Power and Practicality – the 2023 Volvo V60 Recharge
August 15 2022,
If ever there was a time to finally get all the capability you want from an SUV or CUV without having to sacrifice the fun drive of a compact or mid-size sedan, then that time is now with this: the 2023 Volvo V60 Recharge station wagon.
Most know this, but some don’t: “Recharge” in the Volvo world means a car with some form of electrification and with the V60, that manifests as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. Essentially, what you have with a PHEV is the same – or similar – powertrain to a conventional hybrid, but with a large battery for longer EV drives. In the V60’s case, that means up to 64 km of all-EV driving before you have to plug in again. In this day in age of soaring fuel costs, that’s a blessing!
It's a blessing, but with the V60 Recharge, it’s only just the start. You also get AWD as standard and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor that gets both supercharged and turbocharged. Add the EV motor on the rear axle, and you’re good for up to 415 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque in Polestar Engineered spec. That’s a whole lot of power, enough to propel the V60 Recharge to 100 km/h from start in about 4.5 seconds.
Then, when it comes time to slow things down in town, you have EV power to fallback on as well as one-pedal driving so you can recharge your battery every time you come to a stop, without ever having to touch the brake pedal.
Not only will you not have to touch the brake pedal, you won’t have to touch the infotainment display either as the V60 Recharge gets Google Built-in infotainment tech which provides Google Assistant support. Simply keep your phone in your pocket and log in to your Google account once in the car, and you can tell your assistant to give you directions, what appointments you have (and how to get to them) and even ask for climate control adjustment.
All this while easily hauling up to 529 litres behind the rear seats – it’s a wagon, remember? – so you’ve got all your basis covered when it comes to fun, capable and practical everyday driving.
