Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine Named as Luxury Green Car of 2016

Volvo has once again made a loud noise in the automotive arena after its XC90 T8 Twin Engine has been named 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal.

The XC90 T8 comes with a combined 400 horsepower by way of a two-liter turbocharged and supercharged gas engine in front and an electric motor at the rear. These two deliver an EPA-rated MPGe, making the AWD XC90 T8 the most powerful and efficient SUV in the world.

The luxury SUV boasts five different driving modes that offer an array of performance and efficiency-improving characteristics. Utilizing either a touchscreen on the dashboard or a scroll wheel on the center console, drivers can select from:

Save: If the battery is charged, this mode enables the driver to freeze the battery level and save it for later use with Pure Electric drive. However, if the battery is low, the driver can use the combustion engine to charge the battery to a certain level for later use with Pure Electric drive.

AWD: The benefit of being able to choose AWD manually is that the driver can use it when required, or choose to save energy for later.

Power: Thanks to this mode, drivers will get the merged performance of the electric motor and the combustion engine. On start-up, the XC90 takes advantage of the electric motor’s outstanding response and instant torque curve, while the combustion engine gets up to speed. With this combination, there is better torque at lower revolutions, equivalent to that of a huge displacement engine such as the V8.

Pure: When the high-voltage battery is fully charged, it serves as the sole energy source of the car, powering the electric motor over the axle. The XC90 T8 comes with a range of over 40km using just electricity, which covers the total distance several people drive in one day. The regenerative braking system makes this mode ultra-efficient in the stop-and-go traffic of city environments. If more power is required, the Drive-E combustion engine starts up automatically.

Hybrid: As the default mode, this is perfectly suitable for everyday use. It enables the vehicle to automatically alternate between drawing power from the 2-liter, 4-cylinder Drive-E engine and the electric motor to ensure best fuel consumption.

In a statement, Lex Kerssemakers, President and CEO, Volvo Car USA, said that it is a pleasure to receive the award from Green Car Journal for the XC90 T8. He noted Volvo’s commitment to a vehicle electrification strategy that would make powerful and efficient plug-in hybrid powertrains available in more models, such as the S90 luxury sedan that goes on sale this year.

According to Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com, the all-new XC90 T8 is a milestone luxury SUV featuring the essential features desired by buyers who want it all. “Its attractive new styling, welcome luxury appointments, seven passenger seating, and plug-in hybrid power deservedly earn its distinction as Green Car Journal’s 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year™.”