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In-depth reviews

Volvo XC60 Recharge - all in for the plug-in?

“The Volvo XC60 Recharge hybrid proves that efficient cars can also be sleek, desirable and fast – but they are rather expensive”

Carbuyer Rating

3.8 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.0 out of 5

Read owner reviews

Pros

  • Beautiful interior
  • Handsome
  • Fast

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Numb steering
  • Body lean when cornering

Verdict - Is the Volvo XC60 Recharge a good car?

The XC60 Recharge is a handsome car inside and out, with a relaxed nature that makes it ideal for drivers who favour comfort and refinement for long stints behind the wheel over sporty handling. Significant upgrades under the metal have made the Recharge noticeably more useful, thanks to a longer range and punchy acceleration provided in part by the electric motor. Its only problem is a high starting price, putting it up against models with more badge prestige like the Ranger Rover Velar P400e. Look past that, though, and the XC60 Recharge is the better car.

Volvo XC60 Recharge models, specs and alternatives

 

While many plug-in hybrid cars prioritise economy above all else, the Volvo XC60 Recharge hybrid (PHEV) was at least as much about speed as it was efficiency when the T8 launched. In 2020, the XC60 Recharge range was expanded to include a new T6 entry-level model, making it more affordable.

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A 2021 facelift saw the XC60 Recharge given a subtle makeover, along with a new Android-based operating system inside that's one of the best in the class. An increase in electric range also made it less likely for the petrol engine to kick in during the daily commute.

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If you’re after a fast SUV of a similar size and price, the Porsche Macan S and Jaguar F-Pace S offer comparable performance, while the Range Rover Velar P400e and Audi Q5 TFSI e plug-in are close rivals for Recharge models on paper. You could also consider a Volvo XC60 with a conventional engine, which won’t be as quick but could save you more than £10,000.

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Price is where the XC60 Recharge falls down somewhat, as it’s expensive even in entry-level T6 form, costing over £60,000. This is due to the fact it comes with plenty of standard equipment and a sophisticated powertrain, which features across the Recharge range, albeit with different power outputs. The front wheels are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol, while the rear wheels are powered by an electric motor and battery pack.

Such a complex configuration is expensive to build and buy, but it brings three key advantages, the first of which is incredible on-paper fuel economy of up to 282.1mpg (T8) or 313.4mpg (T6) and a pure-electric range of around 50 miles. These official figures will be hard to match unless you make the most of the XC60 Recharge’s battery range, but the second advantage – low company-car tax thanks to CO2 emissions ranging from 22g/km to 30g/km – will be more palpably felt.

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Then there’s the speed; all versions of the XC60 Recharge are rapid. Even the base T6 model sprints from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, with the standard T8 completing the benchmark in 4.9 seconds. The driving experience itself is slightly at odds with this performance, though, as the steering is light and uncommunicative, while the suspension leans towards comfort and body lean rather than sharpness and level cornering. This isn’t a problem in lesser XC60s but the Recharge T8’s power doesn’t sit well with its cosseting nature if the car is driven hard.

Inside, every XC60 Recharge is a thing of beauty, with excellent built quality and premium materials. You can choose from three trim levels: Core, Plus and Ultimate, which replaced the Momentum, R-Design and Inscription trims in early 2022. Inside, the dashboard design is carried over from the larger XC90. That means a portrait touchscreen takes centre stage, while digital dashboard dials, leather seats and sat nav are all standard.

The rear doors’ aperture isn’t as wide as you might like, so loading child seats can be a bit fiddly, but head and legroom are generous. The boot, at 483 litres, is larger than the boot in the BMW X3 xDrive30e, and it’s also flat, unlike the BMW which suffers from having a step in the boot floor.

The XC60 last placed in 69th out of the top 75 models in our 2022 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, while Volvo as a company came 13th out of 32 brands in 2023. Equally, it’s safe too, earning a full five-star rating when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2017.

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Charlie writes and edits news, review and advice articles for Carbuyer, as well as publishing content to its social media platforms. He has also been a regular contributor to its sister titles Auto Express, DrivingElectric and evo. As well as being consumed by everything automotive, Charlie is a speaker of five languages and once lived in Chile, Siberia and the Czech Republic, returning to the UK to write about his life-long passion: cars.

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