While Volvo does sell their fully electric XC40 Recharge which can tow it doesn’t offer the most practical EV range especially when towing. Therefore, an alternative from the brand is the latest version of the larger XC60 Recharge. Is it also a BEV? No, its a PHEV, and Volvo’s ‘Recharge’ branding is confusing in that regard. The latest Volvo XC60 Recharge now has an official EV range of 46 miles and a maximum towing capacity of 2,250kg.
Table of Contents
Volvo XC60 Recharge Specs
- Official Towing Capacity – 2,250 kg
- Availability – Late 2022
- Price – Starting £53,225
- Official MPG – Currently unknown
- Real-World MPG (Fuel Only) – Currently unknown
- Official EV Range – 46 miles
- Real-World EV Range – 32 miles (70% of Official)
- Maximum Charge Rate/Time – 3.5kW (5 hours)
Volvo XC60 Recharge HP & Torque
- AWD: Combined output of 455 HP & 523 lb-ft of torque
- 2.0L Turbo Petrol: 310 HP & 295 lb-ft of torque
- Electric Motor provides: 145 HP & 227 lb-ft of torque
Volvo XC60 Recharging Towing Capabilties
I’ve been rattling out Volvo PHEV articles recently, first with the latest version of the Volvo S60 & V60 Recharge and then the S90 & V90 Recharge. Those are saloons and estates and the XC60 is a mid-sized SUV. In terms of towing capacity, the XC60 does get an increase over those other Volvo models up to 2,250kg.
That’s an increase of 250kg over the S60 & V60 and 150kg over the S90 and V90. In terms of price point, starting at just over £53k the XC60 Recharge sits in between the S60/V60 and S90/V90. Hence, purely on towing capacity to price the XC60 may be the best option, but maybe not.
Yes, if you need that full 2,250kg towing capacity the XC60 is the obvious choice, but if you can live with a towing capacity of 2,000kg I think the V60 would provide better value for many potential Volvo buyers. The main reason is more EV range.
You see all of these Volvo PHEVs are fitted with the same engine, battery and electric motor. Hence, the larger/heavier the vehicle the shorter the EV range. Therefore, while the V60 Recharge has an official EV range of 54.7 miles, the XC60 manages only 46 miles.
Is the reduction in range due to the additional weight of the XC60? Partly, however, a bigger contribution to range reduction is the SUV shape and increased aerodynamic drag. I know lots of people love SUVs, but when it comes to EVs and in this case, PHEVs, that raised SUV body style is reducing EV range.
It’s not as if you’re getting more cargo volume in the XC60 as it has a cargo capacity of 468L and the V60 offers 519L. When it comes to price the XC60 starts from £53k and the V60 from £48k. Also, it’s not as if you’re missing out on AWD either, and on that note, let’s discuss the drivetrain.
Lots Of Power & AWD With A Twist
As Volvo increased the battery capacity they must have also thought ‘we can now put in a larger electric motor’ so they did. The rear electric motor fitted to the XC60 Recharge has been upped from around 84 HP to 145 HP. As a result, the total output figures along with the internal combustion engine for the new XC60 Recharge are pretty crazy at 455 HP & 523 lb-ft of torque.
Hence, the XC60 Recharge has more than enough power and torque to tow 2,250kg up any gradient you’ll come across on the road. But let’s discuss for a second how the PHEV drivetrains of Volvo cars work. The internal combustion engine drives the front wheels only and the electric motor drives the rear wheels only.
Therefore, these are AWD vehicles, but they can only provide all-wheel-drive traction when the internal combustion engine is also running. They cannot drive around in AWD mode purely on electric power as say a Toyota RAV4 PHEV can for instance.
Furthermore, you cannot lock Volvo PHEV models into EV mode only, if you push the accelerator hard, the internal combustion engine will start. Now, some people don’t like that if they wish to conduct their daily driving (not towing) with only electrical energy, and I get that, but it needs more context.
The dashboard in the Volvo PHEVs shows how you’re accelerating and at what point the ICE will kick in. Hence you do have control to not use the ICE, you just have to be light on your right foot and pay attention to the dashboard.
My Thoughts On The Volvo XC60 Recharge…
As of writing this article in early 2022, there are no journalist video reviews I can reference, so I’ll update this article at a later date. Also, Volvo is still selling the previous generation vehicles with the smaller battery/less range and less power as early 2022 model year. The updated versions above are late 2022 spec cars, so don’t make a mistake if you’re interested in buying one.
In terms of what I think about the new Volvo XC60, yeah, pretty impressive, practical EV range for daily commuting and lots and lots of power for towing a trailer/caravan up to 2,250kg. However, as I’ve discussed above, I would recommend considering the Volvo V60 instead.
If there is one feature I find a little disappointing its the 3.5kW charger. Really, Volvo should be offering a 7kW charger at this price point and it should be included in the standard price. But its not even offered as an option which is odd, as it would get the recharging time down to 2.5 hours.