Our Volvo XC60 was genuinely breathtaking. It is the most advanced and the closest to an autonomous vehicle we have ever driven. The XC60 can steer, brake, and see better than us and uses these attributes to keep us safe.
★★★★☆ | Volvo XC60 T8 R-Design Pro
What Have We Got
This week we have a plug-in hybrid from Volvo. The Volvo XC60 T8 twin engine, which means it has a 2.0L petrol engine which is supercharged and turbocharged, producing 320bhp, powering the front wheels, with an 87 bhp electric motor powering the rear wheels. Together they provide a combined power figure of 407 bhp, enough to get you to 62mph in 5.3 seconds and on to 140mph.
Our XC60 T8 is an R-Design Pro meaning it has all the toys and I mean all of them. It’s a beautiful car and extremely well built.
Driving
This is probably the most technically advanced car we’ve driven but is also one the most complete, accomplished packages we’ve seen.
There are several driving modes to choose from:
Eco (the most frugal settings) Dynamic (a balance between performance and economy, consider this ‘normal’ mode), Off Road (at low speed, makes the XC60 a serious off-road tool)Individual (allows you to personalise settings such as suspension, steering, gearbox etc) In Dynamic, the car is simply beautiful to drive. It’s very fast, very smooth and very easy to drive.
Inside
Inside the Volvo is an exquisite place, elegant and graceful. The materials are the best we’ve seen and the fit and finish are beyond compare. R Design features such luxuries as a perforated leather multifunction steering wheel with gearshift paddles, and nubuck leather upholstery. The sports seats are very supportive and infinitely adjustable and there is plenty of room inside for 5 adults in comfort.
Our test car had the Bowers & Wilkins sound system which was incredible. 15 speakers and 1100 watts of power worked for us.
Living with it
Air suspension on the T8 R Design ensures a beautiful ride, soaking up the bumps and potholes of our roads with ease. The T8 is also fitted with adaptable, electronic dampers which means the suspension can be easily adjusted for ride and comfort, but more impressive than that, it constantly adjusts to the driving conditions.
As a plug-in hybrid, you can drive it on just electric power for up to 20 miles, then it seamlessly switches to the engine’s power. If you have power in the battery at low speeds, on part throttle, you are essentially driving a big electric vehicle. It’s whisper quiet and silky smooth. When you need more power it ditches to the engine’s power, not so you notice though.
The Verdict
Our Volvo XC60 was genuinely breathtaking. It is the most advanced and the closest to an autonomous vehicle we have ever driven. The XC60 can steer, brake, and see better than us and uses these attributes to keep us safe.
Volvo see this car as; ‘a clear step in our work towards fully autonomous cars’.
It was a real pleasure driving the new Volvo XC60 T8 Twin Engine AWD R-Design Pro. Now we see what all the fuss was about.
Loves
Performance
Interior
Superb build quality
Loathes
Price
Electric range only up to 20 miles
I can’t afford one
Lowdown
Car – Volvo XC60 T8 Twin Engine AWD R-Design Pro.
Price – £53,870 – £59,770
MPG – 134.5mpg (manufacturer claimed. We only got around 40 mpg)
0-62 – 5.3s
Power – 407 bhp (87 bhp electric and 320 bhp petrol)
Top Speed – 140 mph
