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The top T8 Plug-in hybrid version of Volvo's XC60 mid-sized premium SUV combines turbocharging, supercharging and electrification for impressive efficiency returns, despite this Swedish crossover's huge power output. There's a significant price to pay for this technology and you'll need to tailor your motoring life to suit what this car can offer but if you can deal with these caveats, then this is a potentially very likeable package, especially in the further improved form that Volvo introduced for the 2026 Model Year.
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Background
Volvo's XC60 is at its cleverest - and priciest - in this T8 Plug-in Hybrid AWD form. This PHEV premium mid-sized model is now on its second facelift and here, we're going to tell you whether it still has enough to offer over more modern rivals.
The Swedish brand first introduced its Plug-in Hybrid powertrain for XC60 customers in 2018 in powerful T8 form, then in 2020 added a slightly more affordable T6 version of the same powerplant to sell alongside that flagship variant. In 2021, as part of a light facelift, both models got larger drive batteries and more powerful rear electric motors. And both cars were further improved in mid-2025 to create the XC60 PHEV model we're going to test here in top T8 form.
Volvo was quicker to offer PHEV tech in the mid-sized premium SUV segment than its German rivals, but since then, Plug-in Hybrid versions of contenders like the BMW X3, the Mercedes GLC and the Audi Q5 have all appeared and been evolved to offer this plug-in petrol/electric XC60 stiff competition, though this Volvo's still remained one of Europe's best-selling Plug-in Hybrid premium mid-sized SUVs. To keep it current, in 2025 the brand added extra media and safety technology, creating the car we're going to look at here.
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Range data
| Min | Max |
| Price | 70860 | 71860 |
| Insurance group 1-50 | 41 | 41 |
| CO2 (g/km) | 22 | 22 |
| Max Speed (mph) | 112 | 112 |
| 0-62 mph (s) | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles) | 45 | 45 |
| Min | Max |
| Combined Mpg | 282.1 | 282.1 |
| Length (mm) | 4688 | 4688 |
| Width (mm) | 1902 | 1902 |
| Height (mm) | 1658 | 1658 |
| Boot Capacity (l) | 468 | 1395 |
| Power (hp) | 406 | 406 |
Driving experience
Drive dynamics continue to be based towards comfort. But you shouldn't gauge from that an expectation that this XC60 will be a complete duffer when the road turns twisty. It's very far from that, this model described as 'confident and predictable', which is what we've found it to be and precisely what most likely buyers will want it to be. There's unruffled poise and exemplary refinement, plus you get supple standards of ride comfort from the multi-link rear suspension and this top T8 variant continues to have the desirable 'Active Four-C' adaptive damping and air suspension package. A 'Drive Mode Settings' driving dynamics system allows you to tailor throttle response, steering feel and shift timings from the standard 8-speed auto gearbox to suit the way you want to drive.
If you do decide to push on a bit, grip and traction are actually quite impressive aided by the standard AWD system, while cornering body roll is also decently well controlled. The engines on offer continue to be of a 2.0-litre, four cylinder configuration and come bolted to the same stiff, sophisticated 'SPA' chassis that also underpins Volvo's larger XC90 model. The brand has long ago banished diesel power in this car, hoping instead to convert customers to the merits of the Plug-in Hybrid powertrain that we're looking at here.
As before, there are two PHEV variants, badged T6 or T8, both with a battery size at 18.8kWh, facilitating an EV drive range of just under 50 miles (which is now a bit behind the prevailing segment standard for this kind of car). What remains top of the class though, is the prodigious 406hp output of the top T8 Plug-in Hybrid variant. Even the lesser T6 version manages 335hp - more than most of its German rivals. So despite the prodigious 2.1-tonne kerb weight, performance is brisk, 62mph dispatched in 5.7s in the T6 or 4.9s in the T8 if you select the most urgent of the provided drive modes, Power. The reason for that performance has a lot to do with the fact that this car's PHEV system is a lot more complex that the set-ups used by rivals, the 2.0-litre petrol engine being both turbocharged and supercharged, its output boosted by a 145hp rear electric motor.
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Design and build
The revised version of this further improved XC60 PHEV hasn't visually changed much. The Swedish brand has slightly tweaked the styling of the front grille and the front bumpers - and added fresh exterior colour and wheel options; that's about it. This Plug-in hybrid model looks pretty much identical to the more conventional B5 mild hybrid variant, though the eagle-eyed will spot special badging and an extra charging flap. The muscular-looking door creases and the extended 'Thor's Hammer' headlights give the XC60 quite a sporty look. There's a longer bonnet than a rival Audi Q5 - and a longer roofline too.
At the wheel, where you sit lower than you would in an XC90, key to the changes made with this revised model is the introduction of Volvo's latest Android-powered infotainment system with Google apps and services built in to the bigger 11.2-inch central screen, which now sits proud of the dashbaord. This intuitive, next-generation infotainment system offers customers greater personalisation and connectivity. As you'd expect, there are plenty of cabin resemblances to the XC90, especially when it comes to the dashboard, seats and upholstery. And as before, there's a 12.3-inch digital instrument dial display.
In the rear, there's decent space for shoulders and heads and the kind of room for knees and legs that you'd expect from an SUV 4.7-metres in length. Out back, there's a 468-litre boot (down from 483 in the conventional model), extendable to 1,395-litres once you fold the rear bench (down from 1,410-litres).
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Market and model
At the time of our review in Spring 2026, the 406hp XC60 T8 Plug-in Hybrid AWD was priced in its 'Ultra' and 'Ultra Black Edition' forms at around £71,000. The lesser 335hp T6 Plug-in hybrid variant is available with lower-spec trim levels, so is much cheaper, starting from around £57,000 at the time of this review. For reference, the brand's similarly-sized full-electric EX60 model is priced from around £56,000 in base 374hp P6 form.
If you're looking at the T6 Plug-in Hybrid version of the XC60, you'll be paying only a fraction less than equivalent PHEV versions of those three German competing models. It's not possible to match the 406hp output of this top XC60 T8 Plug-in Hybrid with PHEV versions of any of these Teutonic rivals.
What about standard spec? Well obviuously the top 'Ultra' specs include an awful lot, adding four XC60 features we particularly like - the Active Four-C Chassis that includes Electronic Air Suspension; the big panoramic sunroof; a Head-up display; and the 14-speaker 1,100-watt Bowers & Wilkins premium sound set-up, which Volvo claims is 'one of the best-sounding audio systems for a car'. That's in addition to a surround view camera set-up and heat for the steering wheel and windscreen glass, plus rear folk are better looked after with heated back seats and 4-zone climate control.
As you'd expect from a Volvo, there's a wide-ranging package of drive assist and safety equipment. Including Ongoing Lane Mitigation, Run-off Road Protection and a Lane Keeping Aid. Plus features like Blind Spot Information, Cross-Traffic Alert, Rear-Collision Warning and Volvo's usual semi-autonomous 'Pilot Assist' system, which can effectively take over driving duties from you on long highway journeys.
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Cost of ownership
Surprisingly, Volvo chose to base the PHEV versions of this car around a version of this engine further embellished by supercharging, never usually a helpful thing for efficiency. In the T6 and T8 Recharge models though, it's aided by a 145hp rear electric motor powered by an 18.8kWh battery (only 14.9kWh of which is useable) which allows for an EAER-rated all-electric range of up to 49.1 miles for the T6 and up to 47.2 miles for this T8 variant. That's fairly similar to the 54 mile figure you'd get from a comparably-priced BMW X3 xDrive30e, but two other slightly pricier key rivals have now pulled ahead, the Audi Q5 eHybrid offering up to 62 miles and the Mercedes GLC 300e managing up to 78 miles. Even so, you could still theoretically use an XC60 T6 or T8 every day without ever visiting a fuel station unless you needed to undertake a longer trip.
Taking the EV range into account with this Volvo delivers the usual difficult-to-replicate set of PHEV stats; up to 313.4mpg on the combined cycle with up to 20g/km of CO2 for the T6; and up to 282.1mpg and up to 22g/km of CO2 for the T8. That was enough for a 9% Benefit-in-Kind taxation rating for all XC60 PHEVs at the time of this test in Spring 2026 - a useful saving on the 37% BiK rating applied to the B6 mild hybrid version.
These stats assume of course that you keep the lithium-ion battery fully charged. There's a 6.4kW charging speed and a 7-metre Type 2 charging cable's provided. A three-phase AC garage 7.4kW wallbox will be able to fully replenish the battery completely in around 3 hours. Connecting up to a normal domestic three-pin 10amp supply (as you might have to do if you're staying at, say, a B&B), would take about 7 hours for a full charge. We should also mention that it's possible to replenish the battery of your PHEV XC60 on the move, via a 'Charge' option you'll find in the 'Battery Usage' section of the centre screen. This forces energy into the battery on the move, but strains the engine to do it, increasing fuel consumption. The same menu gives you the option to 'Hold' the battery's charge for use later in your journey - say for town driving at the end of a long trip.
Ultimately, to justify the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid model's price premium, you really have to try and plug it in at every opportunity, otherwise you'll simply find yourself running a heavy petrol-powered SUV and frequently replenishing the 71-litre fuel tank. If on the move, you want to prioritise all-electric progress, you can select a 'Pure' driving mode that prioritises electric-only operation and would be useful in an urban environment. In everyday use though, most T6 and T8 owners will be driving in the 'Hybrid' mode that the car's powertrain automatically defaults to, a setting in which the vehicle will automatically alternate between petrol and electric power.
Maintenance should be relatively affordable for a car of this kind, with intervals every year or 18,000 miles. Three or five year pre-paid servicing packages are available to help you budget ahead. If you pay extra for the useful 'On Call with App' remote connectivity system, this Volvo can be programmed to autonomously realise when a service is due, then automatically book it for you at a dealership of your choice. Finally, we'll tell you that the warranty is the kind of unremarkable three year, 60,000 mile package that Volvo ought to have upgraded by now. The insurance group for the T8 Plug-in Hybrid is 41.
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Summary
The sort of sensible buyer likely to be considering an XC60 is, we think, likely to be sorely tempted by this PHEV version, especially in this further improved form. Inevitably given that this is a premium brand model, there's quite a high asking price to pay of course. Even if you regretfully set your sights on the 335hp T6 PHEV model rather than the 406hp T8 version we've tried here, the sticker figures are substantial. And represent a big premium over the alternative B5 mild hybrid version of this car, so you'd have to be very sold on the plug-in remit here to opt for a XC60 in PHEV form.
But that B5 can't of course offer the tax or silent commuting advantages of its PHEV counterparts and we can see why you might want those. Whether you might want them in this segment in an XC60 is of course another question, particularly as the PHEV version's EV range figure is now surpassed by obvious rivals. But this Volvo has other cool Scandinavian attributes you might value more highly. And if you did, we'd understand why.
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