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Volvo’s XC60 Plug-in Hybrid – THE VOLVO. EVOLVED.

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Volvo’s XC60 Plug-in Hybrid – THE VOLVO. EVOLVED.

Volvo’s XC60 Plug-in Hybrid

THE VOLVO. EVOLVED.

It’s been almost 30 years since Volvo, taking a page from Paul Hogan’s well-received Subaru Outback, provided adventure-ready wagon customers more ground clearance and a rough-and-ready exterior, dubbing it the XC70. I, along with other journalists, had an opportunity to preview the new XC in California’s Baja Peninsula; both the XC70 and Baja proved to be everything a Swede might want in the middle of a Nordic winter. 

It didn’t take long for a legitimate SUVolvo to appear, adapting the two-box, elevated form of an Explorer or Grand Cherokee into – you know – the shape of a Volvo. The XC90’s success begat the compact XC40 and midsize XC60, this week’s test subject. As a follow-up to our recent test of the XC40 EV you might think this a bit too much, a veritable Swedish smorgasbord. But between ’40’ and ‘60’ there are as many differences as there are similarities – and both are worth a look.

The XC60 slots into a competitive segment populated by a variety of offerings, beginning with Car and Driver’s top pick, the Porsche Macan, and wandering through my value pick, the Genesis GV70. Ranked above the Volvo by the magazine are those two, plus the Mercedes GLC and BMW X3. The XC60 essentially brackets the category, with its base B5 beginning at just under $50K, while the PHEV T8 Polestar Engineered tops out at $77K. That, of course, is a spread – but then, you can spend more than $80K on a Ram pickup. (I’m not saying you should – but you could.)

As a freelance journalist on a very fixed income, I’m inclined to stay under that $50K threshold. But if you pop for the T8 AWD with Polestar enhancements, know that you’ll enjoy a combined 455 horsepower under the hood, and arrive at 60 in just over 4 seconds. For those climate activists leaving the old Prius for a new plug-in, they’ll also enjoy up to 35 miles of clean, no-emissions driving, probably enough for most roundtrip commutes. And after the battery pack hits ‘E’ and you do tip into the gas tank, the hybrid drivetrain will deliver roughly 28 miles per gallon, still better than that $80K Ram.

In its design and footprint the XC60 adheres to what we know in the geopolitical realm as Swedish neutrality. The two-box design is distinguishable from those mentioned above; it’s not quite Germanic, definitely not Asian. But its shape is easy to like, and with an accessible step in and step out is easy to live with.

Behind the wheel you have an arrangement not unlike the XC40’s, with a dash that holds on to enough of the last century to be easily understood, while infotainment and navigation could be more intuitive. The one win relative to the XC40 EV is an actual switch for the start-and-stop; in the XC40 EV you simply put it into gear to ‘Go’ – and depart the car to ‘Stop’. That’s all well and good once you’re used to the protocol, but why – I’ll ask – did I need a protocol to go and stop?

The T8’s 455 combined horsepower is quietly evident; the dog’s bark is set, for the most part, on mute. While I understand the appeal provided by 22 inches of Polestar-engineered forged alloy wheels and summer tires, I have little use for either on Tuesday, January 7th, when we’re still digging out of 7+ inches of snow. And since we’re talking, I have little affection for sport utilities with sport sedan affectations; if shopping for a sport sedan or sport wagon, Volvo still – thankfully – builds them. 

Room for four is great, room for five is doable, and the space behind the second row works for most of what a young family will carry. BMW introduced the SAV descriptive (Sport Activity Vehicle), and if Volvo could borrow it the company should. For those of you with an activity beyond the stamp collection, the XC60 – at either $50K or close to $80K – should fit you to a T8. Or B5.

Boldt, a contributor to outlets such as AutoTrader.com, Kelley Blue Book and Autoblog, brings to his laptop some forty years of experience in automotive retail, journalism and public relations. He is a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association, The Washington Automotive Press Association and L.A.'s Motor Press Guild. David is the Managing Editor of txGarage, a regular panelist on the AutoNetwork Reports webcast/podcast, and the automotive contributor to Dallas' Katy Trail Weekly.

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