Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid review – MPG, running costs & CO2

While any car’s economy will be affected by how you drive it, that’s truer of the Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid than it is of most models. Both the entry-level T6 and the more powerful T8 model have five driving modes: AWD, Pure, Hybrid, Power and Off Road. Select Pure and they’ll run on electric power only when there's enough charge in the battery, giving you a theoretical range up to 51 miles. If you’re able to cover your commute within this distance (which, it should be noted, is a maximum figure), you’ll use barely any petrol at all.

Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid MPG & CO2

Volvo quotes fuel economy figures of up to 313.9mpg for the Plug-in Hybrid T6 and up to 282.5mpg for the T8 model. CO2 emissions range from 22g/km in the T6 to 23g/km in the T8. These figures may be possible to achieve if you’re able to use electric power most of the time, but they’ll quickly decrease if you drive with an empty battery. Pure electric range for both cars is very similar, with a range of up to 51 miles possible in the T6, falling slightly to 49.7 miles in the T8. 

Even in Pure mode, if you demand more performance than the electric motor can provide, the 2.0-litre petrol engine will eventually kick in, adversely affecting efficiency as it does so. Take the electric range figures with a pinch of salt, too, because during our time with the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid we found electric range went down even when using the ‘hold’ feature which is meant to conserve battery power by using the combustion engine. We didn’t record precise mileage on electric power alone, but it was certainly nowhere near the 51-mile on-paper figure.

Those after a fast company car will find much to like about the XC60 Recharge, with low carbon-dioxide emissions placing both the T6 and T8 models into the lower Benefit-in-Kind bandings, although it will still be more expensive in this regard than an all-electric BMW iX3 or Mercedes EQB.

Road tax (VED) will be expensive, however: after the first year of tax (which is typically rolled into a car’s on-the-road price), every XC60 Plug-in Hybrid costs more than £40,000, incurring a luxury car surcharge from years two to six, for a hefty annual bill.

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Battery charge time, range and capacity

Every Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid has a 14.7kWh battery, which takes between three to seven hours to fully charge up, depending on the power supply. While fast chargers are relatively simple and inexpensive to have installed at your home, using a conventional three-pin domestic plug sees the charging time increase to seven hours. The charging cable is stored under the boot floor and plugs into a flap on its nearside wing, with the batteries being replenished via the car’s on-board charger.

Warranty and battery warranty

While the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid itself has a fairly average three-year/60,000-mile warranty, Volvo guarantees the battery pack for eight years or 100,000 miles – whichever comes first.

Insurance group

As an expensive and powerful SUV, all versions of the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid are costly to insure. The T6 model sits in group 41, with the more powerful T8 placed in group 43. The T8 Polestar Engineered model is the most expensive, with a group 44 rating.