Volvo XC60 review: cheaper than key German SUV rivals, but just as good
There are three engines available for the Volvo XC60: a mild hybrid petrol called the B5 and two petrol plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), badged T6 and T8.The B5 produces 247bhp and is pretty quick, achieving a 0-60mph time of 7.8sec in our tests. However, when you’re on the move and need a burst of acceleration, it can sometimes require a bit of planning because the automatic gearbox hesitates before changing down when you plant your foot.The 345bhp T6 is punchier, managing 0-60mph in 5.4sec at our private test track. The T8, with 449bhp, has an official 0-62mph time of 4.9sec, which is a remarkably rapid time for such a big, heavy car. Nevertheless, it can still take a second for the gearbox to wake up, the engine too if you’ve been travelling on electric power alone. However, after that, these PHEVs shove you back in your seat with a force most people would associate with performance cars, rather than family SUVs. As long as you’re easy on the accelerator, both PHEVs can get up to motorway speeds using just their electric motors. Both the T6 and T8 have official electric-only ranges of about 50 miles. That said, on our real-world test route, an XC60 T6 ran out of charge within 35 miles, just beating the 33 miles achieved by a Lexus NX 450h+. If you want to travel farther in a plug-in hybrid family SUV using battery power alone, we managed 57 miles in a Mercedes GLC 300e (during a separate test).
