Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid long-term test

Our deputy editor wanted a comfortable family SUV which could help to slash his running costs. Can the latest Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid fit the bill?...

Darren Moss

Published28 March 2026

The car Volvo XC60 T8 Plug-in Hybrid AWD Ultra Run By Darren Moss, Deputy Editor

Why it’s here To show that Volvo can match the best premium rivals for quality while also costing less

Needs to Provide comfortable and economical family transport while also functioning as a mobile office

Mileage 595 List price £70,860 Best price £70,860 Price as tested £73,205 Official MPG 282.1mpg Test MPG 54.2mpg Options fitted Retractable towbar (£1550), metallic paint (£795)

28 March 2026 – Sensible trousers

At the age of 36, I’m more likely to choose comfort than speed. I’ll happily take the escalator if it means saving my aching knees. If I’m offered an opportunity to sit down, I’ll take it, thank you very much. And I’ll never pass up a toilet stop because, well, you never know when the next one is going to be. Yes, I’m settling very well into my middle-aged, sensible trousers, which is why the Volvo XC60 would seem to be a good fit for my next company car.

The XC60 isn’t as flamboyant to look at as its Audi Q5 or BMW X3 rivals. Volvo’s own marketing material describes the car as being ‘graceful’ and elegant’ rather than evocative or emotional. And that endears it to me. The XC60 is like a comfortable armchair beckoning you into its warm embrace at the end of a long day, and that’s right up my street.

Don’t think the XC60 is a fuddy-duddy old-timer, though, because it’s available with cutting-edge plug-in hybrid technology. Indeed, in the T8 version I’ve gone for, I’ve got an 18.8kWh battery which can officially take me up to 50 miles on electric power alone – plenty to cover both the school run and my commute to and from the What Car? office.

And while I can’t yet charge at home – doing so would involve dangling a cable over the edge of my balcony – there is a convenient public charging point close to the office which a) seems to be reliable and b) not many people know about yet. So I’ll be plugging in at every opportunity in the hope of maximising my fuel economy – the bar for this is set pretty low, given I achieved a fairly sluggish 31.5mpg from the used Land Rover Discovery I ran previously.

When the battery is depleted, I’ll have the XC60’s 2.0-litre petrol engine to keep me going, and with 306bhp on tap and a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds, it’ll out-sprint its Audi Q5 e-hybrid rival up to motorway speeds.

In my search for ultimate comfort, I went for range-topping Ultra trim, because this adds air suspension to the XC60’s already impressive roster of standard kit, as well as massaging front seats, a panoramic glass roof and a head-up display. It also adds a 14-speaker Bowers & Wilkins stereo, which seven-year-old budding DJ Freya has already been testing thoroughly.

My XC60 gets a suite of safety and driver assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert to warn me of other cars when I’m reversing out of a parking space.

I’ve only made two selections from the options list, first to add a retractable towbar for towing, and second to add metallic paint, ensuring my car stands out in the corporate car park.

Sitting in the driver’s seat of the XC60 makes me feel like a lord of the manor, because virtually no other family SUV places you as high up – you quite literally look down on most other road users. The driver’s seat is wonderfully supportive, and the arm rests are at the right height for me to rest my elbows comfortably – something which is usually a rarity for me, being a relatively tall driver.

There aren’t many buttons inside the XC60 – save for a physical controller to adjust the stereo volume – meaning most functions are handled by the voice assistant or through the portrait-oriented 11.2in infotainment screen. This features Google software, so Google Maps and Google Voice Assistant are within easy reach. In fact, the system feels pleasingly responsive and has larger icons than in the pre-facelift XC60, so is easier to navigate. That said, I’d still prefer to have proper physical dials for the climate controls.

My early miles in the XC60 have been comfortable, with the air suspension soaking up all of the potholes, ruts and bumps which blight my usual route to work. They’ve been quiet, too, because once you’re cruising along there’s barely any noise from the engine, tyres or wind. It’s a beautifully calming and serene experience.

Reports from my family have so far been, well, a bit mixed. My girlfriend has called it an ‘old man’s car’ while the children have collectively nicknamed it the ‘grampsmobile’. Hopefully, over the next few months, I’ll be able to show them that the XC60, despite not looking overly sporty, can still raise a smile. Its frugality and comfort have already raised one from me.

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