Volvo's V60 hybrid to cost £47k 13 | 12 | 2011
THIS IS VOLVO'S plug-in diesel-electric hybrid V60 which will go on sale in showrooms across Scotland next Spring, with prices starting at £47,000. The good news is that it also qualifies for the government’s £5000 electric grant — the first car of its type to do so — bringing the cost down to £42k.
To be badged the V60 D6, Volvo claims the car has CO2 emissions of just 49g/km, though no fuel economy figures have yet been confirmed.
A five-cylinder 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, powers the all-wheel drive D6’s front wheels.
At the back, the rear axle gets its power from a 69bhp, 147lb/ft electric motor, which in turn is powered by an 11.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack located under the boot’s floor.
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Flick the D6 into 'Pure' driving mode — the other two driving modes are Hybrid and Power — and the car has a theoretical electric-only range of up to 32 miles.
Understandably, Volvo says this is enough to meet the daily mileage needs of most European drivers. And cleverly, a driver can also select to save electric power for later in their journey by activating ‘Save’ mode.
The default-operating mode for the V60 D6 is 'Hybrid', and the Swedish manufacturer claims this mode best blends the hybrid system’s environmental and performance capabilities.
Using the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) standard tests, it was in this mode where the 49g/km CO2 figure was recorded. Travelling in Hybrid mode, Volvo quotes a theoretical range of 746 miles.
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A full recharge of the batteries takes between 3.5 hours and 7.5 hours depending on the amperage of the power source.
Order books for the V60 D6 open in the Spring before production of the initial 1000 cars begins in November 2012.
And if you're one of the first 1000 to order he car, you can any colour you like … as long as it's Electric Silver. The first batch will also come with 17in ‘aero’ alloy wheels, and include standard fittings of a high-performance stereo system, Bluetooth connectivity and front and rear parking sensors.
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Jim McGill