2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge - Interior & Exterior
22022 Volvo XC60 Inches Toward Electrification
The base powertrains add a 48-volt hybrid system, but you're more likely to notice the new Google-based infotainment.
Eager to cast itself as a forward-thinking automaker, Volvo has stated that it will sell only EVs starting in 2030, which is sooner than most competitors. So far, the brand has two EVs in its stable: the XC40 Recharge and its mechanical twin, the C40 Recharge. Its other Recharge models, the XC60 T8 and the XC90 T8, are plug-in hybrids—which could be considered a half step toward a battery-powered future. Now, the two mainstream versions of the Volvo XC60 (the brand's most popular model)—along with the S60 sedan, the S90 sedan, and the V90 Cross Country wagon—add hybridization to their powertrains, but it's a 48-volt hybrid system, the tiniest baby step on the road to electrification.
As before, the XC60's powertrains all use a 2.0-liter inline-four. The arrival of the 48-volt hybrid system, however, brings with it a change in nomenclature. The base T5 is now known as B5, while the step-up T6 becomes the B6. (The unchanged plug-in-hybrid variants, which offer 19 miles of electric-only range, continue as the T8 with 400 total horsepower, or 415 in the Polestar Engineered model.) All models continue with an eight-speed automatic. The B5 has front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, with AWD standard elsewhere.
The 48-volt system does not boost the power output of either the B5 or the B6. The base powertrain, which is turbocharged, now makes 247 horsepower (down from 250) along with the same 258 pound-feet of torque as before. The turbocharged and supercharged version, which also swaps out its previous belt-driven supercharger for an electrically driven blower, slips from 316 horsepower to 295 horsepower but sees a torque increase from 295 pound-feet to 310.
The hybrid system does help the XC60 eke out minor fuel-economy gains. EPA estimates for the front-wheel-drive base car improve by 1 mpg in both city and highway tests, to 23/30 mpg city/highway. The all-wheel-drive B5 and the B6 both add 1 mpg city compared to their 2021 predecessors, with estimates of 22/28 mpg (B5 AWD) and 21/27 mpg (B6).
In a long-term test of an XC60 T6, we averaged 23 mpg over 40,000 miles. We also recorded a 0–60 time of 5.4 seconds. Volvo estimates that the new B6 version will give up a few tenths but says it should feel more responsive at lower speeds because the 48-volt starter-generator bolsters horsepower and torque at lower engine speeds.
Without driving the two powertrains back to back, it's hard to confirm that, but the XC60 B6 we drove didn't feel sluggish driving through Manhattan or out on the Palisades Parkway through New York and New Jersey. Moreover, the electric assists do a good job masking any turbo lag. Response to light throttle applications is now more linear and less surgy, whether calling for slightly more speed or moving off from a stop.
Speaking of the latter, the starter-generator also makes for seamless auto restarts, which may keep more drivers from switching off the auto stop-start system. Also on the subject of stop-and-go driving, the switch to a brake-by-wire system, to maximize regenerative braking, is one that's imperceptible from the driver's seat, as the brake pedal modulation feels no different than a conventional brake system. And lastly, there's a new alert to let an inattentive driver know when the vehicle ahead has begun moving, although it's not as quick-acting as the NYC cabbie behind you.