Galleries • 8 December 2014

This is Volvo’s all-new plug-in hybrid XC90 [Gallery]

Chances are our collective futures are likely to include a lot more plug-in hybrid SUVs. It’s likely the only way these urban behemoths will be able to achieve the kind of mileage owners are starting to expect and it also means a little extra power on the road. Porsche led the way with its plug-in Cayenne and now Volvo looks set to follow suit with the latest version of the XC90.

According to Volvo, the XC90 T8 is the first car in its stable designed from the ground up for plug-in/electrification compatibility. This, the Swedish company reckons, has enabled it to build a powerful machine with the kind of emission levels you usually only see on much smaller cars.

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The new XC90’s 2l internal combustion engine and electric motor combine to deliver 400hp, allowing it to get from 0 to 100km/h in a reported time of 5.9 seconds. That’s not bad for something producing 59g/km of carbon and with a claimed fuel efficiency of 2.5 l/100km.

And if you don’t fancy using any petrol at all, the 82hp (60kW) battery can take you 40km when fully charged.

The tech doesn’t start and end with the battery system though. The XC90 T8 blended braking system partly uses brake-by-wire technology to recover and transmit energy back into the car, either to recharge the battery or for immediate use. The system is also equipped with a unique stability function that controls the amount of energy that may be safely regenerated.

And if you fancy yourself a bit of a tinkerer, you can pre-condition the XC90 T8â€s drivetrain, battery and cabin, either directly from within the car or by using the Volvo On Call mobile app. The real benefit of this is in extreme weather conditions when the car can be heated or cooled as necessary and ready to go by the time the driver enters. Volvo also reckons the fact that it can be done while the car is plugged in is beneficial from a CO2 perspective since it ensures that the battery will last as long as possible in Pure Electric Drive mode.