Volvo’s “T8 twin engine” label on its forthcoming 2016 XC90 isn’t an aircraft reference or any passing resemblance to the freak-show TwinStar Eldorado we tested in 2000. The T8 doesn’t even mean V-8, as Volvo trashed that Yamaha-built engine after 2011. It’s just shorthand for “fast all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid.”
This range-topping XC90 crossover SUV will be the company’s first—and potentially the fastest—plug-in hybrid for the U.S. market when it launches next year. As with the diesel-powered plug-in V60 roving around Europe since 2012, the XC90 T8 puts combustion in front and electricity out back for a unique, on-the-fly all-wheel-drive system without any center differential. Volvo’s new supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, now bumped from 302 to 316 horsepower, drives the front axle while a 80-hp electric motor powers the rear for a total of about 400 horses and 472 lb-ft of torque. A lithium-ion battery of unspecified capacity allows up to 25 miles of electric range. Likely, as the current V60 plug-in is commanded by a traditional six-speed automatic, we’ll see the latest eight-speed automatic modified for hybrid duty.
Six driving modes are available on Volvo’s new vertical touch screen, four of which debuted on the V60 plug-in. Pure puts the XC90 in EV-only mode, Hybrid does just what it says, and Power triggers the gasoline engine to run more often. The Save mode recharges the battery while driving so that it can regain full strength without stopping at a charging station (Volvo wouldn’t confirm the mileage gain, but the V60 plug-in promises up to 12 extra electric miles in this mode). Two more modes, AWD and Off Road, play with the front/rear torque split. Volvo also wouldn’t explain how the XC90 T8 normally divides power, but we’re thinking those settings attempt to re-create a conventional all-wheel-drive setup with fixed ratios. Don’t count on seeing a diesel version of the “twin engines” configuration for the U.S., probably ever.
- Instrumented Test: 2015 Volvo XC60 T6 Drive-E
- Instrumented Test: 2014 Audi Q5 TDI Diesel
- Research: Volvo XC90 Prices, Features, Options, Tests, Photos and More
At this point, Volvo has kicked a roundhouse to the BMW X5 plug-in-hybrid concept, which claims less power and electric range. But since neither SUV is certified or about to go on sale, we’ll let the twin engines keep talking until we see the final numbers.
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