Volvo’s 400 horsepower gasoline-electric hybrid brings a welcomed sporting dynamic to a rather vanilla-flavored segment. The icing on the cake for the driving enthusiast is an astounding instant-on 472-lb-ft torque and that very cool electric-only launch that Volvo’s XC60 T8 hybrid crossover does so well.
Spending many hours behind the wheel of Volvo’s flagship XC90 T8 Inscription PHEV (plug-in electric vehicle) hybrid sedan sets the anticipation bar very high for this auto journalist. So, when Volvo engineering informed us that Volvo’s best selling offering, the XC60 2-row SUV shares drive-train technology, horsepower, and torque, with the larger XC90 3-row, we were hooked.
The reinvented XC60 SUV, Volvo’s best selling vehicle worldwide, comes to market with 400 combined horsepower, 472-lb-ft torque, standard equipped all-wheel-drive, and the award-winning, ergonomically correct, interior confines that rival many Swedish designed executive offices. It’s unique 2.0 Liter turbocharged 4 cylinder engine when electrified, Joins Porsche with segment-leading horsepower and torque.
2018 XC60 may be the most comfortable 2-row crossover, SUV on the road today. Driving through the mountainous outskirts of Denver, Colorado, we experienced a posh, yet relatively sensually reserved, 2-row SUV that presents the in-town maneuverability of a compact UTE, the comfort of an executive car, and the handling prowess and road stickiness of an all-wheel-drive sports sedan.
Driving 2018 Volvo XC60 in the rain
On that late August afternoon, mother nature conjured up a rather wet thunderstorm for our initial drive impression — we experienced no difference in overall handling and drive performance while navigating our XC60 AWD (standard) T8 Inscription R-Design through a blinding downpour while traversing a 2-lane mountain downhill at speed — astoundingly good!
As to quiet, Volvo engineering does a commendable job of isolating ever-changing road conditions from the cabin, while preserving a very decent road to steering wheel connectivity. Overall cabin to the road and surrounding countryside visibility is excellent, interior cabin noise, nil, and the leather-covered, power adjusted, cooled and heated driver’s seat, exquisitely comfortable.
True enough, the butter soft perforated leather seats are not only orthopedic designed, but cooled and heated; with a unique curved-line, flow-through, hand stitched (looking) leather-clad dash design, housing a massive 9 inch, 4-segment, sweep-activated touch-screen center stack command module, perhaps the most intuitive in the auto-world today; impressive by any measure. Read my drive review of Volvo’s 2017 S90 executive sedan here.
Yet, despite newfound engine power and sport sedan-like road handling, Volvo Car puts the emphasis on driver and occupant safety, first and foremost — with arguably the most advanced near autonomous driver assist and accident avoidance technologies available in the industry today; standard. This Volvo will keep you and your’s out of harm’s way.
2018 Volvo XC60 experience price of admission
As with all things “premium,” for 2018, Volvo’s XC60 comes to market with a premium price of entry.(MSRP $ 41,500 to $56,700 +) But, from where I sit, rather one purchase or leases the base model 2018 T5, the turbocharged, supercharged T6, or the 400 combined horsepower gasoline/electric 2018 XC60 PHEV Inscription, 2018 XC60 presents long-term value, measurable drive performance, and class-leading active and passive safety features. Find full MSRP and specifications here.
2018 Volvo XC60 yet to be fuel efficiency rated by U.S. EPA
As of this post, Volvo has not released EPA fuel efficiency ratings for Volvo Cars latest offering, However, based on the current Volvo lineup, we anticipate improved fuel efficiency, despite a measurable increase in combined hybrid horsepower and torque. Currently, the 2018 Volvo XC60 T5 (non-hybrid) claims an MPG rating of 22 city/28 highway/ combined 24. I look to the XC60 T8 hybrid variant to increase this average by no than 15%, we’ll keep you posted.
