Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid review – Practicality & boot space
"Although its boot is slightly smaller than the class average, the Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid hybrid is comfortable and spacious"
While we haven’t been hugely generous with our scoring of the Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid’s practicality, that’s not an indication it’s cramped inside, but more a reflection that petrol and diesel rivals tend to be slightly more spacious and practical. While the battery pack and electric motor’s impact on cabin space have been minimised, there’s still a small impact on boot space.
Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid interior space & storage
Volvo is known for making comfortable seats and the XC60’s are no exception. They somehow manage to be both soft and supportive and even when bigger side bolsters are fitted, these don’t impact on comfort in any negative way. The driving position is also spot-on, while the two large sliding compartment covers on the central console hide cupholders and somewhere to store wallets and phones. The cupholders themselves are large and have retractable teeth to hold different sizes of bottle or cup firmly. There are another two that pop out of the centre armrest in the rear.
Parents with small children should be aware the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid’s rear doors don’t open as wide as they might, making access for child seats trickier than it needs to be. This won’t be much of a problem if your children are older and their seats tend to be left in the car, but if you’ve a baby whose seat gets lifted in and out with them in it on a regular basis, check you’re happy with the access on offer. One handy feature for parents of toddlers and small children is that part of the seat base can be lifted up to turn it into a booster seat, and there are ISOFIX points which allow you to secure a baby seat, too.
Boot space
At up to 483 litres, the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid’s boot is large enough, but it’s down roughly 10% on combustion-engined rivals. The rear seats don’t slide, either, so there’s no option to increase luggage space if you have short-legged passengers. The Audi Q5 offers this feature and moving its back seats forwards increases its cargo capacity from 550 to 610 litres.
Also slightly disappointing is the fact the XC60’s seats split 60:40 rather than individually, limiting its versatility slightly. There’s no under-floor storage in the boot either, as the charging cable and assorted mechanical gubbins rest here. These may be minor niggles, but practicality counts when it comes to SUVs. The plug-in hybrid X3 xDrive30e has an even smaller boot, however, with a noticeable step in the boot floor that makes it awkward to load heavy and bulky items.
Towing
Although some hybrids aren’t recommended for towing, both the T6 and T8 versions of the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid can officially tow a braked trailer weighing 2,250kg.
