- Volvo has launched long-range PHEV versions of the XC60 and XC90 SUVs for ’27.
- Both have 2.0-liter turbocharged fours with up to 247 hp, and 37.9 kWh batteries.
- XC60 is updated with new Thor’s Hammer LEDs, rear lights and extra safety tech.
Acura’s VP of auto strategy recently claimed American drivers don’t want plug-in hybrids because “PHEVs just don’t work in the market.” But maybe those drivers haven’t met the right plug-in yet. Maybe Volvo’s new PHEVs and their ability to travel as far as yesterday’s EVs without sipping a drop of gas might change their minds.
This week Volvo revealed a new-look XC60 and new Long-Range plug-in hybrid versions of both that SUV and its XC90 big brother. A 2.0-liter combustion engine and electric motor under the hood of each makes either 178 hp (180 PS) or 247 hp (250 PS) in the smaller SUV, and is limited to the higher tune in the big one. A stouter electric motor helps the speediest (455 hp / 461 PS combined) XC60 hit 62 mph (100 kmh) in 4.8 seconds, and the XC90 do it in 5.2. But the bigger news is the now bigger battery stashed further back.
Related: Volvo’s Decade-Old XC40 Refuses To Die, Gains Design And Tech Updates
Previous XC60 and XC90 PHEVs got by with a relatively small 14.7 kWh net battery, but that’s been swapped out for a much chunkier 37.9 kWh pack. That’s as big as the battery in Fiat’s 500e EV, though obviously the Volvos are much bigger cars, and weigh getting on for twice as much in the 5,400 lbs (2,460 kg) XC90’s case.
What it does it totally transform the electric range of both SUVs. The XC90’s range is boosted from 38 WLTP miles (61 km) to 102 miles (164 km), but the real wow factor is found on the XC60’s spec sheet. Volvo claims 124 miles (200 km) for the compact SUV in 178 hp T6 form, and 117 miles (189 km) for the 247 hp T8. The old versions were rated at 49 miles (79 km).
China’s Geely Forged The Path
If you’ve been following news from Volvo’s parent company Geely and its various sub-brands, you’ll know that various Chinese cars already claim more than 100 miles (161 km) of range. And while the numbers Volvo quotes are European WLTP figures, and the more realistic US EPA equivalents will be much lower, we can probably still expect the XC60’s range to come close to triple digits versus the 35 miles (56 km) it claims today.
And that’s pretty incredible considering the longest-range PHEV currently on sale in the US, the Mercedes GLC 350e 4Matic, is only good for 54 miles (87 km), the EPA says.
Beyond the range boost it’s business as usual for the XC90, but the decade-old XC60 pairs its new touring chops with some visual upgrades. It’s not night and day different, but the facelifted car does get a new grille, bumper, hood and fenders, plus a new take on the brand’s Thor’s Hammer LED headlights. New, straighter LEDs are harder to spot at the rear but bigger changes wait inside, including an 11.2-inch portrait touchscreen equipped with Google’s Gemini AI voice assistant.