Volvo XC90 Recharge T8 PHEV Review - Your Perfect Plug-in Hybrid?

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

TIMESTAMPS
00:00​​​​ Introduction
00:41 Background
01:41 Driving Experience
05:21 Design & Build
10:11 Market & Model Range
22:58 Cost of Ownership
25:58​​​ Summary

Background

The second generation XC90 was a car that fans of the brand anticipated impatiently and what we got when it arrived was worth the wait. Absolutely everything about this MK2 model was fundamentally new and engineered to set fresh class standards. Nowhere is this more evident than with the Recharge T8 Plug-in hybrid petrol/electric variant we're going to look at here.

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 we haven't really seen from a new Volvo in a very long time. It all sounds promising doesn't it? Time to put this car to the test.

Driving Experience

The 'Recharge 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 87bhp 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, 386hp and 62mph from rest in just 5.8s - 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 30.4 miles (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

The look of this second generation XC90, according to its exterior design manager Anders Gunnarson, needed to be 'timeless'. If, like its predecessor, its model life must stretch across the decades, then you can certainly see why. Hence the considerable depth of thought that's clearly gone into a sense of style reflective of brand values both old and new. So many large luxury SUVs appear bulky and intimidating: this isn't one of them. On the outside, this refreshed XC90 offers subtle upgrades to the original award-winning exterior design, such as new wheels, exterior colours and a revised front grille, among other details. Otherwise, things are much as before, with a sculpted bonnet flowing into LED front headlights with a distinctive so-called 'Hammer of Thor' design.

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#VolvoXC90Recharge #PlugInHybrid #OSV

[Chuk]

I watch far too many car review videos but none are as thorough and easy to follow as these. Thank you for the very useful information.

[johnrb]

Best auto reviews I’ve found on YouTube to date.

[andrekleyn]

Design wise, this model is absolutely beautifully sculptured.

[michaelreeks]

Thank you the best XC 90 Review that I have seen on YouTube

[chasemason]

Brilliant review. A much better family car than its competitors, but I think many will prefer the prestige of competitor brands, especially for this price.

[timcam]

Wow, what an amazing in-depth review of a great looking and performing car, thanks.

[championthewonderhorse]

A great but seriously expensive car, and I hate those enormous alloy wheels - will get scratched up and much more likely to have punctured tyres. So many high end SUVs have these massive wheels that make the ride worse, make the off roading worse, lead to punctures if you just graze a kerb, and get quickly damaged.

[itsmeirfan]

is it only me that thought you look like daniel craig :) @7.30

[gopher]

What about the Toyota Highlander, that can be self charging or plug and it is far more economical in all modes and is amazingly reliable.

[samueld]

This review isn’t even relevant anymore as the plug in hybrid is totally diffrent now. If you order a T8 today you will get the new powertrain. 455 combined hp. 145 electric hp and 43 Miles of range. Great review though.

[joshusmaximus]

Don't let these BS reviews fool you, the XC90 plug in/hybrid is a joke of a vehicle. Besides the fact that the mileage is one of the worst of the industry for it size, also keep in mind that these vahicles have the smallest amount of storage I have seen in any vehicle before. It's rediculous. There is literally no where to put a purae/wallet, keys, cellphone. The center storage is 2" deep.

[billbrown]

PHEV VERSION. The singularly most disappointing aspect of the PHEV is its inability to set a charge timer, either through the car or Volvo app. So unless you have a smart home charger people like me on an economy 7 tariff need to be nocturnal to benefit from off peak charging. Volvo UK offer no solution and don’t really seem to care. A retrograde step from previous app capability and really spoiling my enjoyment of a brand new car!

[pomerau]

I've only watched a minute of this (and expect it will be excellent as always) but were the design team leaving the front end until last, whereupon they realised it was Christmas Eve already so the Thor headlights will be enough to make it a Volvo and let's not bother with anything else just bend the 3 foot tall panels around the corners, stick a grill and two layer diffuser / wing things under the front and it's done. Black does this car no favours. Come back Volvo. All is forgiven.