By: Krish Persaud
December 13, 2022
With the XC40, XC60, and XC90, the Swedish automaker has proven themselves as a serious contender in the premium luxury SUV segment. Our attention is on the XC60, which has been selling a huge amount for years on end, and for good reason—it has some of the most advanced safety technology, a straightforward design, and top-notch driver assistance packages. We reached out to Volvo Cars Canada, and they were kind enough to lend us a 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge T8 R-Design AWD. We couldn’t have been more thrilled to give it a thorough week of testing.
Our tester, the 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge T8 AWD R-Design was equipped with 21-inch 5-V Spoke Black Diamond-cut alloy wheels, Silver Dawn Paint, a 1,400-watt Bowers and Wilkins premium sound system, and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
The XC60 Recharge T8 AWD R-Design is powered by a 2.0-liter inline supercharged & turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 312 horsepower, which is combined with a rear electric motor producing 143 horsepower, and an 8-speed geartronic automatic transmission to produce a mind-boggling combined output of 455 horsepower and 523 lb.-ft of torque.
We are confident that Volvo’s claim of 0 to 96km/h in 4.8 seconds is accurate based on our testing. The XC60 accelerates beautifully, with no signs of struggle, and in such a smooth manner that you could easily exceed the speed limit in no time.
The current generation XC60 has been available since 2017, and with some improvements, we now have the option of having the refreshed XC60 with both a plug-in hybrid and a mild hybrid system.
With efficient driving, the XC60 plug-in hybrid system has an all-electric range of about 58 km. We can agree with the numbers bragged by Volvo as we actually matched them. By pressing a few buttons on the 9-inch infotainment touchscreen, the XC60’s electric-only range can be stored up for city driving as you see fit, just like the 2022 Lexus NX450h+ F Sport we recently reviewed.
Though there should have been a simpler way to choose between the various drive modes (Pure, Hybrid, Power, Constant AWD, or Off-Road), eventually clicking through the menus will come naturally.
Fast charging is currently not available for the XC60 Recharge but during our week of testing we had two opportunities to charge the XC60 on a level 2 charger, which took about three and a half hours from almost empty to full charge at a rate of 7 kW per hour each time.
Volvo’s switch to an Android operating system makes use of voice control through Google Assistant in an effort to keep our eyes on the road for tasks like climate control, entering locations into Google Maps, and quickly switching between media. Volvo has removed the majority of the hard buttons to maintain its minimalist design (we do love that they have kept the standard volume knob located just under the infotainment screen), but we always prefer having hard buttons versus repeatedly pressing the infotainment screen for commands like drive modes and EV management
During our time of testing, our XC60’s operating system was fully updated to the latest operating system, but despite that, we were unable to use Apple CarPlay to connect our Apple phones to the system and were forced to use Bluetooth. We are told this is not an issue in other Volvo models.
The Bowers and Wilkins Premium Sound System that came with our XC60 Recharge was absolutely wonderful and may be our favorite audio system of the year. Incredibly realistic sound reproduction may cause you to keep listening to music even if you’ve been sitting in one place for hours. All frequency ranges of sound are accurately portrayed, proving that this system is highly impactful.
One thing we do know is that Volvo has done an excellent job with the interior layout, with premium materials used throughout the cockpit. The Nappa Front Leather Seats and Leatherette Rear Seats are incredibly supportive and have just the right amount of bolstering to make the ride very comfortable for short or long drives. The rear passengers have plenty of legroom, but three full-size adults will have to squeeze back there. Getting the weekend getaway gear into the XC60 is no issue with 468 L of cargo room.
The driving experience is what you’d expect from a Swedish automaker. Our test vehicle had front and rear air suspension, which resulted in a smooth drive and did a good job of removing road impurities. Even with the 21-inch 5-V-spoke black diamond-cut alloy wheels and being in an R-Design sport-oriented configuration the cabin felt as smooth as driving on a cloud. By cycling through the drive modes, the Volvo will adjust the air suspension and steering to accommodate the selected mode. The steering is highly predictable in all settings, instilling confidence in all situations. There was nothing we could fault.
Starting at $64,950 for the XC60 Recharge Core, $75,400 for the Recharge Plus, and $82,200 for the Ultimate, the Volvo is priced very competitively in 2023 in comparison to its rivals. Our 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge T8 R-Design AWD had a total MSRP (including options) of $89,575, and that price included the Bowers & Wilkins Premium Sound System, 21-inch alloy wheels, air purifier, and 4-corner air suspension amongst other options.
The XC60 Recharge has fuel economy ratings of 8.5L/100km for both city and highway driving. Despite our best efforts to match the same ratings under combined highway and city driving conditions with a relatively light foot, temperatures below 0 °C, and the heating system on high, we averaged 9.5L/100km. It is recommended that only 91-octane gasoline be used in the XC60 Recharge’s 71-liter tank.
Volvo is able to compete for the segment’s top spot by providing a more engaging driving experience than some of its competitors. In terms of thrills per dollar, the Volvo XC60 checks off a number of our boxes. With elegantly matched 21-inch wheels, a smooth driving experience, and one of the highest safety ratings in the industry. Please take our money!
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