What's all this about?
Volvo has updated the XC90 T8 Twin Engine hybrid model.
Oh, that's good ne... wait a minute! The XC90 is brand new!
Yes, but Volvo is still tweaking it ahead of first customer deliveries. So, unspecified developments have seen cuts to the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures. Instead of 112.9mpg and 59g/km before, which were more than respectable figures for a huge, seven-seat SUV, now the T8 TE can return up to 134.5mpg and emits just 49g/km CO2.
Wow! Has anything else changed?
It would seem peak power has crept up, while the 0-62mph sprint time has dropped. Volvo is now quoting 407hp (400hp previously) and 5.6 seconds (instead of 5.9 seconds).
Hold on, though, NEDC fuel economy figures are impossible to achieve, aren't they?
In the main, yes. Even Volvo officials at the car's launch back in February said the few customers who could hope to match the 112.9mpg figure were those who only used it in pure electric mode, in which the XC90 can cover around 25 miles. Therefore, it'll just be urbanites with plenty of access to charging points who will be able to dream of 134.5mpg; use it on the motorway or for long journeys and the XC90 won't be anything like as parsimonious. Still, nice to know the Volvo XC90 T8 TE can be so ecologically sound, eh?
Matt Robinson - 1 May 2015