[Auto] Volvo XC60 T6

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Volvo’s stated ambition to become an electric-only car maker within 20 years seems quite ambitious when the firm still hasn’t got a full EV on a UK driveway yet, although that’s still nothing on what the UK government expects car makers to do even inside that time frame.

However, since Volvo’s own headline-grabbing announcement a few months ago (one of several Volvo has made post-Dieselgate, including making every car electrified from this year and launching no new models with a diesel option), Volvo has revealed the all-electric XC40 Recharge, swiftly started rolling out more plug-in hybrids, and now new mild hybrids, too. Almost as if a progressive, phased approach towards electrification seemed like a better idea than a blanket ban, allowing consumers to take steps they feel comfortable with. 

Now those mild hybrids have arrived in the XC60 range to replace the standard non-electrified engine options previously on sale. Offered on petrol and diesel XC60s in both front and four-wheel-drive forms, the new system adds a 48V starter motor/generator, and a battery sited in the boot can regenerate power through braking to then aid the engine under acceleration.

The engine capacity is 2.0 litres whether it's petrol or diesel, and the gearbox is always an eight-speed automatic. Confusingly, Volvo uses a B5 name for this new system whether it’s a petrol or a diesel model, with B4 used for a less powerful version of the diesel with it equipped. We’re testing a petrol B5 with the optional four-wheel drive.

 

 

 

 

 

What's it like? : 

 

This version of the B5 offers a really nice powertrain; 'smooth' and 'quiet' are the words that keep coming up when you’re describing it. Start-up is quiet and smooth, cruising progress is quiet and smooth, and the acceleration is brisk and linear. And, of course, smooth and quiet. 

In fact, the acceleration is quite remarkable for a car of this size and weight, boosted by the new mild hybrid system; a claimed 0-60mph time of 6.5sec is fantastic for a car with no sporting pretensions. You never feel the new mild hybrid system in action, such is its role as a silent partner supporting the engine in its operation, with the only indicator a little battery on the instrument display that starts to glow blue when you’re braking and therefore charging it back up.

While boosting the performance, it’s also claimed to help reduce emissions and improve fuel economy by up to 15% apiece. But no matter how much the new 48V system may do for efficiency, applying it to a petrol engine in a car like the XC60 is ultimately a bit like that old adage about rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

The petrol B5’s economy of little over 25mpg on a mixed driving route that included plenty of motorway miles goes some way to limiting this car’s appeal. Diesel remains a far superior option in a car of this size and weight, and given that the mild hybrid technology and associated efficiency and performance claims are also offered on the diesel engines in the XC60 range, it seems a bit of a no-brainer about which one to go for. 

Elsewhere, the B5 is the XC60 as we’ve got to know it. That means easy-going dynamics with a smooth, quiet primary ride (those two words again) and handling that never excites yet is always predictable. It’s less comfortable over more broken surfaces, however, something that has plagued other XC60s we’ve tried, too, and the engine seems to have more sporting performance than the gearbox is willing to allow it to exploit.

The cabin is also of a high perceived quality and excellent comfort, yet this tester remains unconvinced about Volvo’s large portrait touchscreen and its usability. Using it requires your eyes to be off the road too often, with too many button presses for even the simplest of tasks. For a company as safety-conscious as Volvo, this has always seemed like an oversight. 

 

 

 

 

Should I buy one? : 

 

While we applaud Volvo for offering such a mild hybrid system, and commend it on what it does to improve driveability, ultimately that mediocre economy really limits the petrol B5's appeal. 

You’d have to really not like diesel, really want an XC60 and be interested in electrified cars but not enough to choose a plug-in hybrid to choose this particular version of the XC60. Which probably doesn’t leave that many buyers. Yet those who do choose one will still find it a very nice car to drive, if not one with superior running costs offered elsewhere in the same showroom.

 

Volvo XC60 B5 Petrol AWD R-Design specification : 

 

Where Suffolk, UK Price £41,715 On sale Now Engine 4 cyls, 1969cc, turbo, petrol Power 247bhp at 5400-5700rpm Torque 258lb ft at 1800-4800rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic Kerb weight 1841kg Top speed 137mph 0-60mph 6.5sec Fuel economy 31.3-36.2mpg CO2 185g/km, 37% Rivals Land Rover Discovery Sport, Audi Q5