Volvo XC90 T8 Excellence Hybrid, the luxury SUV’s top-of-the-line variant and the country’s first plug-in hybrid SUV, has been launched in India at ₹ 1.25 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). The vehicle will also be the first big SUV to get a plug-in hybrid variant in India, steering past the likes of the Audi Q7, the BMW X5, the Range Rover Sport and the Mercedes-Benz GLS.
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Built on the company’s modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), the Volvo XC90 Excellence’s name, and the price for that matter, bespeaks of the affluence on offer and then some. It is on closer inspection that one can notice an external charging port flap located on its front left fender. Bonsdorff said the company has already received orders for 50 units of the XC90 T8 Excellence. Design highlights of the Volvo XC90 include the large vertical slat radiator grille flanked by sleek headlamps with Volvo’s signature Thor’s Hammer LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL).
The biggest change is the powerplant under the hood. And to add to it, an electric motor has been coupled to it as well. The combined output of the hybrid set up stands at 402bhp and 640Nm of torque. Transmission duties are the same as the diesel variant – an 8-speed automatic gearbox with power transmitted to all four wheels.
When in use for long distances, the vehicle can be run on a hybrid mode or a power mode where petrol will be consumed.
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The range-topping variant is powered by the T8 “Twin-Engine” powertrain, which combines a 2.0-liter twin-charged four-cylinder engine and electric motor. Volvo has ditched the rear bench seat and third-row seat option to leave plenty of space for two power-operated individual seats with a console between them. For entertainment, the auto benefits from a specially-augmented Bowers & Wilkins audio system and additional sound insulation via the Pirelli Noise Cancelling System tyres (PNCS). Worth mentioning here is that the T8 will only be available in the top-end Excellence trim of the Volvo XC90, according to the company. On the competition front, it competes against the likes of the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLS.
