MOTORING

A hybrid of comfort and performance

More and more vehicles we see on the road today are a mix of both electric and hybrid. The introduction of this technology is adding to the huge influx of new SUV vehicles like the Volvo XC90 T8. Motoring journalist Nick Jones sees how it shapes up

FACTFILE

MODEL

Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid

If you’re not sure what exactly a “hybrid” is, let me explain… it simply means that rather than running on only petrol or battery power, the car calls on a combination of the two.

In the Volvo’s case here, it has a four-cylinder petrol engine that pumps out 320 horsepower, and an electric motor that in turn generates a further 87 horsepower –giving it a combined output of nearly 400 horses.

There are five different driving modes that deliver a range of performance and efficiency-enhancing characteristics, which are named “hybrid”, “pure electric”, “power mode”, “AWD” and “save”.

The eight-speed automatic gearbox is incredibly smooth, selecting gears seamlessly, ensuring you can’t feel it do so. Having chosen the “pure electric” mode for as long as possible, I can drive the car without the need to use the engine for nearly 30 miles on a single charge, but driving along silently is really spooky and quite eerie until you get used to the silence.

More impressive still is the 63g/km emission figure, not to mention the combined fuel consumption rate of 100 miles per gallon – even the first year of vehicle excise duty is really cheap.

Next up is “hybrid” mode, under which I achieved 31 miles per gallon and a range of nearly 300 miles.

Switching between the engine and electric motor is very smooth, and under normal acceleration, the transition is barely noticeable.

“Power mode” is quite a different story, however –the Volvo reaches a top speed of 112mph, with 60mph taking just 5.5 seconds, which is not shabby at all. It takes around four hours to charge the Volvo from the supplied lead, whereas the normal “three-pin plug” option takes nearly 6, as it only accepts a measly 3.7 kilowatts.

If you’re looking for a comfortable car to sit in, then they don’t come much better than this one – it’s uncluttered and emanates a typical, polished design brief, and the huge bonus of having seven seats to boot.

Everything’s to hand in here, with the centre console and huge nine-inch touchscreen facility the highlight.

PERFORMANCE

Top speed: 112mph 0-60 mph: 5.5 seconds

CO2 EMISSIONS

63g/km

COMBINEDMPG

F100.9

PRICE OTR

From £65,975

It’s a bit like having an iPad, where it’s easy to navigate your way through the selection of menus and find apps for features such as climate control, satellite navigation and in-car entertainment. Specify the optional Apple CarPlay, you can then add your own tunes from external devices.

Priced from £65,975, the T8 here came in R-Design specification. However, the XC90 range starts at around £51,275, which will put you behind the wheel of the diesel-powered D5 variant.

‘If you’re looking for a comfortable car to sit in, then they don’t come much better than this one’