adopts smaller, repositioned reflectors.

The modifications will be more than skin deep as images showed a revamped interior that echoes the EX30. Most notably, there’s a new portrait-style infotainment system that protrudes above the dashboard.

SH Proshots

Several years ago, prospective EV buyers had every reason to feel nervous about how long the battery pack would last. Battery technology has come a long way since EVs went mainstream, though, and a new study out of Sweden puts a number on how much capacity new EVs hold onto after 62,000 miles, or 100,000 km, of driving. The results may surprise you.

The study, run by online car marketplace Carla, went through 9,954 battery tests of EVs sold in Sweden between 2022 and 2026, using a diagnostic tool from AVILOO that measures a pack’s true state of health instead of leaning on the estimates the car itself provides. That distinction matters, because in-car readouts can sometimes paint a rosier picture than reality.

Read: A Seven-Year-Old Tesla Model 3 Survived 380,000 Miles, Its Range Did Not

The Kia e-Niro came out on top, hanging on to an impressive 97.25 percent of its original capacity after 62,000 miles. It shares its 64 kWh battery with the Hyundai Kona, which nearly matched it at 97.18 percent, and the podium stayed within the Hyundai Motor Group family thanks to the Kia EV6 and its 77.4 kWh pack in third place.

Top-Performing EVs

The strongest European EV was the Volvo XC40 and its CATL-sourced 69 kWh battery, which held 94.70 percent of its capacity after 62,000 miles, trailed closely by the Polestar 2 and its 78 kWh CATL pack at 94.35 percent. The BMW i3 and the LG Chem version of the Polestar 2 landed close behind at 93.77 percent and 93.53 percent.

What About Tesla?

The best-placed model from EV leader Tesla was the Model 3 fitted with a 60.5 kWh LFP battery from CATL, retaining 93.34 percent of its capacity. This put it slightly above the Model 3 with an LG Chem-sourced NMC battery at 91.5 percent.

Among the other EVs ranked inside the top 20 were the Audi e-tron 50 and 55 at 93.02 and 92.93 percent, respectively, the Skoda Enyaq iV at 92.88 percent, the Tesla Model S with 92.80 percent, the VW ID.4 at 92.77 percent, and the Tesla Model X at 92.52 percent.

The bigger lesson here is that the old fear of an EV’s battery dying young no longer holds up. Every car in this ranking kept more than 90 percent of its capacity past 62,000 miles, and most owners will not even reach that figure until three or four years of driving. The pack is now likely to outlast the car wrapped around it.

Volvo spent the last few years methodically trimming its U.S. lineup until only crossovers remained. Sedans disappeared, wagons followed, and the company’s strategy seemed crystal clear: Americans wanted SUVs, so that’s what Volvo would sell. Now, however, the company appears to be reconsidering that approach, and the timing couldn’t be more interesting.

More: There’s Still Hope For Volvo Wagons After All

According to Automotive News, Volvo is evaluating a pair of electric midsize cars for the U.S. market that could arrive in 2028, potentially bringing both a sedan and a wagon back to American showrooms.

The vehicles would reportedly be based on Volvo’s new SPA3 platform, the same next-generation architecture underpinning the upcoming EX60. And since the cars are already being engineered for Europe, reworking them for American roads shouldn’t take much effort, according to a person briefed on the talks.

The EX60 features an 800-volt electrical system, allowing for faster charging while supporting a wide range of battery capacities, motor configurations, and performance levels. If approved, the two models would evidently revive familiar 60- or 70-series nameplates, with a rugged Cross Country wagon variant also said to be under consideration.

Read: Polestar Owners Fear A Fisker-Style Resale Collapse After US Ban

While it’s relatively rare to see an automaker adapt a European-spec vehicle for the U.S. market, Volvo believes the feat isn’t too tough to pull off in this case. That said, expectations appear conservative. Combined annual sales are said to be projected at roughly 10,000 units, with pricing expected to begin somewhere in the low-$50,000 range.

Betting On Wagon Nostalgia

If it moves forward with this change, it’s easy to see how the brand could market these cars. Sedans and, most notably, wagons are a deeply ingrained part of how Volvo got to where it is today. As we’ve seen across the industry, brands are eager to monetize nostalgia at every turn. At least this time it sounds like the enthusiasts might benefit most.

Edmunds analyst Ivan Drury told Autonews that he believes Volvo could carve out a niche as a “counter-culture cool” electric wagon, giving buyers an alternative in a segment that has largely disappeared beneath the SUV boom.

There’s another factor working in Volvo’s favor. With Polestar effectively retreating from the U.S. after tariffs derailed its product plans, Geely’s American portfolio suddenly has a sedan-shaped hole in it. A stylish Volvo EV could help fill that gap while keeping customers within the broader corporate family. The move would also hand Volvo retailers some badly needed fresh metal after the brand’s U.S. market share slid to 5.8 percent last year, the lowest it has been since 2019.

Last week brought new that the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security had denied Polestar authorization to sell any of its vehicles in the US beyond the 2027 model year. That might read as good news to pundits who want cars running Chinese-derived hardware and software off American roads, but for people who already own a Polestar, it’s about the worst outcome imaginable.

The decision blindsided dealers. Volvo was recently granted an exemption to keep selling its cars in the United States, despite the fact that those vehicles also carry various hardware and software components sourced from China, which makes the split treatment hard to square.

Read: The US Just Banned Polestar From Selling New Cars, Even The One It Builds In America

Current owners, along with buyers still waiting on delivery of a new model, worry the ruling could drag down the resale value of their EVs, and they’ve started questioning how long Polestar’s service network can hold together. Beyond that, many fear their cars will stop receiving regular software updates and that the onboard technology could fall behind what’s offered in other markets, Reuters reports.

Also: Dealer Is Selling Dozens Of Nearly New Fisker EVs For The Price Of Used Corollas

Meanwhile, some shoppers are welcoming the chaos. They’re betting that sinking resale values will make used Polestars a lot cheaper, and a few are drawing comparisons to the fire-sale prices that followed Fisker’s 2024 bankruptcy.

Could Volvo Step Up?

Polestar

Speaking with the publication, Polestar owner Ryan Rodriguez said he had purchased a 2024 model just weeks before the company’s shutdown was announced. Had he known the ban was coming, he says he would have looked hard at an EV from a different brand instead, and the prospect of warranty trouble somewhere down the line sits with him too.

Owners and dealers may bristle at Volvo landing an exemption while Polestar walked away with nothing, but Volvo’s network is likely to be the thing that keeps existing Polestar models on the road. Karl Brauer of iSeeCars figures Volvo should be able to soften “a lot of the otherwise negative effects” of Polestar getting pushed out of the US.

Not everyone is convinced, however. Owner Bill Baird, who hopes to hang onto his 2024 Polestar for years to come, told Reuters he would think twice before buying another, having already run into trouble getting his car serviced through Volvo dealerships. “I’d be a little wary of that, just for long-term support,” he said.

Polestar says it will continue to operate its 32 existing service centers across the country, all of which are located at Volvo dealerships, although the centers’ long-term viability remains uncertain. The automaker also maintains that all US vehicles will keep getting regular software updates.

Polestar