Volvo XC90 2016 With T8 Twin-Engine AWD Plug-In Hybrid
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| Volvo XC90 |
To be fair, Volvo doesn’t actually convert a finished XC90 into a T8 Twin-Engine Plug-in Hybrid. There is no team of Swedish robots ripping out Haldex hardware to make way for the 9.2-kWh battery pack that gets bolted into the driveshaft tunnel. Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture was designed from the start to accommodate the rear-mounted 87-hp AC motor that differentiates the T8 from other XC90 models. Volvo calls this version “Twin-Engine” because it retains the 316-hp turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder that powers the T6. But the T8 in fact has a third power source, a 46-hp electric motor that sits between the gas engine and the XC90’s eight-speed automatic transaxle. Total system output is 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque.
In electric mode, the T8 operates as a rear-driver, and if you go easy on the accelerator, you can travel up to 13 miles before the gas engine kicks in. At other times, only its front wheels are driven, and selecting the battery-saving mode will force the T8 to use the gas engine to recharge the battery, adding about five miles of electric range. You can also lock it into four-wheel drive or select the power mode, which keeps the rear electric motor engaged and ramps up the gas engine’s throttle response.
The lithium-ion battery has its own coolant circuit, while an electric immersion heater warms the other coolant loop to heat the cabin when the T8 is not burning hydrocarbons. Both electric motors are capable of recharging the battery during deceleration or when sending torque to the wheels.
Volvo has managed to package all of this in the same envelope as conventional XC90 models without intruding on the cabin, cargo hold, or third row, or diminishing the 5000-pound towing capacity.
We had high expectations for the T8, coming to it after being thoroughly impressed by the T6. Ultimately, our only complaint with the T6 was our predictable desire for a few more ponies; the hybrid seemed a sure bet to dazzle us with its grunt. And the T8 did deliver better acceleration, hustling to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds compared with six seconds flat in the T6.
The complex powertrain improves straight-line performance, but it also contributes to the 450-pound increase in the XC90’s curb weight. The extra mass saps the relatively lithe feel of the T6. Skidpad performance dropped from 0.84 g in the T6 to 0.81 in the 5159-pound T8, and the braking distance from 70 mph increased from 167 feet to 176. On the road, the XC90 hybrid often felt ponderous, riding heavily over broken pavement.
Occasionally, we detected a lack of coordination between the T8’s front and rear drive units. If the gas engine was shut off and conditions were slick, the rear electric motor would get the rear wheels squirrelly before the front electric motor, which serves as the starter, could refire the gas engine. Once it did, the front wheels would quickly pull us out of this power-induced oversteer, but not before the XC90 got at least a little sideways. We can’t say we didn’t enjoy this trick (certainly more than our passenger did), but in other circumstances the lurching power delivery of the decoupled front and rear drive systems was annoying, sloshing coffee and irritating driver and passengers alike.
If we can’t call the T8 nimble, at least it’s still as fetching as its more affordable XC90 brethren. Volvo’s Inscription trim ($3500) appoints the spacious cabin with natural-looking wood and absolutely gorgeous leather. We did notice an unusually worn driver’s seat in our test vehicle, despite the odometer showing only 1500 miles. The optional Bowers & Wilkins audio system ($2500) delivers stunning clarity and separation, and the XC90’s tablet-style user interface is state of the art.
Volvo expects buyers to think similarly of the T8’s hybrid technology. How else to justify the T8’s premium, which starts at $69,095 compared with $50,795 for the T6?
The answer is not fuel economy. At 25 mpg combined in hybrid mode, the T8’s EPA rating is just three more than the T6’s. When running with a charged battery, the XC90 hybrid is rated at 53 mpg-equivalent, and recharging on a 240-volt system takes at least two and a half hours, depending on the amperage. We managed to deplete the battery of our tester in just 10 miles, even while accelerating as gingerly as possible to keep the gas engine from firing up. Over 800 miles of winter driving that included six charging sessions, our observed fuel economy was a meager 19 MPGe.
But none of these numbers is as significant as that $18,300 upcharge for the hybrid. Even if the price of 91 octane goes up to $5 per gallon, the extra outlay for the T8 would be enough to buy 3660 gallons of gas. To save just one gallon, you need to drive through two full battery charges without allowing the gas engine to start. If you could do that every single day, and hit the EPA estimate for combined fuel economy when you’re not running on electricity, you wouldn’t break even for eight years, assuming 15,000 miles driven annually. Charge only once a day and payback will be extended to more than 13 years. Don’t plug in your T8 at all and calculate the numbers with premium gas selling for the $2.49 per gallon we paid during this test and the financial payoff for going hybrid is so distant that you’d need to factor your XC90 into your estate planning.
Volvo has a star in the XC90, which has been making up more than half of the brand’s sales this year. Its success is well earned. But this complex hybrid model is, ultimately, disappointing.Source by caranddriver.com
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