Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid Test Drive Review – Future Is Hybrid?

Performance – The Volvo XC90 petrol only comes in hybrid guise and the Swedish automaker calls it ‘Twin Engine’ and rightfully so. The 2.0-litre petrol motor outputs 320 HP and 400 Nm of torque, it’s both supercharged and turbocharged, thereby having no lag throughout the rev range. The supercharger helps combat low-end lag while the turbo kicks in and ensures a great mid- and top-range punch. The gasoline mill is assisted by an 87 HP electric motor that produces 240 Nm, thereby taking the combined output to a stupendous 400 HP and 640 Nm, resulting in a 0-100 km/hr time of just 5.9 seconds.

To eliminate lag, Volvo has added a turbocharger, a supercharger and even an electric motor to the XC90

The petrol engine powers the front wheels, the electric motor powers the rear wheels and they aren’t connected by a prop shaft, thereby leaving space for Volvo engineers to put the lithium-ion battery in between. The car has 6 drive modes and there is a pure electric mode too but it can only be driven for 40 kms, that too at low speeds as any prod on the big pedal results in the engine kicking in. At low speeds, when the engine isn’t powering the car, it’s extremely silent and when the petrol engine powers up, it’s silent, there is good refinement lower down with the T8 screaming once past the mid-range, redlining at 6500 RPM.

The 9.2 kWh electric motor has to be charged using a cable which takes 2.5 hours and the engine can also charge the battery a bit, there is regenerative braking too. The XC90 uses an 8-speed gearbox which although quick with shifts, there is no way to take manual control of the gears as there are no paddle shifters on offer, nor is there a Tiptronic function on the gear lever. The fuel economy hovers between 8-12 km/l, being better if you frequently charge the battery, however, the fuel tank capacity is low at just 50-litres.

Driving Dynamics – Underpinned by the SPA platform, the Volvo XC90 has been developed with electrification in mind so weight distribution is great in spite of the batteries. That said, it’s still a heavy car and weighs 2400 kgs but the same can’t be felt. The Volvo XC90 has a brilliant ride, the suspension is soft and cushy with the air suspension doing a great job of ironing out the worst of roads, only sharp bumps can be felt, that too only the wheel which goes through it, not all across the vehicle. Ground clearance is ample and can be varied between 227 – 267 mm due to the air suspension.

Thanks to air suspension and AWD, ride quality is fantastic and the XC90 has impressive high speed stability

There is some amount of body roll because of the weight, height and the ground clearance but grip levels are stellar due to the 4-wheel drive system and wide tyres. The steering is light at low speeds and weighs up well at high speeds, the car remaining glued to the road on the highways. There are plenty of safety features including radar-based ones which ensure a safe drive like collision assist, city safety, autonomous braking, all of which can warn and apply brakes if it senses you nearing another vehicle, there is lane keep assist too which pulls the steering into the lane. The brakes offer good stopping power but one has to apply more pressure on the pedal for faster stops.