By Sala Masindane

The electric future is upon us and manufacturers are fast moving into that space. Volvo has not been left behind in this trend with the likes of the XC40, C40 and EX30 which are already in the market. That might be the future, but in the current climate, plug-in hybrids seem to be the better option in terms of price or charging facilities. The Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge is one of those and we recently spent some time with the luxury SUV.

Aging gracefully

Outside, the design of the XC60 has aged gracefully. Its subtle yet noticeable exterior design and styling updates have made the award-winning SUV more attarctive.

Luxurious cabin

Inside, the XC60 T8 Recharge features Volvo’s latest Google-based infotainment system, complete with built-in Google apps and services. The luxury SUV is also fully kitted out with items such as a four-zone climate control, an ear-gasmic Bowers & Wilkins sound system, a head-up display, 360-degree camera system and panoramic sunroof.

The Blond Leather in Blond/Charcoal interior transforms the already premium cabin but is not advisable to those with younger kids. There’s also a good blend of soft-touch and high-quality material.

Performance and driving impressions

Powering the Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge is a turbo and supercharged 2.0-litre petrol engine making 233kW/400Nm and is fitted with an electric motor on the rear axle producing 107kW/309Nm. The combined system outputs are 340kW/709Nm. Volvo claims a combined fuel consumption of only 1.6l/100 km and a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 4.8 seconds.

The combined output of 340kW/709Nm sees the Volvo XC60 T8 AWD accelerate like a performance car. The handling and ride quality is smooth. It is silent on EV mode but there’s a grunt when it switches to petrol. Volvo claims a fuel consumption 1.6L/100km which is achievable on the 81km range battery, but once that was depleted, we averaged 6.4 L/100km.

Final Word

As already mentioned, a plug-in hybrid is the ideal in our current climate. Volvo has impeccable and luxury interiors. Even though it feels a bit dated. It still offers all that feels need but at R1,388,000 we are not sure that it’s worth 300k more than the base model.