► Month nine with our Volvo on fleet
► Problems for the V60 Hybrid
► Of all things, it has a flat battery!
Rushing off to the Alfa Giulia premiere, I pressed the V60’s unlock button more firmly than a Georg Kacher stamp on a supercar throttle. But without the explosive results: the V60 was defiantly dormant. CJ was last to drive it: has the prankster removed the key fob battery? I jemmy the cap off the passenger door handle and insert the spindly back-up key, then clamber in to fire up the car. But with keyless start, there’s no ignition barrel: doh!
So the V60 stays in its EV bay for weeks, until I call Volvo’s roadside assistance cavalry. Technician Karl Richards arrives, reckoning the 12v battery that unlocks and helps start the car is flatter than a McLaren F1 team meeting. Ironic given that the V60 is plugged into the mains, to feed different battery cells which power the hybrid system.
After 30mins’ charging off the drivetrain, the battery can still only muster 10v, so Karl takes it away and returns with a new battery under warranty. What caused this failure? We’re none the wiser.
Logbook: Volvo V60 D6
Price: £51,675
As tested: £53,150 (inc. £5k subsidy)
Miles this month: 0
Total miles: 16,442
Official mpg: 148.7
Fuel this month: £0
Extra costs: £0
From the driving seat
+ Drivetrain offering midrange punch, silent e-wafting
– Bizarrely precipitous seating position
– Unsolicited upper body workout from leaden steering
+ Road and wind noise generally smothered well