Test drive of the Volvo XC60 Recharge T6 eAWD: a very premium plug-in hybrid SUV

Volvo has a very comprehensive SUV range, with the XC40, XC60 and XC90. All of them can be chosen with combustion engines or plug-in hybrid variants. In the case of the XC40, there is also a 100% electric version, the XC40 Recharge Electric. To these models we must add the new Volvo EX90 and the C40, which are only sold as electric variants.

Right in the middle of the range by size and price is the Volvo XC60, a very family-oriented SUV, available from 56,850 euros with the B4 petrol engine producing 197 CV, or from 57,950 euros with the B4 turbodiesel engine with the same power. These combustion-engine versions are very interesting for their smoothness and performance (petrol), for their balance between performance and consumption (diesel) and, in both cases, for featuring a mild hybrid system that earns them the ECO label from the DGT.

But now with the CERO emissions label, and after the technical update it received just a year and a half after reaching the market, the XC60 Recharge plug-in hybrid is also a very worthwhile option, which has left us with very good impressions after a few days of living with it.

Volvo XC60 Recharge: the versatile SUV

In case you were thinking about an XC60 but hadn’t considered the plug-in hybrid version, I’ll tell you a few things. The first is that it costs about 10,000 euros more than the entry-level XC60 with the petrol engine and Essential trim, but the difference drops to about 7,000 euros if we compare it with the B4 turbodiesel in the base Core trim from which the XC60 Recharge starts and we choose all-wheel drive.

The second is that compared with the B4 petrol and diesel, the PHEV offers 350 CV. It’s not that the combustion versions fall short in power, far from it. But those extra 150 CV and, above all, the “electric push”, are noticeable, with the advantage that consumption can even be lower than the turbodiesel if you make the most of its plug-in hybrid capability.

Finally, the fact that it has a propulsion system that requires installing a battery in the central tunnel and an electric motor on the rear axle does not compromise the versatility of the XC60 Recharge. The hybrid loses just 15 litres of boot capacity, offers the same interior space and maintains a towing capacity of 2,250 kg.

Prices and equipment of the Volvo XC60 Recharge

Volvo offers three equipment variants for the XC60 Recharge, named Core, Plus and Ultimate. The prices are as follows:

• XC60 Recharge T6 Core: 67,300 euros
• XC60 Recharge T6 Plus: 70,688 euros
• XC60 Recharge T6 Ultimate: 76,194 euros

The Core trim already includes as standard an electric tailgate, panoramic roof, rear camera, cruise control, LED headlights, multimedia system with a 12-inch screen, 9-inch digital instrument cluster, air conditioning, 18-inch wheels, hill start assist, hill descent control, Google assistant, wireless phone charger and sound system with subwoofer.

The Plus versions represent an additional outlay of 3,388 euros, and add as highlights power front seats with memory, 19-inch wheels, central rear armrest, leather upholstery, dashboard with two-tone finish and contrast stitching, and specific exterior decorative elements.

As for the Ultimate trim, it costs 8,894 euros more than the Plus, and adds to the Plus equipment heated seats, full LED headlights with cornering function and intelligent high beam, head-up display, adaptive cruise control, Pilot Assist driving assistant, forward collision warning, cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, heated steering wheel, 20-inch wheels and Harman Kardon sound system.

The best option is to start from the Core trim and complete the equipment based on the full range of available options, both individual and bundled into packs. The first one we would consider, given how well it works and the safety and comfort it provides, is the driver assistance pack, which for 1,320 euros includes blind spot traffic assist, rear collision warning and Pilot Assist, which combines active cruise control with steering assistance to maintain the safety distance and keep the car in its lane. It works in urban traffic or on the motorway, and can even brake automatically and pull away again.

Other packs, which may be interesting but not essential, are the lighting pack (968 euros) or the seats pack (2,820 euros). Volvo also offers a comprehensive range of accessories, such as a removable ski rack (282 euros), retractable towbar (1,355 euros), folding bike rack (935 euros) or the Dog Pack (1,100 euros), which includes dividers, grilles and protectors to transport pets comfortably and safely in the boot. You can also opt for All Season tyres as standard, in this case with a surcharge of 300 euros.

Up to 78 km in electric mode… in theory

Volvo updated the XC60’s propulsion system at the end of 2021, increasing the T6’s system power from 340 to 350 CV and gaining 25 km of electric range thanks to a higher-capacity battery, with 14.7 kWh net (18.8 kWh gross). The main mechanical changes affected the electric motor installed on the rear axle, which went from 88 CV to 145 CV, while keeping the turbocharged 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine. For a time, Volvo marketed a second PHEV version, the XC60 T8 Polestar, with 392 CV; but it no longer appears in the brand’s catalogue.

Its 350 CV, 78 km of electric range and a WLTP average consumption of 1 l/100 km make a magnificent introduction, as long as you are clear that no plug-in hybrid on the market meets the range or consumption figures homologated in the test cycle. In the case of the XC60 Recharge T6 we have tested all kinds of situations and routes, and the balance is as follows.

Recharging the car daily, which can easily be done overnight from a domestic socket in about 7 hours (a time reduced to under 4 hours with the 3.7 kW charger at 16 A), you can cover around 30 km in fully electric mode on motorways or ring roads; to exceed 50 km without using any fuel, the route must be mainly urban.

If you choose hybrid mode and drive in an anticipatory way, that is, thinking about consumption, you can cover around 150 km before the battery runs out, with very low consumption, between 3 and 4 l/100 km. From there the average stabilises at around 7.5 – 8 l/100 km until you can recharge again. Not bad at all, considering we are talking about a 4.7-metre car weighing 2,150 kg that can get below 6 seconds in the 0-100 km/h sprint.

Smooth, fast and easy to drive

Ease of driving is one of the characteristics of the XC60 Recharge. I personally feel very comfortable in the driving seat of the Volvo, thanks to the comfort and support offered by the seats regardless of the distance covered, the visibility, how easy and intuitive the controls are to use and how well it turns when manoeuvring.

It is one of those cars where you don’t have to constantly “readjust” to be comfortable, nor learn complicated functions to operate the various systems. Volvo relies on the multimedia screen and on the Google voice assistant, which works really well. Beyond the steering wheel controls, there is barely a row of buttons below the screen for the audio volume, rear heated window and the “warning”.

Occupants are also very well catered for, not only because the suspension is geared towards comfort, but also thanks to the excellent sound insulation and the space available.

Within this atmosphere of simplicity, the quality of the materials and the fit stand out, which are magnificent, on a level with the best premium SUVs in the category. The digital instrumentation, however, falls a notch behind other more sophisticated ones with greater configuration possibilities.

Five driving modes

The electric mode, named Pure, only works if the battery has enough charge. It offers more than enough thrust to move not only around town, but also on outer roads or even on the motorway at the pace of the rest of the traffic; though at the cost, as we have seen, of draining the battery quickly. The hybrid mode decides whether it’s best to use the petrol engine, the electric motor or both, depending on the driving situation.

In Power mode the petrol engine is always active and there is a big difference in thrust compared with Hybrid mode, with greater electric boost; it’s a similar effect to suddenly having a “bigger” engine, or the turbo blowing with more pressure, but always maintaining great smoothness. Here, the digital instrumentation transforms to show conventional dials, with a speedometer and a rev counter.

Finally, the off-road and AWD modes use both motors to provide all-wheel drive; the first is focused on use on tracks or dirt roads, and the second for on-road driving. To select any of the driving modes we miss a dedicated direct-access button, as you have to do it through the touchscreen menu of the multimedia system.

From here you also select two additional functions very common in plug-in hybrids, but which are rarely used. The first, a “Hold” mode that maintains the battery charge, since it is of little use; the second, the “Charge” mode, to recharge the battery on the move using the combustion engine, because it is completely inefficient.

There are no paddle shifters on the steering wheel, but depending on the selected driving programme the gear lever can be used to select between “D” or “B”, which provides greater energy recovery -and therefore greater braking force- in electric mode. Or to change gear sequentially if you choose Power mode.

The alternatives to the Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid

One of the most direct rivals to the Volvo XC60 Recharge is the Audi Q5 TFSIe, available in two versions: the 50 TFSIe quattro, with 300 CV and from 60,120 euros; and the 55 TFSIe quattro, with 367 CV and S line trim, priced from 72,140 euros. Electric range is 62 km, and you can also opt for the Q5 Sportback body variant.

At Mercedes, the alternative would be the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 plug-in hybrid, with the peculiarity that you can choose between the 300 e 4MATIC with a 320 CV system-output petrol engine, or the 300 d 4MATIC with turbodiesel engine and 306 CV system power. Prices start from 62,374 euros for the 300 e, and from 68,600 for the 300 d. BMW also has a plug-in hybrid version of its X3, the BMW X3 xDrive30e, starting from 68,100 euros, advertising 292 CV of power and an electric range of 50 km.

Another alternative among premium plug-in hybrid SUVs of this size and price is the Lexus NX 450h+, priced from 66,200 euros, with 309 CV of system power and up to 76 km of electric range.

Volvo XC60 Recharge T6 – Image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

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