Review and Test Drive: 2018 Volvo XC60 T8 E-AWD and T6 R-Design
DRIVING THE VOLVO XC60
Twist the start/stop button and the XC60 experience begins. Both XC60s exhibited nothing short of excellent road manners and excellent passenger comfort.
The T8 Twin-Engine powertrain, unusual in its use of both a turbocharger and a supercharger plumbed into the 2.0-liter four banger, also employs two electric motors – one to power the rear axle and the other integrated with the eight-speed automatic transaxle – to develop a massive 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque, which makes for impressive getaway power and allows this Swede to go from a standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) in a mere 5.1 seconds. The T6 holds its own, with the same powerplant minus the electric motors allowing it to get to 60 in 6.1 seconds.
In our time with the T8, mostly in Power mode but with long stints in the default Hybrid mode as well, we saw 23 MPGe. It’s possible to go 31 miles (50 kilometers) in Pure mode, that is electric-only mode, and the T8 is capable of 78 mph (126 km/h) in that mode.
The handsome T8 offers a comfortable ride, insulating its occupants from the harsh realities of less than perfect roads. The light touch steering has good road feel and is a refreshing change from the numbing experience offered by some competitive models. Nimble is one word that comes to mind, especially around corners and on winding roads and it has the feel of a vehicle perhaps one size smaller.
Our only peeve is that it did take a while to get used to the brake pedal, which was a little too eager and aggressive in taking down the nose, likely due to regenerative braking.
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