► We drive the new Volvo XC90 T8
► Plug-in hybrid tech put to the test
► Pretty on the outside, pretty on the inside?
Volvo plug-in hybrid with an optional crystal gear selector? If you were in any doubt about the scale of Volvo’s ambition in the post-Ford era, the Twin Engine T8 XC90 is an emphatic answer. Expensive, fast, progressive and stylish, it’s new Volvo in a single car. Luckily it’s a good one.
Twin Engine? A petrol engine in the nose drives the front wheels. A motor/generator between the engine and gearbox rapidly cranks the petrol engine into life, helps boost torque and tops up the battery as required. A single large electric motor drives the rear axle, fed by a battery in the (propshaft-free) central tunnel. A control unit in the engine bay ensures happy, efficient collaboration and all-wheel drive when required.
You can choose how you deploy your two power sources, and while Power has its moments, Hybrid is the better bet most of the time, trading a little throttle response and outright grunt for improved economy and some peace and quiet – that raucous petrol four gets worked pretty hard in Power. You can also preserve battery life for use later in your commute, whereupon the T8 can cover up to 27 miles without recourse to fossil fuels. Charging takes 3-6 hours on the mains, or 2-2.5 hours with Volvo’s home charger.
Either way the integration of electric and petrol power is seamless and the brake pedal is similarly well resolved, passing through the regenerative phase and into hydraulic braking with no discernible shift in resistance.
In all other regards the T8 is as per the D5 and T6: distractingly handsome outside and in, beautifully made and decent to steer. XC90 ride quality is generally so-so on the standard damper and springs suspension and more appropriately plush on the optional air suspension, but the T8 feels more pliant than the D5 and T6, perhaps thanks to its increased weight (a sturdy 2343kg). So the usual hybrid caveats apply – it’s heavy, and you’ll struggle to match the claimed fuel economy. But the T8 is an intriguing car, blending strong performance, company car-friendly CO2, impressive versatility (the XC90 is a true seven-seater) and no small amount of wanton desirability. The T8 wedge of the UK XC90 sales pie chart is twice as big as Volvo anticipated (currently it’s running at 20%), and from the car’s lofty, stylish cabin it’s not hard to see why.
The specs: Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine
Price: £59,955
Engine: 1969cc 16v turbocharged and supercharged 4-cyl with e-motor, 401bhp @ 4250rpm, 347lb ft @ 1750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Performance: 5.6sec 0-62mph, 140mph, 134.5mpg, 49g/km CO2
Weight: 2343kg
On sale: Now, first deliveries January 2016
Love – Looks and feels premium, rides better than D5
Hate – The usual hybrid weight problem, pie-in-the-sky economy claims
Verdict – An intriguing and highly desirable chunk of SUV
Rating – ****