Volvo's flagship SUV, the XC90, with a diesel engine is clocking good sales, even though Volvo has limited dealerships and service centres in India. Now, the Swedish manufacturer plans to add the plug-in hybrid drivetrain option to the XC90 and is likely to launch it here on September 14. The other SUVs in the same segment in the country – from Mercedes, BMW and Audi – are only available with diesel and petrol engine options.
The plug-in hybrid version of the XC90 is being branded as the T8 Twin Engine model and is the most powerful XC90 available in the world, however, its Polestar version is more responsive despite producing the same power. The SUV uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol motor which along with the electric motor puts out a healthy 405PS of power and 650Nm of torque. To put it in perspective, the torque figure is more than that of the BMW X5 xDrive 30d and the Audi Q7 45 TDI. The two are XC90’s direct competitors and use bigger diesel engines than the 2.0-litre petrol motor.
It is quite evident that with the use of a hybrid drivetrain, the XC90 T8 Twin Engine, will be quite brisk to drive because the electric motor will provide low-end torque, all the while maintaining a decent mileage figure of around 11-12kmpl. Moreover, one will be able to drive this hybrid SUV solely using the electric power for as many as 32 kilometre. Not bad, eh?
Speaking of the features, the T8 Twin Engine will have all the features (such a 9-inch infotainment system, Bowers and Wilkins music system, panoramic sunroof, etc) available in the top-end diesel XC90 and even a few more.
As far as the price is concerned, the XC90 hybrid could easily be priced around Rs 1 crore mark, as the current diesel top-end (XC90 D5 Inscription) is priced at Rs 80.23 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It is a little expensive as compared to the competitors, but then it also offers unmatched safety features and a uniqueness of its own.
Stay tuned for our road test!
Source: CarDekho.com
