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As well as being the most technically advanced Volvo the firm says it has ever produced, the new V60 is the first plug-in diesel hybrid to hit the market.
Capable of running for up to 31 miles on electric power, it then switches to a diesel-hybrid combination of 215hp engine and electric motor recharged through brake regeneration, as is the case with other hybrids such as Toyota's Prius or the Citroen DS5. The official figures for the V60 Plug-in Hybrid are 48g/km and 155.2mpg, although this is entirely dependent on individual usage patterns, insists Volvo.
The electric motor powers the rear wheels and the diesel the front, offering the benefit of four-wheel drive traction.
Coming as one well-equipped model, the plug-in costs, after the £5000 Government subsidy, around £7000 more than a top-spec D5 all-wheel drive V60.
On start-up, the Plug-in reverts as a default to hybrid mode, where the car switches automatically between the most efficient combination of diesel and electric power, but it can also be switched to either Pure mode, which runs solely on electric until the battery is drained, or Power, where all combined 280hp is available at once.
As is the case with most of the new breed of technologically advanced electric and plug-in hybrid cars, the driving experience is little different from a regular internal combustion engine, and to the uninitiated it'll be like driving any other Volvo, save for the lack of noise when running on the electric motor.
From the outside, subtle changes mark out the plug-in model. It has unique alloys, a chrome strip on the bootlid, and is the only V60 with a gloss front grille, D6 AWD badging and integrated tailpipe, as well as the obvious giveaway of flap for the charging point on the front wing.
The boot is 126 litres smaller at just 304 litres as a result of the batteries, and it's a slightly untidy layout where the boot floor is higher than the lip, while accessing the charging cable under a flap at the front of the boot floor will also be tricky with a decent load in the luggage area. The same battery packaging reasons mean the plug-in model only has a 45-litre fuel tank rather than the normal 70 litres, but if the car's being used as it should be, with the majority of driving using the electric motor, then trips to petrol stations will be rarer than with a regular diesel model despite the much smaller tank.
There aren't really any direct rivals to the diesel plug-in hybrid estate, with choices coming from as wide a variety as the plug-in range-extender Vauxhall Ampera and diesel hybrid Mercedes E-class. But while very expensive, the V60 does genuinely provide something unique at this time, and offers technology that, in the right hands and usage patterns, can significantly reduce running costs, as well as showing a green lead if that's an important company consideration. The carmaker is only looking to shift 150 this year, and reports suggest early demand is strong worldwide, so those numbers look distinctly comfortable for advanced technology such as this, despite the high initial price that's not necessarily recouped easily versus a diesel in operation.
Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid | |
P11D price | £48,720 |
Model price range | £21,945-£48,720 |
Residual value | 28.2% |
Depreciation | £34,995 |
Fuel | £2523 |
Service, maintenance and repair | £3110 |
Vehicle Excise Duty | £0 |
National insurance | £1345 |
Cost per mile | 90.1p |
Fuel consumption | 155.2mpg |
CO2 (tax) | 48g/km (5%) |
BIK 20/40% per month | £41/£81 |
Service interval | miles |
Insurance (1-50) | group 41 |
Warranty | 3yrs/60,000 mls |
Boot space min/max | 305/1126 litres |
Engine size/power | 2400cc/215hp +70hp electric motor |
Top speed/0-62mph | 143mph/6.1secs |
VerdictVery expensive but appealing application of new technology. |
7/10 |
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