Volvo XC90 Hybrid Could Make It To India In 2016

Volvo India is planning to add another variant to the XC90 lineup. The variant, though, won’t be just another ‘well-specced’ trim, instead, it would be the top-of-the-line T8 hybrid version. According to reports, the Swedish manufacturer has imported the XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid vehicle in the country for homologation. Also, since the standard XC90 is already available in India, it shouldn’t take long for Volvo to launch the vehicle here somewhere by the end of this year.

The XC90 is currently available at about Rs 70.95 lakh for the base diesel variant and is decently successful in the country, especially when considering the low dealership count of Volvo in the country. The T8 hybrid XC90 could be priced around the Rs 1 crore mark when launched, which is a handsome amount of sum over the XC90 D5 Inscription (Rs 80.23 lakh). However, the T8 will have plenty of justification for the increased price, including the hybrid powertrain.

The T8 hybrid, or Twin Engine as Volvo calls it, gets an inline 4-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged, supercharged petrol motor producing 320PS of power. The powertrain is further assisted by the electric motor to produce a combined 405PS of power and 650Nm of peak torque. This figure exceeds the torque of the likes of BMW X5 xDrive 30d and the Q7 45 TDI, both of which use diesel engines way bigger than Volvo’s 2.0-litre mill.

Moreover, the Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine will be able to deliver a mileage figure of around 11kmpl, which is very competitive against its diesel peers. It will also get a pure electric range of 32 kilometres from the electric motor and the battery pack -- concealed in the central tunnel.

The XC90 will also fall under the tax benefits available on the hybrid and electric vehicles in the country, which will help Volvo to price it competitively.

If you are planning to buy the diesel XC90 or want to know more about it, read our detailed road test here.

Source: OD