Volvo XC60 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid SUV | Walkaround
2At the time, most crossovers were blah lookers and ho-hum performers, but today’s market is moving, as they always seem to, toward performance, and yet smaller carbon footprints. Well, the 2021 XC60 Recharge T8 Inscription (a crossover so nice they named it twice, or thrice) is all over that trend, and actually was among the leaders. That’s because this crossover is both a looker and performer, while also being luxurious. Now, the Recharge model adds a plug-in hybrid system to reduce its emission transmission.
How so? Well, first Volvo created a dandy 2.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged I4 engine that it has used all along. It’s more fuel efficient and generates a tremendous amount of power and torque (turbos and superchargers are torque monsters).
That translates to 316 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque in a XC60 T6 R-Design model or still 250 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque in a T5 Momentum model with just a turbo version of the engine.
But in the tested Recharge, which adds an electric motor to power the rear wheels while the gas engine powers the fronts, horsepower grows to 400 and torque is a monster 472 lb.-ft. Suffice it to say there’s plenty of giddyup, making the Recharge a hot rod when getting on the freeway or escaping congestion at a stoplight.
Now know that there are a variety of drive modes controlled via a roller dial on the console. Hybrid allows the batteries to power the rear wheels and meld seamlessly with the gas engine to aid gas consumption. There’s also a Power mode that puts all the giddyup pressure on the gas engine, or Off-Road or Constant AWD modes to give the wheels more traction.
Here’s the thing though. I had this during several of our February snow dumps and while traction was good, there always was some wheel spin, especially under acceleration. My slalom test also allowed the crossover to slip and skate a bit, even in Constant AWD. I would warn to not be overconfident when traversing several inches of snow. Again, normal snow driving in a straight line and moderate speed turns was fine.
On the praise side, the SC60’s ride is stellar, smooth and well-cushioned. I hit my favorite rustic road and other than slowing to not flatten a tire in a pot hole the ride was luxury sedan comfortable. This model added a $1,800 4-corner air suspension which helps that ride.
Likewise, handling is light and easy with a sporty feel. Turn-in at corners is precise, creating an entertaining driving experience on the back roads.
Back to the hybridness of this XC60. Most hybrids get their fuel mileage increase from regenerative braking that charges batteries to aid the vehicle at startup and low speeds, thus extending gas mileage. That’s part of the gig here, but there’s also a plug-in system to fully charge batteries to provide roughly 20 miles of electric-only power. I’ll admit to only charging via that system once, for five hours and got 12 miles of range. That’s not bad and certainly an overnight charge would give the full 20 miles or so on a standard home 110-volt line. Volvo says using a 240-volt line will fully recharge in 2.5 hours.
So, if you’re still commuting to an office for work, it’s likely you could make it there and maybe part way home on a night’s charge, then the gas engine kicks in and the EPA says that will average out to 27 mpg with the blend, or the equivalent of 57 mpge solely on electric. I got just 18.4 mpg in a mix of city and highway, but with only one short charge. My bad that I’m blaming on snow and super cold weather. Also, the 12-mile charge went by in about 8 miles, again as it was about Zero outside during that part of the test. Note too that the Volvo prefers 91 octane gas.
As with most luxury crossovers the XC60, especially in this near top-level trim, is loaded with safety gear, including City Safety, which provides high and low-speed collision avoidance and helps watch out for pedestrians, animals and cyclists. Likewise there’s blind-spot warning, steering assist, cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, a driver alertness system, lane departure and anti-run-off road systems, plus park assist.
Unlike many brands that charge extra for a couple of those systems, they are all standard here. The only add-on was a smart cruise control system that was part of a $1,900 Advanced package that also included a 360-degree camera, head-up display, and wireless phone charging.
Despite the XC60 Recharge Inscription starting at $61,990 including delivery, there were some other add-ons though, but not for safety.