The 2026 Volvo XC60’s Case for a Summer on the Water

Cottage season in Ontario usually means loading the SUV with paddleboards, dive gear, and maybe a small boat trailer for the weekend. Before hitching anything to a 2026 Volvo XC60, it helps to know exactly what it can pull, and how it looks after everyone inside while doing it.

Why Towing Matters for a Cottage Weekend

A weekend at the lake usually involves more than passengers and luggage. Personal watercraft, small dinghies, and inflatable boats all need a trailer, and that trailer needs a vehicle rated for real cottage-road conditions: gravel driveways, boat ramps, and a long highway stretch to get there.

Trailers without their own brakes are capped at the XC60’s unbraked limit of 1,653 lbs (750 kg), which covers most personal watercraft and light utility trailers. Add a trailer with independent brakes, and the XC60 is rated to pull up to 3,483 lbs (1,580 kg), the figure that matters for a loaded dinghy or a light day boat plus its trailer.

Powertrain and Towing Capacity

Every 2026 XC60 powertrain, from the B5 AWD mild hybrid to the T8 plug-in hybrid, carries the same 3,483 lb (1,580 kg) braked towing rating. What changes between them is how each one gets there, and how it feels doing it.

The B5’s turbocharged 1.969-litre four-cylinder and 266 lb-ft of torque handle an occasional personal watercraft trip without strain, and its 209 mm of ground clearance plus a 400 mm wading depth rating help at a shallow launch ramp. The T8 nearly doubles that torque figure to 523 lb-ft combined, useful for repeated launches at a busy ramp or a heavier day boat, though its clearance sits slightly lower at 200 mm.

The T8’s 18.8 kWh battery also delivers 58 km of electric-only range, enough to cover the errands into town before the gas engine takes over for the highway stretch out to the lake.

Cargo Space and Cabin Comfort for Water Gear

Behind the rear seats, the B5 AWD holds 483 L of cargo and the T8 holds 468 L, room for coolers, dry bags, and life jackets without touching the back seat. Fold the second row flat and that grows to 965 L in the B5 or 950 L in the T8, enough space for paddleboards or folded kayaks loaded lengthwise.

Rear-seat passengers get a comparable amount of room:

• Rear legroom: 965 mm
• Rear headroom: 966 mm
• Rear hip room: 1,408 mm
• Rear shoulder room: 1,430 mm

A hands-free power tailgate comes standard, so wet gear can go in without setting anything down first. Every trim in the T8 plug-in hybrid lineup also includes trailer lamp control, wiring the trailer’s signals and brake lights into the XC60’s own system for a simpler hitch-and-go setup at the ramp.

Safety and Driver-Assist Tech for Boat Launches and Long Drives

Backing a trailer down a narrow boat ramp is easier with a 360° camera and front, rear, and side park assist, both available from the Plus trim up on the plug-in hybrid lineup. An 11.4 m turning circle also keeps a three-point turn manageable in a tight ramp turnaround. Pilot Assist, also available from Plus and up, eases the fatigue of a long highway pull to the cottage by helping hold speed and lane position.

The XC60’s safety cage traces back to the crumple-zone design Volvo introduced on the 240 in 1974, and City Safety, the automatic emergency braking system Volvo introduced on the XC60 in 2008, remains a core part of the car’s protection today. Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist help with the uneven grades common at cottage-road boat launches.

On a hot, humid July afternoon, remote cabin pre-cleaning and the air purifier, available from the Plus trim up, let you cool and clear the cabin before loading it with wet gear straight off the water.

Which XC60 Powertrain Fits Your Towing Habits

A family that tows a personal watercraft or small dinghy a few times a summer, and otherwise wants efficient highway trips to the cottage, fits the B5 AWD well. Its 7.8 L/100km highway rating and 209 mm of clearance suit occasional hauls over gravel roads without added complexity.

A family that tows more often, or hitches a heavier day boat, gets more from the T8’s 523 lb-ft of combined torque and its 58 km of electric range for the errands in between trips. Either way, the XC60 suits a shopper who wants a mid-size SUV that handles light-to-moderate towing without stepping up to a heavier body-on-frame vehicle, and who wants electrified efficiency without committing to a full EV for cottage-country driving.

See the 2026 XC60 at Volvo Cars Villa

The 2026 XC60 pairs a 3,483 lb (1,580 kg) braked towing rating with cargo space up to 965 L and driver-assist features built for narrow boat ramps and long highway pulls, making it a practical shortlist candidate for Ontario families planning lake-day trips this summer.

Visit Volvo Cars Villa in Thornhill to sit in both the B5 AWD and T8 plug-in hybrid, check the cargo area and rear seats in person, and ask about trailer lamp control and hitching support before your next cottage weekend.