The Volvo XC60 Hybrid Concept was unveiled this week, ahead of its debut, which will take place at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept, which is the car's official name, promises a 53 g/km CO2 emissions level when running in the standard "Hybrid mode" and a 2.3 l/100 km (100 mpg) fuel economy. This is pretty impressive for a car its size. Even though it's still in a concept form, the Volvo XC60 hybrid is pretty close to a production version. When it will be a street car, the hybrid XC60 will offer three driving modes: Pure, Hybrid or Power. Their meaning is pretty obvious. In Pure mode, the XC60 hybrid will run on electricity only and it will have a range of around 28 miles.
In the power mode, the Volvo XC60 Hybrid will have an output of 350 hp. This means it will use both the 280 hp and 380 Nm (280 lb.-ft.) of its petrol engine, and the 70 hp and 200 Nm (148 lb.-ft.) of its electric motor. Volvo rates the new hybrid XC60 with a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.8 seconds (0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds). The new 4-cylinder turbo T8 engine of the XC60 hybrid is built with the VEA (Volvo Environmental Architecture) architecture and it's mated to a newly developed eight-speed automatic transmission. The power is sent to an electric four-wheel drive system.
Volvo's hybrid XC60 is equipped with an Integrated Starter motor and Generator (ISG) connected to the crankshaft, which delivers 34 kW (45 hp) during acceleration and charges the battery during braking. For juicing the electric motor, the XC60 hybrid uses a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which can be recharged in 3.5 hours from a 220V outlet.
So far Volvo did not disclose the exact date when the new XC60 Hybrid Concept will go into production. Watch the new concept on video lower down this page.
Volvo XC60 Hybrid Concept video:
