8 December 2014

Volvo's PHEV SUV will offer high fuel economy

Volvo is expecting that the plug-in hybrid version of its upcoming XC90 luxury SUV will offer CO2 emissions as low as 59g/km, yet provide the power of a large petrol V8, writes Brian Byrne.

The XC90 T8 will use a specially designed 2.0 turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor to give a 5.9sec sprint to 100km/h. The 7-seat SUV has an output of 400hp and a whopping 640Nm of pulling power.

A toggle control will allow the driver to select the driving system that suits conditions and economy requirements, ranging from full EV mode to to fast acceleration.

The car will travel over 60km on electric power alone. The rear wheels will be driven where necessary by the electric motor, offering 4WD and extra response when used in conjunction with the front-drive petrol engine.