Volvo XC90 Recharge – What Can It Tow?

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If the Volvo XC60 Recharge is just not large enough to meet your needs, say you need 7 seats, for instance, then there is the latest version of the XC90 Recharge. Fitted with the same drivetrain as other Volvo PHEVs the XC90 Recharge has a total output of 455 HP. Being the largest vehicle in the line up though it does get the largest towing capacity at 2,350 kg. Due to the additional size/weight though, EV range is down to 42.3 miles.

Volvo XC90 Recharge
The Volvo XC90 Recharge is a large 7-seater SUV PHEV with an official EV range of just over 42 miles and a 2,350kg towing capacity: Image – Volvocars.com

Volvo XC90 Recharge Specs

  • Official Towing Capacity – 2,350 kg
  • Availability – Late 2022
  • Price – Starting £67,050
  • Official MPG – Currently unknown
  • Real-World MPG (Fuel Only) – Currently unknown
  • Official EV Range – 42.3 miles
  • Real-World EV Range – 30 miles (70% of Official)
  • Maximum Charge Rate/Time – 3.5kW (5 hours)

Volvo XC90 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 XC90 Recharge Towing Capabiliites

I’ve written a lot of articles now about the updated Volvo PHEVs, namely the S60 & V60 Recharge, S90 & V90 Recharge and the XC60 Recharge. It shouldn’t be too surprising that of all the Volvo PHEVs its the XC90 Recharge which provides the highest towing capacity of 2,350 kg.

What also shouldn’t be surprising is that as all these Volvo PHEVs share the same 18.8kWh its the largest and heaviest model in the form of the XC90 Recharge which gets the lowest official EV range of 42.3 miles. In fact, the XC90 Recharge barely scrapes into my minimum requirement of a real-world EV range of 30 miles, and that’s me being generous with rounding numbers.

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 XC90 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 XC90 Recharge has more than enough power and torque to tow 2,350kg 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.

Volvo XC90 Recharge VS The Competition

So with the Volvo XC90 Recharge, we have a large PHEV SUV at a premium price point, starting from £67,050, so what’s its competition when it comes to large PHEV SUVs that can tow?

Well, first there is the BMW X5 45e which has been around now for several years, but still has the specs to match/exceed that of the Volvo XC90 Recharge. The BMW has an official EV range of 54 miles, can tow up to 2,700kg and has a starting price of £64,745.

I will note the Volvo XC90 has a more powerful electric motor (145 HP) compared to the BMW X5 45e (113 HP) leading to a higher combined total power output. Furthermore, the Volvo comes with 7 seats and the BMW is only a 5 seater. However, presuming you don’t need the additional seats I think the BMW is tough competition for this Volvo.

There is also the Mercedes GLE 350de which can tow 2,700kg and has an official EV range of 56 miles. Similar story when comparing the BMW above really, the Mercedes offers a better towing capacity and EV range but cannot match the Volvo for 7 seats and the power of the electric motor.

My Thoughts On The Volvo XC90 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 XC90, well I find it far less impressive than the smaller/cheaper Volvo PHEVs. I get why the same 18.8kWh battery has been fitted to all Volvo PHEVs, economies of scale etc.

However, an 18.8kWh battery is undersized for an SUV as large as the XC90 for it to be competitive against existing competition from BMW and Mercedes, never mind the upcoming competition.

Furthermore, the 3.5kW charger is not sufficient. 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.

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