Not everyone’s ready for an all-electric vehicle, the Volvo XC 60 Recharge always has
your back.
No range anxiety at all.
I’ll explain.
You might have heard that Volvo is taking electrification seriously.
It already has two pure EVs, the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge.
But many folks don’t know that nearly all its vehicles can be had as plug-in hybrids
now.
Including this one, the refreshed XC60 T8 Recharge.
Plug-ins can save a lot of gas.
Depending on where you live that can make a huge difference.
I’m at a press event in Palm Springs and this is what dinosaur juice costs in California
these days.
The refreshed XC60 doesn’t look much different, all the changes are under the sheet metal
starting with a larger battery it goes from 18 miles of all electric range to 35 it nearly
doubles, and that qualifies this for the full $7,500 federal tax credit.
It also gets a more powerful motor in the back but when you’re shopping, be careful.
The outgoing model and this one are both sold as 2022 models, so check the Monroney for
this.
Older ones are probably gone considering low supply and high demand.
But if this saves one person, I’ve done my job.
The T8 Recharge starts at $55,345.
Attention bargain hunters, after Uncle Sam chips in, this is 5 grand less than the comparable
gas-only XC60.
With state incentives, things get better.
Also, the difference in fuel savings over 5 years is $6,000 according to the EPA.
So the Recharge is the smart AND emotional choice because the hybrid powertrain has more
giddy up.
The 312 horsepower 2-liter turbocharged 4 and the new more powerful 143 horse electric
motor that powers the rear wheels combine to make up to 455 hp & 523 lb-ft of torque.
Typically, the engine doesn’t fire up on start.
The gauge cluster is clear and configurable.
Got to love head up displays.
Different modes mean pure electric can be selected or, force the Recharge into gas and
electric to max-out the thrust.
Or simply let the computer do what it needs to do for maximum efficiency and simplicity.
The Orrefors crystal transmission selector controls a 8 speed transmission.
Pull back a second time and it goes into B mode for more aggressive regeneration.
It’s possible to charge the battery using the gas engine but that’s less efficient
than plugging it in.
As far as sounds go, here’s what you’ll hear when backing up…
… and once the engine fires up… the calm engine note…
The 18.8kWh battery runs down the spine of the chassis.
Gas and hybrid XC60s have similar interior dimensions.
It will charge overnight on standard 120 household juice.
The gas engine always has your back, it’s less critical to install expensive Level 2
which would drop a full charge to 5 hours.
With the extra oomph, the T8 powertrain can really scoot, but you got a remember if you’re
in pure all-electric mode it’s not going to be as fast because the gas engine isn’t
assisting.
Using gas and electric will get you to 60 miles an hour in 5 seconds.
Electric only is perfectly fine for city driving.
FYI, all Volvos are speed governed to 112 miles an hour… if that’s an issue.
When the engine kicks in, there a little bit of growl.
Now remember once the battery is depleted it just switches to a normal hybrid mode no
fuss no muss.
You don’t have to do anything.
As complex as the drivetrain is, it just works and doesn’t call attention to itself.
And Volvo’s driving and handling dynamics don’t get the recognition they deserve.
This is kind of a twisty turning road and go to say the XC 60 is handling it pretty
well, not bad Volvo
There’s loads of standard active electronic safety tech, Volvo’s is exceptionally sophisticated.
The semiautonomous driving features work well though not hands free like Super Cruise.
Volvo wants you fully present and aware.
The air suspension works great.
Ride quality?
That’s pretty good Volvo’s are not soft in floaty this is a good brand of comfort
and sport it’s also quiet this would be a great road tripper.
I saw 34 miles of all electric motoring before defaulting to hybrid driving.
Charge every night and that’s around 12,000 miles of all electric range annually.
And no range anxiety.
For those not ready to jump into a pure EV plug-in hybrids are a great way to dip your
toe into electrification.
Yeah you do have a gas engine to maintain, oil changes are thing, but I have a plug-in
hybrid and it goes 35 miles on a charge and I typically buy one tank of gas a year.
Seriously because my every day driving is done on electric, it’s only for road trips
that I use gas.
And even when running on gas (premium is specified by the way), the XC60 is quiet and comfortable.
For starters, this delivers on Volvo’s reputation for the best seats in the biz.
Visibility is excellent too.
Obviously to get the best efficiency out of this you’re going to want to charge it every
night, but if you’re driving on gasoline alone, the EPA rates the fuel economy at 28
miles per gallon average which is not bad for a crossover this size.
The closest competitor is the Audi Q5.
There’s Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe and Lexus NX450h too.
You don’t need the Jeep to do light trail duty.
This is not intended to be as rugged as a Jeep Grand Cherokee but the XC 60 can go off-road.
It’s really not too bad, I had to do it in order to get to a nice spot to shoot this
car.
And here’s the location.
A nice change from cloudy Seattle for me.
Volvo’s cabins tend to be calming, the XC60 is no exception.
The company is big on sustainability, things like recycled materials in the carpet and
such.
The heated and vented seats are a wool blend, and no, they’re not itchy and scratchy.
Actually, they breath well in the Palm Springs heat.
Basic stuff like door releases are hefty and satisfying.
There’s wireless phone charging.
But as you can see it gets a little wonky.
Sure looks good though.
The Bowers and Wilkins system is deep, rich and powerful.
If I had more time I’d have lingered to listen.
The Volvo Sensus user interface is gone, replaced by one that’s powered by Android Automotive.
It largely uses casual voice prompts and it’s pretty good, you use the prompt “OK Google
turn on the heated steering wheel” Turning on the heated steering wheel.
Which is kind of dumb here in Palm Springs it’s 95°.
One thing Apple CarPlay is not available yet, Volvo says that there’s gonna be an update
in 2022 but Polestar seems like they’ve been saying that for years.
And Android Automotive relies on a data connection that’s free for four years.
Afterwards it’s another monthly fee.
There are basic controls, everything else is done on the screen.
And with the excellent voice commands, buttons are a lot less important.
The screen is a little small but response is solid.
SUVs like this get a lot of family duty and there are the usual places to stash life’s
essentials.
Are Goldfish not essential?
I’ll fight you on that especially if there’s a hungry toddler in the car.
What keeps this from being a first-class family rig is average space in back seat.
It’s fine, just not expansive.
Door pockets are tiny and the battery intrudes a bit, crowding foot room a little.
There’s no climate zone but heated seats will please those in the Arctic Circle.
There are pockets on both chairs and enough vents for passengers to direct air flow.
These don’t slide fore and aft to max out cargo or leg room but the cushions themselves
are well sculpted, like the fronts.
I drove your straight from the airport and I suppose I could’ve stopped at Costco on
the way out here but c’est la vie.
I’m gonna use my luggage to test the trunk.
There’s a little bit of storage under the floor, including space for the supplied charge
cord that’s switchable between 120 and 240 but you won’t find a spare tire.
The air suspension can raised or lowered back here.
Lots of small details that help make life easier.
No problem keeping your skis off the roof.
At this price, it would be great to have remote seat releases, first world problems.
It’s quite a reach from the bumper, easier to go around to the rear doors to drop the
backs.
That opens up 49 cubic feet of space.
That’s just a half cube short of the gas-only model, they aren’t much different.
Most of this time this will be used with the seats up and that’s 29 cubic feet to fill
up with travel gear.
This is not super huge if you need a maximum hauling machine.
It is awfully efficient though.
Let’s move on to Red Light Green Light.
Green Light- The extra power and electric range make the refreshed XC60 Recharge a much
better vehicle now.
A calming cabin, smooth powertrain and balanced ride quality make this Volvo a great place
to unwind.
Still, the driving dynamic is more athletic than you might think.
The Recharge’s price is actually lower than gas-only models after tax incentives.
Yellow Light- Compared to pure EVs, plug-in hybrids eliminate range anxiety meaning there’s
a gas engine and transmission to maintain.
The back seat is comfortable just not exceptionally spacious.
Bring the family on the test drive.
The semi-autonomous driving tech is solid but not quite as sure feeling as Autopilot,
or the best in the biz, Super Cruise.
Red Light- Being picky, eventually you’ll have to pay a monthly fee for that easy-to-use
Android interface.
No spare tire, I’ll always ding a car for that.
Until an over the air update arrives with Apple CarPlay, that’s a demerit.
All of Volvo’s plug-in hybrids get a range boost so if you need more room or a third
row there’s the equally graceful XC90.
Plug-in hybrids are a great way to dip your toe into the EV world there’s no range anxiety
at all.
The only issue is you have a gasoline engine to maintain.
With regular pure EV’s you don’t have that so there is that.
If you’re looking to lower your carbon footprint AND gasoline bill, Volvo’s XC60 Recharge
is a safe, elegant and guilt-free way to do just that.
Many folks over react to range anxiety when it comes to pure EVs.
In my experience over the years, I find I don’t need more than 200 miles, even on
moderate road trips.
True, plug-in hybrids have the disadvantage of the gas engine.
It needs to be maintained.
Owning two PHEVs I can tell you first hand, it’s significantly less than a pure gas
powertrain, since the engine only runs a fraction of the time.
I change my oil every two years or so, when the computer says to.
To those who argue that plug-ins mean hauling a heavy gas engine around, eh.
Not an argument.
An EV’s battery pack that’s seldom used to its capacity weighs even more.
That’s my quick look at the 2022 Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge and I will leave you with a fun
fact it has to do with the front end if you look closely you’ll see that the iron mark
(that’s Volvo’s logo) has been redesigned slightly and Volvo put a bunch of the semi-autonomous
sensors behind that now if you live in Minnesota or North Dakota you might be worried that
snow at and I will get on that and it will make those sensors functional nope those Swedes
pretty smart they also live in cold climates and they’ve heated that logo so everything
melts away there you go thanks for watching remember subscribe to this channel click notifications
follow me on Twitter I’m very active there and if you have a question leave it in the
comments that’s driven I’m Tom Voelk