xc60 t8 - will this work as I imagine?
Discussion
My daily trip is 11 miles each way with some NSL, some urban and a bit of traffic at the end. Usual 5 days a week.
I want a mid size vehicle with some ground clearance and 4wd as we do quite a few 2 hr trips to a destination with narrow lanes and slippery surfaces on hills. Not exactly off roading but 2wd is a bit limiting sometimes.
I run a cls63 so not exactly the last word in fuel efficiency but it's great for the motorway trips and really fun on A road blasts.
I'd like to reduce my costs a little, so better fuel and lower road tax.
It seems to me that a t8 would allow me to, usually, get to and from work without using the engine but give a decent car for long trips, that whilst not as fire breathing as the merc still has a good bit of go for overtaking etc.
Have I missed something, is it that going to work? Anyone have one, or anything with the T8 engine?
I want a mid size vehicle with some ground clearance and 4wd as we do quite a few 2 hr trips to a destination with narrow lanes and slippery surfaces on hills. Not exactly off roading but 2wd is a bit limiting sometimes.
I run a cls63 so not exactly the last word in fuel efficiency but it's great for the motorway trips and really fun on A road blasts.
I'd like to reduce my costs a little, so better fuel and lower road tax.
It seems to me that a t8 would allow me to, usually, get to and from work without using the engine but give a decent car for long trips, that whilst not as fire breathing as the merc still has a good bit of go for overtaking etc.
Have I missed something, is it that going to work? Anyone have one, or anything with the T8 engine?
I’ve got one of these. A 2020 Inscription pro model that has been Polestar optimised… real world you’re looking at about 18 miles of pure EV range in winter with AC on etc and low to mid 20’s in summer on the 11kw model. Believe the newer ones have a larger battery so extra range.
Can’t fault mine. Not a drivers car but pure comfort and eats the miles up with heated steering wheel and heated/ventilated/massaging seats etc. it’s properly fully loaded and wants for nowt equipment wise.
It’s now 421bhp after the polestar map but doesn’t really feel it. It feels quick don’t get me wrong but it won’t be troubling any RS3s… Golf Rs maybe! That said they’re FWD bias so if you give it the berries they torque steer until about 30 then it levels out.
Great cars and I wouldn’t swap mine for much in the price range.
Can’t fault mine. Not a drivers car but pure comfort and eats the miles up with heated steering wheel and heated/ventilated/massaging seats etc. it’s properly fully loaded and wants for nowt equipment wise.
It’s now 421bhp after the polestar map but doesn’t really feel it. It feels quick don’t get me wrong but it won’t be troubling any RS3s… Golf Rs maybe! That said they’re FWD bias so if you give it the berries they torque steer until about 30 then it levels out.
Great cars and I wouldn’t swap mine for much in the price range.
well...just picked up a 2024 V60 T8 Polestar. The new '24 model has effectively doubled the range to 70 +/- kms from the '23 model. Winter, here in Canada, down grades that to the high 50's.
Really impressed with the car over our previous 2021 V60 momentum.
Me thinks you will be happy with the e-range. Seamlessly kicks in over to the gas once the eleccy runs out.
Arthur
Really impressed with the car over our previous 2021 V60 momentum.
Me thinks you will be happy with the e-range. Seamlessly kicks in over to the gas once the eleccy runs out.
Arthur
I've got an XC40 T5 plug-in, similar battery, smaller engine. I assume it works the same way?
Works well for me, just over 20 miles on the battery at this time of year, so enough for most of my daily use. Left in "Hybrid Mode", the engine fires up smoothly when called for by my right foot, and drops back to battery power again when I lift off.
On longer journeys, I just press the "battery hold" button on the screen for the faster roads. This engages the engine a lot sooner, but will still switch back to electric in traffic, etc. I switch battery hold off again when I get into town.
I've had the car 2 months, and done about 700 miles using less than half a tank of petrol - probably around 4 gallons.
Efficency in electric mode isn't as good as a pure BEV, around 2.4 miles per kwh. Less than 4p a mile though on the Octopus Go tariff.
A 50 mile round trip shows an indicated 80mpg, plus about 80p to recharge the battery, so about half the running cost of the Sportage diesel I had a few years ago.
Obviously economy drops off on longer journeys once the battery runs down, but I rarely do more than 50 miles these days.
I'm very pleased with the car
Works well for me, just over 20 miles on the battery at this time of year, so enough for most of my daily use. Left in "Hybrid Mode", the engine fires up smoothly when called for by my right foot, and drops back to battery power again when I lift off.
On longer journeys, I just press the "battery hold" button on the screen for the faster roads. This engages the engine a lot sooner, but will still switch back to electric in traffic, etc. I switch battery hold off again when I get into town.
I've had the car 2 months, and done about 700 miles using less than half a tank of petrol - probably around 4 gallons.
Efficency in electric mode isn't as good as a pure BEV, around 2.4 miles per kwh. Less than 4p a mile though on the Octopus Go tariff.
A 50 mile round trip shows an indicated 80mpg, plus about 80p to recharge the battery, so about half the running cost of the Sportage diesel I had a few years ago.
Obviously economy drops off on longer journeys once the battery runs down, but I rarely do more than 50 miles these days.
I'm very pleased with the car
Alternatively, if your daily commute is only 11 miles each way, how about keep the C63 for the long trips and buy an early BMW i3 (battery only for the daily use? Cheap to run-on car tax and very nippy. Even the smallest battery version will have more than enough range and you're not dragging around a petrol powertrain when you don't need it.
The T8 really catches the eye with those great acceleration figures. But once you've used your 30 mile battery range, isn't it quite dull with just the 2 litre motor, especially if loaded up and trying to overtake?
Also, once the batteries are flat, I think it reverts to front wheel drive which won't suit your purpose.
Also, once the batteries are flat, I think it reverts to front wheel drive which won't suit your purpose.
stressd said:
The T8 really catches the eye with those great acceleration figures. But once you've used your 30 mile battery range, isn't it quite dull with just the 2 litre motor, especially if loaded up and trying to overtake?
Also, once the batteries are flat, I think it reverts to front wheel drive which won't suit your purpose.
I'm guessing the XC60 T8 works the same way as my XC40 T5.Also, once the batteries are flat, I think it reverts to front wheel drive which won't suit your purpose.
In hybrid mode ( default setting), around 15% of the battery capacity is held in reserve for for acceleration. The car will only run purely on ICE if you select "charge" mode.
In real-life driving, full power from both "engines" will always be available for overtaking, slip roads, etc.
Even when the battery is right down to the reserve, easing off the throttle will put some charge back into the battery, so the electric motor will work when needed.
It's a clever system, works well.
stressd said:
The T8 really catches the eye with those great acceleration figures. But once you've used your 30 mile battery range, isn't it quite dull with just the 2 litre motor, especially if loaded up and trying to overtake?
Also, once the batteries are flat, I think it reverts to front wheel drive which won't suit your purpose.
Batteries don't go "flat" in a PHEV. There will always be some assistance available from the electric motor for the ICE, when accelerating. Also, once the batteries are flat, I think it reverts to front wheel drive which won't suit your purpose.
DeanoC89 said:
I’ve got one of these. A 2020 Inscription pro model that has been Polestar optimised… real world you’re looking at about 18 miles of pure EV range in winter with AC on etc and low to mid 20’s in summer on the 11kw model. Believe the newer ones have a larger battery so extra range.
Can’t fault mine. Not a drivers car but pure comfort and eats the miles up with heated steering wheel and heated/ventilated/massaging seats etc. it’s properly fully loaded and wants for nowt equipment wise.
It’s now 421bhp after the polestar map but doesn’t really feel it. It feels quick don’t get me wrong but it won’t be troubling any RS3s… Golf Rs maybe! That said they’re FWD bias so if you give it the berries they torque steer until about 30 then it levels out.
Great cars and I wouldn’t swap mine for much in the price range.
I went to Volvo today to ask my questions but I'm not entirely sure I'm much better off.Can’t fault mine. Not a drivers car but pure comfort and eats the miles up with heated steering wheel and heated/ventilated/massaging seats etc. it’s properly fully loaded and wants for nowt equipment wise.
It’s now 421bhp after the polestar map but doesn’t really feel it. It feels quick don’t get me wrong but it won’t be troubling any RS3s… Golf Rs maybe! That said they’re FWD bias so if you give it the berries they torque steer until about 30 then it levels out.
Great cars and I wouldn’t swap mine for much in the price range.
I established there is a purely electric mode with the 20 ish miles of range. I assume the mode changes if you run it down too much. They assured me that it drove "normally" on just the battery.
On that note they also assured me that it is awd all the time. Now from what I watched there isn't any physical link between the 2 axles, they combine electronically. So once you run the battery down on a long journey I'm still not sure how the rear axle works, or for that matter, the front axle in pure mode. That they couldn't answer.
I'm also not sure what the mpg is on a long journey, 2+hours on the motorway, and how the battery rear axle assists the engine. Certainly you wont be getting 135mpg all the time as per the bumf.
So I'm still rather undecided but I can see me in an sq5 or xd3 in the end!
I guess it’s no different to a Tesla or other modern EV in that respect, with drive to axles being done electronically.
If I don’t plug in, I get 35mpg without too many issues, which in isolation for a 420bhp SUV - isn’t so bad. If I do plug in I leave it in Hybrid mode and let the car figure out what’s best where it’ll usually get around 80mpg until the battery is depleted.
No doubt the Audi and BMW are a better steer, but my experience is the Volvo will be built better with better materials, be more reliable and have far more equipment pound for pound. Mine even has pilot assist which is as close to semi autonomous driving as you can get.
Bear in mind as well the XC60 was always designed to be a Hybrid so the boot is actually larger than BMW and Audi rivals as they were shoe-horned in afterwards.
If I don’t plug in, I get 35mpg without too many issues, which in isolation for a 420bhp SUV - isn’t so bad. If I do plug in I leave it in Hybrid mode and let the car figure out what’s best where it’ll usually get around 80mpg until the battery is depleted.
No doubt the Audi and BMW are a better steer, but my experience is the Volvo will be built better with better materials, be more reliable and have far more equipment pound for pound. Mine even has pilot assist which is as close to semi autonomous driving as you can get.
Bear in mind as well the XC60 was always designed to be a Hybrid so the boot is actually larger than BMW and Audi rivals as they were shoe-horned in afterwards.
The Mrs' 2021 T8 in cold weather and the very short journeys (she does 3 mile round trip everyday) gives her 12 mile real range, despite computer saying 18 when fully charged, on longer journeys using sat nav of say 40-50 miles when the car eeks out the battery for the entire journey we tend to average 45 mpg overall, on really long journeys 35-36 mpg.
Overall it's costing more than her previous diesel XC60, it's still a nice car but contrary to other folk it can be a false economy especially with the extra cost over normal ICE versions. I did warn the Mrs but she was adamant this was the car for her and I got 20% off through my work scheme, we also got 5 years servicing for £1k which is an absolute steal!
PS. all edits for numerous spelling ang grammar cock ups, and still not 100% correct
Overall it's costing more than her previous diesel XC60, it's still a nice car but contrary to other folk it can be a false economy especially with the extra cost over normal ICE versions. I did warn the Mrs but she was adamant this was the car for her and I got 20% off through my work scheme, we also got 5 years servicing for £1k which is an absolute steal!
PS. all edits for numerous spelling ang grammar cock ups, and still not 100% correct
Edited by sherbertdip on Friday 12th January 12:45
Edited by sherbertdip on Friday 12th January 12:45
Edited by sherbertdip on Friday 12th January 12:47
Edited by sherbertdip on Friday 12th January 12:49
DeanoC89 said:
If I don’t plug in, I get 35mpg without too many issues, which in isolation for a 420bhp SUV - isn’t so bad. If I do plug in I leave it in Hybrid mode and let the car figure out what’s best where it’ll usually get around 80mpg until the battery is depleted.
Sorry for all the questions.How does it drive in pure mode (only battery if I have my terminology correct). It seems to only have 90bhp so is it as sluggish as that suggest?
For the hydrid 80mpg how long do you think you travel before the battery isn't having any input (or shows as fully depleted whihc may not be the same thing. I'm looking at 2-2.5 hr motorway/A road trips.
Thanks
DKL said:
I went to Volvo today to ask my questions but I'm not entirely sure I'm much better off.
I established there is a purely electric mode with the 20 ish miles of range. I assume the mode changes if you run it down too much. They assured me that it drove "normally" on just the battery.
On that note they also assured me that it is awd all the time. Now from what I watched there isn't any physical link between the 2 axles, they combine electronically. So once you run the battery down on a long journey I'm still not sure how the rear axle works, or for that matter, the front axle in pure mode. That they couldn't answer.
I'm also not sure what the mpg is on a long journey, 2+hours on the motorway, and how the battery rear axle assists the engine. Certainly you wont be getting 135mpg all the time as per the bumf.
So I'm still rather undecided but I can see me in an sq5 or xd3 in the end!
We have a 2023 T8 and I use it for my 11 mile commute when the weather isn't up to cycling. It's a mostly NSL A commute with a bit of 40MPH and 30MPH thrown in. When the temperature is literally freezing like it is now, I get low 30s range running electric only. If you do lots of smaller trips in a day it will get a lower range than that as the heater uses lots of energy re-heating the cabin. In more summery weather I was seeing lows 40s range - I could almost but not quite do my out and back commute on half the battery.I established there is a purely electric mode with the 20 ish miles of range. I assume the mode changes if you run it down too much. They assured me that it drove "normally" on just the battery.
On that note they also assured me that it is awd all the time. Now from what I watched there isn't any physical link between the 2 axles, they combine electronically. So once you run the battery down on a long journey I'm still not sure how the rear axle works, or for that matter, the front axle in pure mode. That they couldn't answer.
I'm also not sure what the mpg is on a long journey, 2+hours on the motorway, and how the battery rear axle assists the engine. Certainly you wont be getting 135mpg all the time as per the bumf.
So I'm still rather undecided but I can see me in an sq5 or xd3 in the end!
Running in pure electric mode the rear electric motor gets you 145BHP. That doesn't sound massive, but you get it from 0RPM so it does plenty ok for itself in regular driving in traffic, and is enough for straightforward A road overtakes. For more challenging stuff I try to anticipate the need and force the ICE on to let it warm up, so you then have the full 450BHP on tap. In 'Power' mode when the ICE is constantly running the throttle response feels superb with no sensation of lag - even the gear changes are tricky to detect unless you're under full bore acceleration. Reviews criticise the 4 pot engine noise but I find it quite characterful under full bore acceleration, and it's pretty much inaudible in normal driving. The only time it could irritate is if it's warming up at 2kRPM and you step outside the car, but that almost never happens.
When the battery is depleted, you still get full performance - the battery is never fully flat - even when it shows 0 miles range it will happily run for a couple of miles through a 30 limit on battery only. On very long runs with a totally flat battery we see high 30s to mid 40s MPG - it seems to prefer constant speed motorway stuff at 70MPH to A roads - I guess because it's too tempting to hoof it out of corners and roundabouts. Your long term average will depend on the balance of electric/petrol running you manage. We've had a few big trips so our long term average for the last 5000 miles is 76MPG.
It runs RWD when in full electric mode, and FWD when the ICE is running. And obviously AWD when it decides to run a combination of power. Which in hybrid mode it will - it'll swap between the two as it chooses. On a muddy track set to full electric it will fire up the engine if it spots the rear wheels slipping and have you in AWD mode before you really notice what is happening (in my experience). If you know you're going to need AWD you can pick 'constant AWD' which runs the engine constantly, or you can pick 'off road' which on the T8 will also jack the air suspension up (but limit your top speed to 24MPH). Again my experience of this is that it's all seamless and just works.
In 'hybrid' mode the suspension is quite soft so very comfy and it handles pot holes a little too well, but it does roll quite a lot through corners or roundabouts. Putting it into 'power' mode fixes that by dropping the suspension slightly and stiffening the dampers.
We're very happy with ours and wouldn't pick anything else currently for sale - what's not to like about something that be comfy and practical with a more elegant interior than a coal scuttle german car, can get to work for the price of your electricity and complete longer journeys with the economy of a decent diesel SUV, yet also be really quite quick when you need it to be. There are only two things I find less than perfect on it: the auto wipers don't always get it right and need the sensitivity adjusting more than I would like; the adaptive headlights are a bit old school compared to matrix LEDs and can leave a bit of an unlit hole behind the car in front.
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