2016 Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine

The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine has exceeded all expectations when it comes to the no compromise equation of power and low fuel consumption, coupled with world class low emissions - and all in a 7-seat luxury SUV.

The improvement over the earlier announced figures was achieved thanks to the continuous innovation cycle at the Swedish company. The result of further tuning is a drop of 10 g/km from the initial prognosis, for up to 134.5mpg fuel economy, while also adding horsepower. This makes the Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine the clear leader in its segment, with an exceptional combination of low fuel consumption, emissions, and pure power.

"We have been working hard to earn our competitive edge and to give our customers the ultimate combination of performance and low fuel consumption. Our Twin Engine technology has enabled us to build on our heritage of efficient powertrain development in a completely new way. Thanks to our new scalable product architecture, and our world class four-cylinder engines, we have a clear and leading position," said Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Group.

No other SUV in this class can deliver 26 miles of pure electric range, 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds and provide a combined power of 407 hp - all in a seven-seat configuration.

A driving mode for every need

The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine can go from 0 to 62mph in 5.6 seconds, deliver all the driving pleasure customers have come to expect from a Volvo SUV. But driving pleasure is only a fraction of what the XC90 T8 offers: the car has five different driving modes that deliver a range of performance and efficiency-enhancing characteristics. 

Using either a scroll wheel on the center console or a touchscreen on the dashboard, drivers can choose from:

·         Hybrid: This is the default mode, suitable for everyday use. Here, the vehicle will automatically alternate between drawing power from the 2-litre, 4-cylinder Drive-E engine and the electric motor to deliver the best overall fuel consumption.

·         Pure electric: In this mode, when the high-voltage battery is fully charged, it serves as the car's sole energy source, powering the electric motor over the rear axle. The Volvo XC90 T8 has a range of up to 26 miles using just electricity, which covers the total distance many people drive in one day. And thanks to the regenerative braking system, this mode is super-efficient in the stop-and-go traffic of city environments. If more power is needed, the Drive-E combustion engine starts up automatically.

·         Power mode: Here, drivers get the combined performance of the combustion engine and the electric motor. On start-up, the SUV takes advantage of the electric motor's superior response and instant torque curve, while the combustion engine gets up to speed. This combination offers better torque at lower revs, equivalent to that of a large displacement engine as the V8.

·         AWD: This mode offers constant all-wheel drive on demand. The advantage of being able to select AWD manually is that the driver can use it when needed, or choose to save energy for later.

·         Save: If the battery is charged, this mode allows the driver to "freeze" the battery level and save it for later use with Pure Electric drive. On the other hand, if the battery is low, the driver can use the combustion engine to charge the battery to a certain level for later use with Pure Electric drive.