With over 2.7 million cars sold worldwide, the XC60 has now surpassed the classic 240 as Volvo's best-selling model to date.
As further evidence of buyers shifting preference towards SUVs, Volvo's XC60 has now become the Swedish brand's most popular model after only being introduced 17 years ago.
The former best-selling 240 was was produced from 1974 to 1993, available in sedan, wagon, and coupe body styles, and amassed a 2.7-million-unit run over 20 years.
The XC60 family SUV, meanwhile, launched in 2008 and was initially built exclusively in Europe before production expanded to China in 2014 where it became the brand's first model to be produced and exported around the world from that country.
Volvo's XC60 has now crept over 2.7 million vehicles sold, taking the crown from the 240 in just 17 years.
The iconic 240 helped push Volvo as a safety-first brand, featuring advanced systems uncommon at the time such as front and rear crumple zones, a reinforced passenger cell, side impact protection, and a Child Booster Cushion – a world-first idea still seen in production models to this day.
However, the XC60 SUV also heralded a number of key car safety advancements, such as the first model to be fitted as standard with low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), and the originator of Oncoming Lane Mitigation that can automatically steer the vehicle away from oncoming traffic.
"Just as the 240 was at the time, the refreshed Volvo XC60 is one of the safest cars on the road," Volvo said in a release.
"With its advanced safety cage and the latest active safety and driver support tech, it's designed to help protect you and your passengers."
The latest generation of the XC60 also brought Volvo into the electrification era, first offering a plug-in hybrid powertrain, with its size and styling expected to inform the incoming EX60 all-electric SUV.
Volvo Cars Head of Global Offer Susanne Hägguland said the XC60 will continue to extend its lead on the 240 with the latest, and future, updates to keep it fresh in the competitive mid-size SUV market.
“Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car – you could spot one in almost every driveway,” said Hägglund in a media statement.
“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.”
Ilana is a Melbourne-based journalist who was previously a copywriter in the Big Apple. Having moved to Melbourne for her Master of Journalism, she has written articles about food, farm machinery, fashion, and now the fast and furious. Her dream car has been a Mini Cooper since the fifth grade, eyeing its style and petite size.
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