The plug-in hybrid variant of Volvo’s seven-seat XC90 consumes just 2.1 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, which maps out to 112 miles per gallon-equivalent rating. Granted, these numbers come from the more-lenient European driving cycle, but still. The SUV can go about 27 miles on electricity alone, while its 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine pairs up with an electric motor to deliver a combined 407 horsepower. And the model even includes an all-wheel-drive mode.
Earlier this month, Volvo allowed that it may have underestimated how many people would want the PHEV variant of the XC90, initially saying that version would account up to five percent of sales in the UK. In fact, the PHEV is sold out well into next year, and one in five XC90 orders are for the plug-in hybrid, despite the fact that it’s the most expensive version of the XC90. As for the US, the XC90 is slated to reach these shores by the end of the year. Volvo’s press release is avaialable below.
XC90 T8 Twin Engine is the world’s most powerful and cleanest SUV
Delivers 49 g/km CO2, combined 407 hp*, 640 Nm, just 2.1 l/100 km and 43 km pure electric range
The XC90 T8 Twin Engine has exceeded all expectations when it comes to the no compromise equation of power and low fuel consumption, coupled with world class low emissions – and all in a 7-seat luxury SUV.
The improvement over the earlier announced figures were achieved thanks to the continuous innovation cycle at the Swedish company. The result of further tuning is a drop of 10 g/km from the initial prognosis, bringing fuel consumption down to 2.1 l/100 km while also adding horsepower. This makes the XC90 T8 Twin Engine the clear leader in its segment, with an exceptional combination of low fuel consumption, emissions and pure power.
“We have been working hard to earn our competitive edge and to give our customers the ultimate combination of performance and low fuel consumption. Our Twin Engine technology has enabled us to build on our heritage of efficient powertrain development in a completely new way. Thanks to our new scalable product architecture, and our world class four-cylinder engines, we have a clear and leading position,” said Dr Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.
No other SUV in this class can deliver 43 km of pure electric range, 0-100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and provide combined power of 407 hp – all in a 7 seat configuration.
The XC90 T8 Twin Engine will be available later this spring in Volvo showrooms.
Note to editors:
All figures are based on the NEDC driving cycle for hybrids.
* 320hp + 87 hp and 400 + 240 Nm combined 407hp and 640 Nm.
A driving mode for every need
The XC90 T8 Twin Engine can go from 0 to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds, delivering all the driving pleasure customers have come to expect from a Volvo SUV. But driving pleasure is only a fraction of what the XC90 T8 offers: the car has five different driving modes that deliver a range of performance and efficiency-enhancing characteristics. Using either a scroll wheel on the centre console or a touchscreen on the dashboard, drivers can choose from:
Hybrid: This is the default mode, suitable for everyday use. Here, the vehicle will automatically alternate between drawing power from the 2-litre, 4-cylinder Drive-E engine and the electric motor to deliver the best overall fuel consumption.
Pure electric: In this mode, when the high-voltage battery is fully charged, it serves as the car’s sole energy source, powering the electric motor over the rear axle. The XC90 T8 has a range of more than 40km using just electricity, which covers the total distance many people drive in one day. And thanks to the regenerative braking system, this mode is super-efficient in the stop-and-go traffic of city environments. If more power is needed, the Drive-E combustion engine starts up automatically.
Power mode: Here, drivers get the combined performance of the combustion engine and the electric motor. On start-up, the SUV takes advantage of the electric motor’s superior response and instant torque curve, while the combustion engine gets up to speed. This combination offers better torque at lower revs, equivalent to that of a large displacement engine like the V8.
AWD: This mode offers constant all-wheel drive on demand. The advantage of being able to select AWD manually is that the driver can use it when needed, or choose to save energy for later.
Save: If the battery is charged, this mode allows the driver to “freeze” the battery level and save it for later use with Pure Electric drive. On the other hand, if the battery is low, the driver can use the combustion engine to charge the battery to a certain level for later use with Pure Electric drive.
——————————-
Volvo Car Group in 2014
For the 2014 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 2,252 MSEK (1,919 MSEK in 2013). Revenue over the period amounted to 129,959 MSEK (122,245 MSEK). For the full year 2014, global sales reached a record 465,866 cars, an increase of 8.9 per cent versus 2013. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 465,866 in 2014 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.
As of December 2014, Volvo Cars had over 26,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium) and Chengdu (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).
