Time to recharge your batteries this year...

Volvo’s top notch, good-looking XC60 plug-in hybrid is put to the test by Carmel Stewart

The first and perhaps most obvious observation regarding the Volvo XC60 recharge plug-in hybrid is that it is not a cheap option.

With a starting price of £50,695 it requires some pretty deep pockets but, if you can stretch your budget and juggle your finances, you will find yourself behind the wheel of a good-looking vehicle that will make you smile every time you load up your in-laws, outlaws, offspring, goods and chattels and take up your comfortable position in the heated driver’s seat.

The entry-level plug-in is snappily designated the Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T6 Inscription Expression. It has a chunky 340hp at its disposal – provided by a combination of the 2.0 litre 253hp petrol engine which drives the front wheels and the 87hp electric motor which drives the rear wheels– and can travel for up to 32 miles on electric power alone – more than enough for the average commute.

Emissions kick in when petrol power is required and then only at the rate of 55g/km. The combined fuel economy has been officially registered as 113mpg and those smart enough to select the XC60 as their company car will benefit from the 14 per cent BiK. Every plug-in hybrid XC60 has a 11.6kWh high-voltage battery that can be completely recharged in as little as two and a half hours.

Included in the price is satellite navigation, rear parking camera, sensors front and rear, heated front seats, driver’s power seat, drive mode settings, snazzy 18-inch diamond-cut alloys and chrome exterior highlights.

As with all Volvos, the XC60 is fitted with Volvo On Call which enables the owner to control various functions of the car remotely via an app which also acts as an emergency and tracking service.

As always, opting for a higher spec adds to the goodies and the price. R-Design and Inscription trims are also on offer with the T6 powertrain. Sitting above the T6 is the 390hp Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T8, which is available in R-Design Pro and Inscription Pro form. Top spec in the Recharge line-up is the Polestar Engineered version which packs 405hp into its dynamic hybrid set-up and has a starting price of £63,270.

Inside, the XC60 is roomy and comfortable with leather- faced upholstery and a 10-speaker sound system. The available boot space is slightly smaller than on the nonhybrid version – 468 litres as opposed to 483 litres but still more than enough for the average family’s gubbins.

On the road, the Recharge XC60 is an absolute delight, offering a relaxing, untroubled driving experience. The standard fit eight-speed automatic is smooth and responsive, the handling agile and unruffled and the suspension well able to cope with the vagaries of the UK’s road surfacing. The driver has a choice of drive modes: hybrid, pure electric, AWD, off road and individual.

If the recharge version is a stretch too far, there are petrol and diesel powered versions available at a starting price of £40,460 for the front-wheeldrive B4 diesel and B5 petrol.

Like all other Volvo models, the XC60 can be purchased entirely online so no need to break any Covid restrictions.