Volvo XC60 Recharge Luggage Test: How much cargo space?

Volvo provides an unmatched amount of cargo area measurements for its vehicles, including various lengths, widths, heights and volumes. There are 24 total data points available, as opposed to the usual two, maybe three. If every car brand did this, I wouldn't have a job as Senior Chief Luggage Testing Engineer at Large. As I've shown time and again, those two or three volume amounts do not explain factors like cargo area shape or indicate whether X-factors like under-floor storage areas are counted. Volvo effectively does, albeit on its press website. That's OK, anyone can access it, so here you go!

That said, let's take a look at the Volvo XC60 Recharge. The official "SAE J1100" cargo volume measurement behind the raised back seat is 25.8 cubic-feet. That's a solid number for a luxury compact SUV, but would be below average for a non-luxury model (the best-sellers are in the low 30s). Notice that there aren't separate numbers for the mild-hybrid "regular" XC60s and this plug-in hybrid XC60, just that single 25.8 number. Diving into those subsequent measurements you normally don't get reveals there is in fact a difference that I noticed while doing this test.

Here's the cargo area. Seems normal enough, right? Let's look closer.

See that ever-so-slight ramp? That's the reason the deep-dive Volvo measurements indicate the Recharge has half a cubic-foot less cargo space than other XC60s. Those same deep-dive specs also indicate it lacks a spare tire.

Instead there's a big battery down there with various other things on top, including those big-old cylinders that sure seem to be the compression tanks for this car's self-leveling rear air suspension.

The air suspension also allows you to raise and lower the car with these buttons for easier loading.