Attention, college professors and conservation lawyers! Bust out your tweed blazers: Volvo's finally bringing a hybrid to the US.
Yes, it's a concept car and no, it isn't the V60 diesel hybrid, but it's the next best thing. The folks in Gothenburg have partially electrified an XC60, giving it a combined total of 350 horsepower, a 35 mile all-electric range and a combined gas/electric fuel economy of 50 mpg. The whole setup will be on display at the North American International Auto Show next week in Detroit.
The crossover features a direct injection four-cylinder engine and 12 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, both of which work in tandem or separately to transform the XC60 from a pure EV to a car capable of 0-60 in 5.8 seconds.
Those options are possible thanks to Volvo's drivetrain management options. Instead of dictating a single combination of battery and gasoline power, the XC60 plug-in hybrid gives the user a choice of three modes.
We always wondered what those blank spaces were doing where buttons should be on the XC60's dash, and now we know. Press "Pure," and your XC60 becomes an EV that can travel 35 miles from its plug and charges in 3.5 hours at a 220V outlet. Hit "Hybrid" and you'll get 50 mpg and a total range of around 600 miles. Bump it up to "Power" and the car will use both electric and gas motors to get 280 lb-ft of torque for maximum acceleration.
Concept cars aside, we expect to see a lot more of the XC60's all-new eight-speed automatic and modular four-cylinder engine, which can provide fuel savings and increased efficiency even without all those batteries.
"It's time to stop counting cylinders," said Peter Mertens, Volvo senior VP of research and development. "Four-cylinder engines are the most effective way to quickly reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption without compromising customer expectations when it comes to driving pleasure and performance."
Despite that show of support for the four-banger, don't expect a T4 badge on the rear. This concept is brought to you by the letter T and the number 8, because the hybrid drivetrain – in Volvo's words – "moves the car into territory previously occupied solely by eight-cylinder engines."
Photos: Volvo Cars
