By Caleb Jacobs
You’ll have to forgive me, but I didn’t do my homework before driving the 2026 Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge. (Maybe because the name sounds like a question on an algebra test.) I knew it was a plug-in hybrid; I knew it packed a turbo 2.0-liter engine; and I figured it would be pretty slick. What I didn’t know was just how darn quick it was, and after spending a week with it, I’m still surprised at what it can achieve with limited displacement and a single electric motor.
As far as I can tell, raw speed is the number one reason you’d choose the T8 over another XC60. Sure, the electric-only range is handy, and it makes even more sense for city and suburban dwellers. I just happen to live 30 minutes from everything. But this beast churns out 455 horsepower and 523 lb-ft of torque! That’s more than a nice perk; it’s enough to smoke a sports car if the driver underestimates you.
Not everything about the XC60 is perfect. Honestly, I can’t tell you the last time I tested a car and didn’t find a few nits to pick. That said, I believe it’s an exceptionally solid buy in the competitive luxury crossover segment.
Volvo offers crossovers in practically every segment, from the compact XC40 all the way up to the family-hauling XC90. And if gasoline no longer piques your interest, Volvo is still moving forward with the EX60 and EX90 (though the EX30 is no longer slated for the U.S. market). The plug-in hybrid XC60 T8 sits pretty much smack-dab in the middle of the lineup.
I also think it looks the best. The current generation XC60 has been around for nearly 10 years, but I’m still not tired of it. It’s fashionably understated, with precious few LEDs trying to command your attention and no gaping maw for a grille. And on top of that, the proportions are good—rounded, but not grossly bloated.
Much of the same is true inside the car, too. While the 11.2-inch infotainment display has outgrown its home, where a smaller 9-inch unit once fit perfectly, nothing else is especially garish or over the top. I really liked the Bowers & Wilkins speaker grilles in my tester; that brushed metal is a super nice touch.
View Price on AmazonThat humdinger of a powertrain is what happens when you combine a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that makes 312 hp on its own with a 143-hp electric motor. A modestly sized 18.8-kilowatt-hour battery provides the charge, and an eight-speed automatic handles the shifting. All-wheel drive means you can get around in whatever conditions you might encounter this side of Scandinavia.
I plopped down in the driver’s seat with no real expectations. I’d just driven a V60 Cross Country a few months prior, so if anything, I figured it would feel a lot like that. The plug-in hybrid XC60 quickly proved me wrong as it scooted along the highway just a quarter-mile from my house.
By the time I made it to Dollar General—yes, we have one of those, go figure—I wondered, “What the heck does this thing have in it?” The answer was more or less what I thought, but I had no clue the output was so high. The next question I asked was, “Where’d all my battery go?”
That last bit is half-joking, but the charge truly does deplete quickly when you’re romping on it. The roads near me aren’t great for regenerative braking, either, as there’s no stop-and-go traffic—only 15 miles in either direction before you hit a stoplight, let alone a series of them. I can’t knock Volvo, then, as PHEVs are simply better suited for people who drive around town more often than not, with a dedicated charging setup at home. I fit into neither of those categories.
Still, the XC60 T8 got me all the way from our house to church—25 miles of hilly, twisty roads—on electric power only. I kept it at 60 miles per hour most of the way. And even though I relied almost entirely on
Source: thedrive.com
