2023 Volvo XC60 Recharge plug-in hybrid review: A luxury PHEV SUV - inc EV range test!

We've driven the plug-in hybrid version of the 2023 Volvo XC60 - here's what we found.
This isn't like many of its luxury brand rivals. You could consider a PHEV version of the BMW X3, Mercedes GLC or the Lexus NX, but each of those models take a different tact to the Volvo.
The XC60 is luxurious and lovely, without trying to be something it's not. It has a decent EV driving range of about 65km, and you can get some staggering real-world fuel consumption from it if you take advantage of the EV driving modes.
It's also a pretty practical family car, one that is not hugely affected by its plug-in hybrid electric powertrain, though back seat space is better for two than for three.
Watch Tom White's detailed review of the 2023 Volvo XC60 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid SUV and learn more about it in his written review, linked below.
#Volvo #VolvoXC60 #Review
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00:00 Intro
00:44 Pricing and features
02:07 Design
03:06 Practicality
05:50 Driving
09:39 Under the bonnet
10:07 Range and charging
11:17 Safety
11:54 Ownership
12:15 Verdict
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Read Tom's full review: carsgui.de/3fxotx0
Check out our Volvo XC60 hub: carsgui.de/3fNiJwd
Find more SUVs: carsgui.de/2o3syZz
Visit our EV guide: carsgui.de/3fotPbM
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#2023Volvo #2023VolvoXC60 #2023VolvoReview #2023VolvoXC60Review #Volvo #VolvoXC60 #VolvoXC60Review #CarsGuideReview #SUV #EV #VolvoXC60Recharge #Recharge #VolvoRecharge #RechargeReview #SUVReview #EVReview #Review #CarReview #EVCarReview

[@Gezzaman14]

There is a regen breaking mode. Pull the gear knob down from D and you enter B mode which is the one pedal drive mode. The regen breaking can come to a complete stop

[@slavstojnic7279]

Thanks Tom, I believe it’s a amazing car and it’s one of the best looking! Thanks for the review

[@chrisjordan8137]

Nothing wrong with an 8-hour re-charge time when plugged into a home plug! That is overnight, ready for the next day.

[@TheCameltotem]

Well would be nice to charge it over a lunch when on a longer run, so you can run EV mode again.

[@rishijagtap8593]

@@TheCameltotem then just get an ev. the ev mode on phev isnt ment to meet longer drives. But its great for ur daily commute and then u have the gas engine for longer drives. Its the best of both worlds.

[@troothhertz6297]

​​@@rishijagtap8593 The outlander can do it.. it can also run my home and shop. I live in South Africa we don't always have electricity.😊

[@GR8Tmate]

⁠@@rishijagtap8593For me this would be perfect, I live in a semi rural area about ;0km from the CBD. Almost 35km of the drive in is either in rural 80 or 110 zones, so I could roll in on the ICE motor and as I Reached the outskirts of the city switch to the electrics and plod around in town on battery, heading back home in what’s left of the electric and combustion engine……would be running on the smell of an oily rag verses the 10-12 litres of fuel I’m using now 😂

[@evidencebased1]

Agree and if I (rarely) need to go out again in the evening, well, then, I’ll burn a little gas. The beauty of the PHEV is that it’s lugging around only a relatively small battery and not using a lot of resources to make the battery. For most folk a 35 mile (56 km) charge is enough to get to work and a few errands.

[@spartacus7081]

Got mine coming in January can’t wait! Only ordered it 9 months ago 😢

[@systemler44]

Wireless charger side cover to hold phone...air etc is voice controller..regen is optional if you drive in B mode and not D...uk charger time is 3hrs

[@msebenzimthunzi]

This is how an SUV should look like - Exterior

[@Jo_Wardy]

That is a Gorgeous vehicle. I feel like Volvo is the only manufacturer that can build a perfect suv

[@Roadrunnerz45]

4:00 thats becoming too common where most if not all important buttons are via the touch screen - some need to remain off screen so when driving you can easily switch rather than taking your eye off the road - safety concern

[@TB-up4xi]

Just about every function can be controlled via voice - no need to take your eyes off the road at all, from drive mode to navigation to temperature settings, turning on / off features (e.g. heads up display) etc etc. has worked flawlessly for me so far in fact there is no single common function I don't use voice command for now.

[@millsykooksy4863]

"your phone will just exit the area" LMAO

[@TEDdeMedici]

When can we get hatchbacks & station wagons back in this country? Does everything that comes over from US & Euro manufacturers have to be an SUV??

[@somnumna2606]

Govt stopped prepping up the motor industry that never made money. You want high salaries goodbye manufacturing.

[@Mehhahah]

If the battery run out, does it became FWD only? Will petrol engine be able to generate power for rear motor to maintain AWD?

[@henningvauleberntsen7369]

We have the older t8, you can always lock it in awd even tho its battery is emptey, but very bad to drive on ice if you drive it in hybrid mode.

[@benc7044]

why is it that car manufacturers seem to be able to nail PHEV's but not so much pure EV'S?

[@CrumResearch]

Good point. Jeep Wrangler 4xe nails it as well, with off-road capability as priority and Electric Mode is sublime off road.

[@savedfaves]

Regen braking is a bit of a gimmick because while it generates power you lose speed which results in energetic loss, whereas coasting brings you to where you need to go without the loss. Porsche did the research to discover this. I'd bet blended regen results in less energy lost.

[@troothhertz6297]

Would be nice if all Phev manufacturers would design their phevs etc to fast charge and then returrn energy into my shop or home during blackouts and emergencies. We have planned Electricity outages.. so to be able to turn it into a generator would be wonderfully helpful. I live in SA we dont always have electricity and water.

[@jannethemd]

the problem about fast charge is that it generates more battery degradation, so mileage suffers, its always better to do a slow recharge, on the other hand I read the EX90 will be able to function as a power bank, honestly volvo goes ahead :)

[@troothhertz6297]

@@jannethemd if volvo does that then I am in.. 12 hours no electricity yesterday until today.

[@Desacato66]

😍

[@51tomtomtom]

Ordered one ! But .......after 25 yrs of Volvo (245,850,V70,XC70) .......the little hole in the back instead of a 25/10/25 bending-back is embarrassing !

[@kidfreejones]

Think that's a 2022 model not 2023.

[@deanchan5960]

Unfortunate if you live in a cold climate I would hold off buying until they fix the Climate system heating performance issue. Many people having issues and part is backorder for a long time. While they say you can get heat on gasoline mode. So what is the point to have an electric car if you cannot get heat in electric mode? Volvo - shame on you for not getting a fix and continue to promote a product that is not working.

[@davidyang577]

Nail on the head but costing a 100k when Mitsi outlander phev is better equipt and has a better battery for under 60k.. hmmm lo

[@davidyang577]

@@jonathanr72 well you wouldn't know. But it's actually 1.5 second quicker to 0-100. Secondly, it's only a 1.6l turbo, so to compensate it, you will require twice amount the boost to produce the torque and reliability will then become your issue after that. All in all, its supposed to be a family SUV, so you kinda miss the point. Not to mention its a Volvo, that major parts are sourced from cheap land so electric and mechanical issue will plague as soon as the warranty is out. FYI, all Mitsi comes with a factory 10 year warranty.

[@savedfaves]

A wireless charger and wired Apple CarPlay 🤔. And don't passengers need a wireless charger too, no? Also, regarding your phone moving around while wirelessly charging: Qi2 magnetic wireless charing standard will fix that in the future. Though expect that to only start to showing up in cars around 2025/26 and be the wait for it to be the mainstream will be to 2030/35, about 5-10 years away.

[@rossisaacs4604]

Don’t this fuel is that expensive to buy any electric car

[@TheVernonENT]

To be honest, I like Volvos. Would I drive one, yes. Would I buy one, no. So for the price of this plugin hybrid, with the inconvenient touch screen climate control buttons and the leg room obstruction in the back seat and amongst other things like a not so stunning design with a the low KWh battery, I just don't understand the pricing! I mean, the Mitsubishi Outlander 2022 is way better for a great price. I would just go that way.

[@aldeflorio5500]

You can't be serious comparing a Volvo with a Mitsubishi.

[@TB-up4xi]

Lol - funniest thing I have heard all day "Mitsubishi Outlander 2022 is way better for a great price" Really people who know nothing about motor vehicles should really avoid commenting (better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt) The Volvo has a bigger battery (despite the ignorant comment above (18.8kwh v 13.8 for the Outlander), faster 240v charge time, better range (despite the claimed 84 km - real world range is 65-68km for the Outlander and 70-75 for the Volvo), some actual performance (340kw/709nm for the Volvo vs 185kw/440nm for the Outlander) Volvo 0-100 4.8 sec v Outlander 8.5 sec. In performance mode the Volvo's air suspension will provide excellent handling - by comparison the Outlander is a boat for Sunday drivers. The Volvo is a proper mid-size sporty luxury SUV with a real luxury interior - the Outlander is a basic car from a budget brand trying desperately to appear posh in an off the rack suit... not that it's necessarily a bad car but it doesn't compare to the Volvo who's nearest rivals would be the (soon to arrive) Audi Q5 55e, BMW X3e and maybe the Lexus 450h (but again that's really a dressed up Rav4).

[@TheVernonENT]

@@TB-up4xi wow what a long-winded responses to my simplistic comment. You sound like a Salesman whose about to miss his quota this month. Good luck selling your Volvo.

[@billbrown722]

RECHARGE PHEV VERSION. The singular most disappointing aspect of this car is its inability to set a charge timer, using the car or app (believe the same on new XC90 models too). Unless you have a smart home charge point, people like me on an economy 7 tariff need to be nocturnal to benefit from off peak charging. A retrograde step from earlier models and spoiling a brand new car! Volvo offer no solution and their promise to fix it has not materialised in 8 months and is nowhere in sight. There’s no timer on the market sufficiently highly rated to make using the plug-in cable safe in UK & in any case it takes 9 hours to charge.

[@catherinesophia5813]

Investing in crypto now should be in every wise individuals list, in some months time you'll be ecstatic with the decision you made today

[@michaelfrankland2705]

You should buy and hold tech stock Crypto investment

[@jacquijaboneroespina7402]

You should know it's easy and hard to make that much profit. I say EASY because it's very possible to make that much, and Hard because you'll need professional assistance to do it, I'd suggest you get assisted by a market advisor.

[@dillonfedrick8682]

That is totally true, but how well does a financial advisor improve your profit? What is the experience like using an advisor?

[@ruthierod8276]

I can't disclose too much, but yea I've been using a coach and through his guidance, I've been able to make approx. $24,000 in dividends on a monthly basis, it is pretty straight forward, not as complicated as it used to be.

[@ruthierod8276]

He's called Mr Jamie Saettele

[@piffe60]

The instrument panel is completely non-pedagogical. They forgot to note that the watch fits completely badly. The ventilation controls cannot be angled properly. The driving record is completely useless. Loud noise in the cup for being a premium car. Center console wrongly angled. There are a thousand other little things. Volvo has lost its soul. Have a Volvo XC60 T6 Hybrid, guaranteed to be the last one.

[@kuldipsingh366]

The design is getting outdated a bit otherwise nice car. Volvo needs to freshen their XC60 and XC90 design.

[@medz3398]

That infotainment is hideous

[@AMJB100000000]

DONT BUY A VOLVO XC60 my mother bought one less then a year ago and has been on a tow truck 6 seperate times and at the Volvo mechanics for more then half the time she has had it… $90,000 and it’s been nothing but a piece of junk… Volvo will not help her with a refund or replacing the car bunch of pricks..

[@TB-up4xi]

Considered Fair trading or Administrative appeals tribunal in your State or Territory? The MY19 onwards XC60 has a high rating for reliability statistically so this appears to be a "not fit for purpose" situation. My MY23 XC60 Recharge has been faultless over the first 12000km.

[@rickychan8622]

Made in China 🇨🇳

[@426dfv]

same as Tesla...

[@berniesutton7277]

Made in China or Chinese owned?