Out & About January 2018

OA motors

HYBRID THEORY put into practice

Volvo’s bid to be green depends on choices say MAURICE and ANNETTE HARDY as they test the XC90 T8 hybrid with steel suspension

S pring is an important topic already as we endure whatever winter wants to throw at us. And it’s an equally important topic if you are considering Volvo’s XC90 T8 hybrid. Because our experience shows that while air springs under this car can make the ride quality unpleasant, to put it mildly, if you specify it with steel suspension it’s transformed into something totally different. The XC90 is just about up there at the peak of what full-fat 4x4 hybrids have to offer, although Range Rover’s plans for 2018 include something similar and Audi has something similar in its Q7. But the XC90 with steel springs shows itself to be a highly competent car and, when compared with an equivalent price Land Rover Discovery 5 with the two-litre diesel engine, it’s at least the diesel Landy’s equal on fuel consumption, before you even factor in any range that the battery might bring after a session on the charger. These plug-in hybrid vehicles are probably the best thing for the foreseeable future. There’s insufficient infrastructure for regular electric vehicles with their battery- only power plant. Straightforward hybrids also give too short a range for pure battery operation, but the XC90 T8 gives 24 miles on battery alone after a recharge, enough for many people to complete their daily commute without needing to fire up the car’s petrol engine. Electronic trickery means the car can be programmed to save the battery’s juice until running in low emissions zones or a purely urban environment.

Best bits: good idea on the right chassis

and Volvo, but the Far Eastern owners of Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo (Chinese car maker Geely for the latter, which also produces London’s electric black cabs in Coventry) realise what they possess and are ready to pour money into Europe- based development teams. It’s also good to see they are reaping the benefits of the seeds they have sown, largely because the quality of their products is at a vastly higher level. Where Land Rover’s concerned the step change was obvious, with Volvo it’s less so because it hadn’t sunk so far. Volvo has announced – the day after the first XC90 T8 came to us – that all its cars launched from 2019 onwards will have battery power in some form, no longer relying solely on an internal combustion engine for motive power. Commentators, Greenpeace among them, misinterpreted this as a commitment from Volvo to only build electric cars from 2019, but current models will stay in production. A quarter of all XC90s sold last year were the T8 when Volvo had anticipated only a five to 10 per cent take-up, so you can see why Geely has shown such courage. After our first experience with the T8, we would have suggested that for now, if you want an XC90, get a diesel, but life with the steel sprung car shows it really works. Just be careful when making your choices.

Where there are no pedestrians to choke on the exhaust fumes or the car will be cruised at speed, the petrol engine can be left to do the work. It’s also possible if you’re using the car in hybrid mode to slip the gear selector to a braking position on long downhill stretches so you get the same retarding effect as gently using the brakes without actually pressing on the pedal. Doing this returns otherwise wasted energy into the battery. Our gripe with the first XC90 T8 we tested, on air springs, was that the car suffered too much pitch and wallow – we reckon because the battery pack wrapped around what would be the transmission tunnel makes the centre of gravity too high. There’s good reason for putting it there – the rear floor is still clear to take the third row of seats that Mitsubishi has to delete on its PHEV Outlander. Curing the ride problem for us just meant ticking the box for steel springs when speccing the car. It makes a world of difference and the XC90 T8 immediately becomes enjoyable to use on any road type. Putting several hundred miles behind it in a single day was pleasurable rather than penance. There’s a great level of performance yet the car still managed 35 mpg. Some people might raise an eyebrow at the four cylinder petrol engine, fearing it might not uncouth, but it worked for us. Most of the time it’s too subdued to intrude, but wind it up by hitting the throttle and there’s a delightful growl. It’s strange that Western owners such as Ford seriously undervalued Land Rover

Volvo XC90 T8 Momentum 4wd Auto Does it fit your ego... 0-62mph: 5.6 secs Top speed: 140mph Bhp: 407 Torque: 640Nm and your wallet... Price: £61,715 CO2 emissions: 49g/km

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