At next week’s Detroit Auto Show, Volvo will unveil its plug-in hybrid XC60 SUV.
With 261kW on tap, Volvo says the petrol-electric XC60 delivers performance and space plus the ‘green’ credentials’ demanded by today’s environmentally conscious SUV buyers.
Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid drivers have three buttons from which to choose their desired drive mode.
In ‘Pure’ mode, the Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid can be driven exclusively by its zero-emissions electric motor with a range of 45kms. Switch to ‘Hybrid’ mode (the default mode) and the four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor work like a conventional hybrid delivering performance, 2.3l/100kms fuel consumption and a range of 960kms. In ‘Power’ mode Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid drivers enjoy a combination of 210kW/380Nm from the petrol engine and 512kW/200Nm from the electric motor to deliver zero to 100km/h performance in just 6.1 seconds.
The Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid’s petrol engine drives the front wheels via a new eight-speed automatic transmission. Volvo uses the electric motor to drive the rear wheels and all-wheel-drive is accomplished via a push-button system.
Charging for the 12kWh lithium ion battery pack takes 3.5 hours using 220V or 7.5 hours using 110V
As shown in Detroit, the Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid is strictly a concept vehicle but Volvo says the technology is definitely headed for production. “This world-class petrol plug-in hybrid technology, featuring a state-of-the-art four cylinder engine from our upcoming Volvo Environmental Architecture engine family will reach our America showrooms in a couple of years. However it is too early to say which model will be the first to feature this solution,” revealed Volvo Car CEO Stefan Jacoby.
