Can a Volvo XC60 Tow a Horse Trailer?

When most people think of a tough-looking SUV, they would not think of the Volvo XC60. This is because the Volvo XC60 is more on the stylish and luxurious side of SUVs. however, just because an SUV is luxurious does not mean that it is not tough. Do not let the Volvo XC60’s exterior fool you, it is quite a durable car. So durable in fact, that it might even be able to pull a horse trailer.

If you have ever wondered if Volvo XC60 can tow a horse trailer, then you have come to the right place.

Can a Volvo XC60 Tow a Horse Trailer?

You should assume the Volvo XC60 cannot tow a horse trailer. While the Volvo XC60 might be able to tow an empty horse trailer, once you add your horse to the trailer it will be beyond the towing capacity of the XC60. As a result, you should not attempt to tow a horse trailer with the Volvo XC60.

If you want more detail into how we reached this conclusion, keep reading and we can take a deeper dive into the details of towing a horse trailer with the Volvo XC60.

How Much Does a Horse Trailer Weigh? And What Is a Horse Trailer Anyway?

Now, unless you own a farm or you are interested in transporting horses for a living then this question might not matter to you. Unless you looked up this question out of sheer curiosity, then we understand that as well. The truth of the matter is, horses are big and they weigh a ton. The average weight of a horse fluctuates a bit but they are still big creatures.

The average horse can weigh anywhere between 800 lbs up to 2,000 lbs. Some horses weigh a lot more but 800 lbs are quite the norm for horses on the smaller side.

While 800 lbs are very little for a car to tow, do keep in mind this is just the horse we are talking about here.

That means that horse trailers or horse vans need to accommodate that weight.

A horse trailer weighs around 2,900 lbs and that is just the empty weight alone. 

Fun fact: a horse trailer or a horse van is also called a “horse float” in places like New Zealand and Australia. A horse trailer or a horse van is called a “horsebox” in the British Isles. The more you know, right!

So whether you call them horse trailers, horse vans, horse floats, or horsebox, we have got you covered.

Can a Volvo XC60 Tow a Horse Trailer?

Before we get into the details of how much a Volvo XC60 can tow, we should talk about the Volvo XC60 itself. The Volvo XC60 is a great, luxury compact SUV. drivers love it because it is a crossover with impressive premium interior quality. It also offers very comfortable seating and many great features.

However, just because it has all of these impressive features, does it mean that its towing capacity is up to par with towing a horse trailer?

Let’s see!

For statistical sakes, we will stick with the information Volvo has given for one of its newest models, the 2020 Volvo XC60. It is important not to get the 2020 Volvo XC60 confused with the 2020 Volvo XC90. all 2020 Volvo Xc60 includes front-wheel or all-wheel drivetrains and they also draw inspiration from the Swedish aura.

With the 2020 Volvo XC60, it has four different engine options: T5, T6, T8, and a specifically-designed T8 for the XC60 Polestar Engineered trim package. No matter what engine option you opt for, the 2020 Volvo XC60 can tow up to 3,500 lbs. 3,500 lbs are ideal for pulling boats, campers, and trailers that tend to be on the smaller size.

Now a horse trailer, an empty horse trailer that is, can weigh up to 2,900 lbs. That means that the 2020 Volvo XC60 can tow an empty horse trailer, but it is cutting it quite close. A loaded horse trailer, which includes the actual horse and cargo, can max out at 7,000 lbs or 8,000 lbs.

The most the 2020 Volvo XC60 can tow is a horse trailer carrying a smaller horse-one that weighs somewhere around 800 lbs-and a light load of cargo. However, that is still pushing it.

The Volvo XC60 is not meant to tow super heavy items but it does not mean that it is a weak vehicle. To be able to tow 3,500 lbs is quite impressive. However, it is not enough to tow a horse trailer unfortunately unless that horse trailer is empty.

So here is the bottom line:

• Can a Volvo XC60 tow a horse trailer?
  • It depends. Yes, this is one of those annoying answers that are in the middle. Depends on what you ask? It depends on if you just want to tow an empty horse trailer or if you want to tow a horse trailer, with a horse and extra cargo.
• Can a Volvo XC60 tow a horse trailer that is fully loaded?
  • We would say no on this one.
  • The reason why is because the circumstances will have to be ideal. The horse needs to be on the smaller end, and when we say horse, we have to emphasize that we mean just one.
  • The cargo will have to be extremely light or, preferably, for there to be no cargo.
  • While the smaller horses tend to be around 800 lbs it does not mean that they are mostly on the smaller sizes. Since the range is from 800 lbs to 2,000 lbs you can almost bet that the horses will be somewhere in the middle, in the 1,000 lbs range.
  • That along with the fact that an empty horse trailer is already almost 3,000 lbs, then well, you do not have much wiggle room to work with.
• Can a Volvo XC60 tow an empty horse trailer?
  • The answer to that is yes. Yes a 2020 Volvo XC60 can tow an empty horse trailer.
  • Once again, unless you are looking for a vehicle to specifically tow a horse trailer, then you can use this as an estimated guide on how much the 2020 Volvo XC60 can tow.
  • Not only can the 2020 Volvo XC60 tow an empty horse trailer but it can also tow smaller boats and trailers. Please keep in mind boat and trailer sizes do vary; however, if you were looking for an SUV to tow something like a sailboat (smaller sailboats normally weigh around 400 lbs to 800 lbs if they are 14 feet to 20 feet in length) then the 2020 Volvo XC60 can handle it.
  • This also rings true if you have a fiberglass fishing boat that you want to tow since fiberglass fishing boats normally weigh in around 1,500 lbs to 2,500 lbs.
  • As far as the trailer goes, that also depends on the length and weight. An empty 6 x 12 single axle enclosed trailer weighs around 1,2000 lbs-which the 2020 Volvo VC60 can tow. It can even tow an empty 6 x 12 tandem axle as well since those run up to about 1,800 lbs.

In Conclusion | Is the 2020 Volvo XC60 the Car For You?

As we have mentioned earlier, the Volvo XC60 is a great car all-around. Sure it does not have the towing capacity of a full-fledged truck but then again…it is not a truck. For a crossover SUV, it is not bad at all.

However, if you are looking for an SUV that can tow a horse trailer, fully loaded, then this is not the car for you. You might want to check out the Volvo XC90 because it can tow up to 5,000 lbs.

So the answer is: yes, the 2020 Volvo XC60 can tow an empty horse trailer. Can the 2020 Volvo XC60 tow a fully loaded trailer? The answer to that would be no.

Even if the horse was on the smaller size and there was little to no cargo, it is still a lot of pressure on your 2020 Volvo XC60 so we would not recommend it.

However, if you are looking to tow an empty horse trailer then yes, the 2020 Volvo XC60 can do it for you.