Volvo's XC90 showcases cutting edge technology in T8 Plug-in hybrid guise. Jonathan Crouch checks out the improved model.

Ten Second Review

Volvo must adapt to survive as an independent car maker. Proof of that has been delivered by this model, now usefully improved, the XC90 T8 Plug-in hybrid. It's a family-sized luxury seven-seat SUV for a very different world.

Background

The second generation XC90 was a car that fans of the brand anticipated impatiently and what we got when it originally arrived back in 2015 was worth the wait. Absolutely everything about this MK2 model was fundamentally new and engineered to set fresh class standards. Nowhere was this more evident than with the T8 Plug-in hybrid petrol/electric variant that headed up the range. Here, you get the potential of supermini-style running costs. On top of that, there's the sort of proper full-sized seven-seat versatility that few rivals can credibly offer and the kind of cool, authentic Scandinavian charm that prior to this MK3 model's arrival, we hadn't really seen from a new Volvo in a very long time. This car was usefully updated in 2019, before a further update package arrived in Autumn 2024 to create the model we're going to look at here.

Driving Experience

There are no engineering changes for this updated XC90 Plug-in hybrid. The 'T8' badging applied to this car denotes its petrol/electric powertrain and plug-in hybrid usability. In fact there are three engines if you're going to be pedantic about it and count the 25bhp starter motor/generator that pitches in from time to time to smooth any gaps in torque delivery between the two main power sources. One of these is the 303hp turbocharged/supercharged petrol unit borrowed from the old conventional T6 model that drives the front wheels. In an XC90 T8 though, it's assisted by a separate engine at the back, an 145bhp electric motor powered by a battery pack neatly packaged away in the transmission tunnel. It's all enough to deliver a set of stats that it's rather hard to get your head around. So, 455hp and 62mph from rest in just 5.1s - the kind of storming performance you'd get in this segment from, say, a Porsche Cayenne S - matched with real world fuel and CO2 readings that could potentially equal those of a frugal supermini. That's assuming you select the most performance-orientated of the five driving settings that T8 owners are offered - the 'Power' mode that sees both petrol and electric units permanently working together. Alternatively, there are four other drive choices: a 'Hybrid' setting that sees the two engines cutting in and out as necessary: an 'AWD' mode that gives you permanent 4x4 traction off road: plus a 'Pure electric' setting that only uses the battery power and can take you up to 42.3 miles (an EAER rating that's more than most people's daily commuting distance) on a single charge. There's even a 'Save' option so that on a longer trip, you can hold that charge until you get to the city driving you might have to do at the end of the journey.

Design and Build

If you're familiar with this second generation XC90 design, you'll immediately spot the revised front end of this updated model, which features a smarter grille flanked by redesigned 'Thor's hammer' LED headlights. In addition, there's a more sculpted bonnet, revised front wings and a cleaner, simpler lower front bumper. There are smarter wheel designs too (sizes between 20 and 22-inches), plus darkened rear tail lights and a fresh look for the charging port. Inside, the biggest change you'll notice will be the more horizontal design to a totally redesigned dash which now incorporates a new central touchscreen. This has grown from 9 to 11.2-inches in size, is more responsive, higher-resolution and borrows its Google software from the system used in the EX90, enabling over-the-air updates. There's an easier-to-access screen operating system too. In addition, the centre console has been redesigned and now features a '2+1' cup holder (with room for an extra slim drinks can), plus there's a new wireless smartphone charger which is more conveniently accessible. The ambient lighting system and 360-degree camera system have both been enhanced, but the 12.3-inch digital driver's display remains as before. Unlike some rival PHEV large SUVs, you can have third row seating in this XC90 T8 model. As before, this genuine seven seater features innovatively designed seats that also free up interior space for passengers in both the second and third seat rows. Even the third row can seat an adult up to 170cm tall. As for the boot space on offer, well that's inevitably going to be a little restricted with all seven seats in place, though even in this configuration, you still get 262-litres of luggage space (down from 302-litres in the B5 version). Fold the 3rd row and you can load up to 640-litres (down from 680-litres in the B5). It's 1,007-litres if you fold the second row as well.

Market and Model

All XC90 Plug-in hybrid T8 variants still come with 7 seats, plus of course there's automatic transmission and AWD. Prices start from around £73,000 (compare to around £64,000 for the 250hp mild hybrid B5 petrol model). There's a choice of three trim levels - 'Core', 'Plus' and 'Ultra'. Standard kit across the range includes Matrix LED headlamps, a heated windscreen and an anti-theft alarm. Inside all XC90s, the tablet-like 11.2-inch touchscreen in the centre console drives the minor controls and a whole host of Internet-based products and services. And there's a 12.3-inch 'Progressive Drivers Display' for the instruments. Plus heat for the front seats and steering wheel and a rear view camera. Many customers will choose mid-range 'Plus' trim, which includes the brand's 'Active Four-C Chassis' (adaptive damping and air suspension); plus a panoramic glass roof, a 360-degree camera system and a 13-speaker 600-watt Harmon Kardon sound system. Top 'Ultra'-spec gets you larger 21-inch wheels, a Head-up display, front seat massaging, nappa leather perforated upholstery, integrated rear side blinds and an 18-speaker 1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system. Across the range, XC90 safety gear includes a run off-road protection package which tightens seatbelts and activates energy-absorbing technology in the seats when the car detects challenging terrain ahead. Another system is the auto-braking feature, which cuts in if a driver pulls out in front of oncoming traffic. Both safety systems aim to bring Volvo closer to its vision of nobody being seriously injured or killed in any of its vehicles by the end of this century's third decade.

Cost of Ownership

As part of the changes made to this updated MK2 XC90 line-up back in 2019, Volvo introduced a higher-capacity battery to this T8 variant, which enhanced its all-electric driving range by around 15%, so it can these days offer an EAER-rated range of up to 44.1 miles. Theoretically then, you could use an XC90 T8 every day without ever visiting a fuel station unless you needed to undertake a longer trip. That's assuming of course that you keep the lithium-ion battery fully charged. That'll take a little longer than before thanks to the bigger battery. Owners can buy a wallbox from Volvo that will charge their cars on 16-amp power in about three hours. If you're out and about and find a 10-amp pubic charging point, the needed time will be slightly lengthier - around four hours - while connecting up to a normal domestic three-pin 6-amp supply will take eight hours. Ultimately, to justify this T8 model's price premium over the conventionally-engined B5 mild hybrid variant, you really have to try and plug it in at every opportunity, otherwise you'll simply find yourself running a heavy petrol-powered SUV. And one that will need more frequent refuelling than more conventional XC90 derivatives because its fuel tank size falls from 71 to 50-litres due to the need to make space for the hybrid powertrain and the battery. If on the move, you want to prioritise all-electric progress, you can select a 'Pure' driving mode that prioritises electric-only operation and would be useful in an urban environment. In everyday use though, most T8 owners will be driving in the 'Hybrid' mode that the car's powertrain automatically defaults to, a setting in which the vehicle will automatically alternate between petrol and electric power - and the basis for a faintly incredible-sounding set of WLTP-rated running cost figures: up to 235.1mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and up to 30g/km of CO2. A 'Driver Performance' option on the centre-dash screen graphically shows how frugally you've been driving your XC90 and on this T8 model, also includes an interactive graphic showing what's currently being powered by what. While we can't imagine any XC90 T8 owner ever actually achieving the brand's officially-quoted returns, the important thing is that the government believes them, so business users will be able to write down as much as 100% of the cost of this car against their tax liability. And a 40% tax payer could be driving an XC90 T8 while incurring a 8% BIK tax bill that would be way less than half of what they would pay for a conventional diesel-powered large luxury SUV in this class. If you're a business buyer browsing in this segment, these are figures that'll reward a bit of thought if you're just about to blindly sign on the dotted line for the ordinary B5 petrol model.

Summary

Volvo seems to be flourishing under foreign ownership and this T8 Plug-in hybrid XC90 model is a good example of why. You might have expected Chinese company control to stifle the company's Scandinavian character. Instead, what we've been given here is a return to Swedish charisma and an emphasis on all the things that the Gothenburg brand does best - cool restrained style, real-world practicality and class-leading safety. Of course, this Volvo's not perfect. There are still sharper-handling choices and more capable off roaders in this sector. In balancing these virtues though, this XC90 sets its own class standard and in doing so, establishes a family benchmark amongst luxury SUVs that rivals will struggle to match. Add in the astonishingly low running costs that come with Plug-in hybrid technology and it's a difficult formula to resist if you're shopping in this segment. Company founders Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson would have liked this car. More importantly though, if you're shopping in this segment, we think you will too.