Volvo V60

Mid-life update makes the Swedish estate one of Volvo’s longest-range PHEVs Three in every 10 new cars sold by Volvo are, as of 2022, electrified Recharge models. Volvo has been investing heavily in fully electric models over the past few years, but its history with plug-in hybrids is now more than a decade old, and has won the company sufficient incremental commercial progress that right now it is selling between three and four times as many PHEVs as EVs.Quite clearly, Gothenburg still considers petrol-electric motoring a key part of its powertrain strategy, and the powertrain in this week’s road test subject proves as much. The Volvo V60 T6 Recharge has, as part of the wider family of 60- and 90-series cars, just received a widely improved hybrid system.While the critical components all package just as they did in the pre-facelift Volvo V60 (2018-2022), they add significantly to both the car’s drive battery capacity and its electric motor output – as we are about to describe.That, in turn, makes this a V60 PHEV capable of more than 50 miles of electric running on a full charge – nearly a 60% improvement on its direct predecessor, according to WLTP lab testing. For company car drivers, then, the model qualifies for UK benefit-in-kind tax at an eye-catchingly low rate, and yet is priced almost identically to its less powerful, shorter-legged immediate predecessor.For on-paper evidence of the impact made by rapidly maturing electric powertrain technology on the cars we’re already driving, look no further than the one we’re about to assess. But how big an impact on fuel economy, drivability, performance, practicality and all-round, Volvo-typical maturity and comfort might those sizeable technological gains be worth in real-world testing? Keep reading to find out.Range at a glanceThe V60’s 2022-model-year showroom line-up, the last examples of which are now in dealer stock, is made up of Volvo’s familiar model-tier names: Momentum, R-Design and Inscription. They are due to change to Core, Plus Bright, Plus Dark and Ultimate with the 2023-model-year car, but Volvo couldn’t supply that updated version for our test. The higher-riding Volvo V60 Cross Country variant, which adds 60mm of ground clearance, will continue to be offered too. As before, the V60's saloon sibling is called the Volvo S60. Diesels have all been discontinued.VersionPowerVolvo V60 B3P161bhpVolvo V60 B4P194bhpVolvo V60 B5P247bhpVolvo V60 T6 Recharge AWD*345bhp*Version testedTRANSMISSIONS                    8-spd automatic                       7-spd automatic (B3P and B4P only)