Volvo is widely considered a brand that speaks to a more selective buyer. It's proven to be a safe and reliable alternative to German competitors, but some believe that in exchange, you'll miss out on the performance and status that its German counterparts offer. But these stereotypes couldn't be further from the truth. Take the subject of this review, the Volvo XC60: It's bold, sleek, and now has plug-in hybrid electric at heart. Add to that its dark-themed design, and it will be hard to find a car with as much road presence as this beautiful Swede.
This particular unit is the Dark edition, with blacked-out exterior elements that include the badges and wheels. This particular unit is the Dark Edition, and the cabin space reflects this continuity effortlessly, with it achieving an air of understated elegance. The leather seats offer a level of spacious comfort, while the dashboard is primarily focused on drawing the eye to the centrally positioned infotainment screen.
The screen sadly highlights the car's age and offers a less-than-impressive user experience. It's quite complex and requires a lot of intimate use to grasp. Its resolution further highlights its age, but on the other hand, it is a responsive system, and inputs are nearly instant. Other than the screen, the piano black plastic touches around the screen would offer a more coherent appearance with a matte black or leather covering. Although there is a large influence of the 'Dark' designation within the car, its lack of colours works well. The only colours in the cabin are on the screen and the Swedish flag on the seats, which is a feature I've always appreciated in a Volvo.
When entering a Volvo, there are certain expectations: outstanding ride quality coupled with excellent composure, while decent power figures are always a bonus. So, power? Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre, duel-forced air-induction plug-in hybrid power system. This means that the engine uses both a turbocharger and a supercharger to achieve a balance between low-end torque and top-end boost. This 2.0-litre engine, paired with its rear axle-mounted electric motor, provides a strong 340kW and 709Nm, so yes, this SUV is most certainly no slouch. It rockets from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds, and most impressively, this nippy Swede is financially mindful, since in the right conditions it will sip away at 1.6l/100km. However, these figures are only achievable in stop-start traffic situations and long downhills. Since it is a PHEV with an 18.8kWh lithium-ion battery, the XC60 can be driven up to 81km in full electric drive.
This is all excellent on paper, but how does it weigh up in practice? Well, the XC60 T8 Recharge favours electric power, meaning that under modest power requests, it will remain in EV mode up to around 90km/h. I found it to be a rather intuitive system, as a more aggressive input will wake the engine up and give you a shock of straight-line performance. Under abrupt acceleration, the 8-speed automatic gearbox struggles to keep up with the complexity of different power inputs, often becoming overwhelmed and shifting too early.
Let's move on to the topic of charging. Being a plug-in hybrid, and despite the fact that it has a rather powerful energy regeneration system, it will need a charge every so often. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a DC fast-charging system, meaning that its 18.8kWh battery has a maximum charging speed of 6.4kWs, so I spent around three hours at the charger. Once the battery is depleted, the consumption increases quite drastically to around 8.4l/100km, which does tarnish the impact of the impressive 1.6l/100km figure on a full charge.
Volvos are premium vehicles that command premium prices, so the ride quality was the next item on the evaluation block, and it didn't disappoint. It employs a clever air damping system, and the ride quality is excellent in any setting, handling most bumps or rough surfaces with impressive composure. The suspension has a certain rigidity to it that helps its surprisingly capable AWD system through the corners; it's exciting to drive in an entirely unexpected way.
As far as pricing is concerned, the XC60 T8 Recharge Dark will set you back R1,314,000, and for the money, it's an impressive package. It competes with the Audi Q5, which struggles to match the XC60 T8's performance and consumption figures for the price.
Few cars, in my experience, can match the Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge in terms of overall enjoyment. It’s a classy sleeper, which I could easily see James Bond enjoying in his retirement. I like this SUV, and my wife absolutely loves it. It's quick off the line, engaging through the corners, and if you can overlook the occasional charging requirement, it's tough to think of any more compelling options for R1.3m.
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