Volvo V60 2.4 D6 Plug-in Hybrid 283 km - ecological Swede
Only about 3% of waste goes to landfills in Sweden. The remaining 97% are used, among other things, to create decoupage souvenirs, sewing bags, wallets and even clothes from old materials. A state in Northern Europe must import garbage from its neighbors, as it lacks to generate renewable energy. Therefore, it probably will not surprise anyone that it was Volvo that introduced a hybrid combined with a diesel drive. We must remember that the Swedes derive certain benefits from owning this type of car. In Poland, no one will offer us free parking in cities, cheaper insurance or a lower fee for registering an electric car. Is it worth paying extra PLN 70 for the plugin version?
The V60 is a young car, officially introduced in 2010, it appeared in showrooms a year later, and in 2013 we received a facelift. The plug-in version does not visually differ from the standard V60 after fl. Well, almost nothing. Above the left wheel arch you'll find an electrical outlet for charging, two badges with the word "plug-in hybrid" and a silver "eco" stripe on the tailgate and new 17-inch wheels. Fortunately, more intervention in the appearance was not required. Since the changes were made as part of the facelift, the V60 looks great. Volvo no longer frightens with its square cars, at the sight of which one felt the safety emanating from these cars, but also, unfortunately, boredom and some kind of predictability. Those days are gone. The V60 gives the impression of a dynamic and firmly set car. One that will provide worthy emotions and travel safety.
Classic interior
The Swedes also left the center unchanged, the difference and the climate of the ecological salon are the details of the car. What caught my eye almost immediately were the three driving mode select buttons - Pure, Hybrid and Power. We'll get back to their work and impact on driving in a moment. The interior of the car is made in a classic style and has characterized the Scandinavian brand for many years. Hence? Well, the workmanship is at the highest level, the materials are of excellent quality, aluminum, leather and wood are here, the individual elements fit well together and do not make annoying sounds. The seats are trimmed in light leather, and the central panel with a characteristic little man with which we control the deflectors is connected to the gear lever and armrest in one built-in element. Consistency in the interior design of their cars means they are free from randomness and mismatching. Despite being a station wagon, the V60 comes across as rather cramped inside and maybe a little too claustrophobic - I caught my head on the sun visor even when it was folded down.
As I mentioned, we are dealing with a station wagon, so a large luggage compartment and the freedom to carry small purchases - at least in theory - should be on the agenda. How in practice? Not the best. The additional electronic motor and batteries came at the expense of boot volume and compared to the standard V60 it has been reduced by 125 liters and now its capacity is 305 liters. Due to the installation of new elements, the weight of the car has increased by as much as 250 kg.
Two hearts
Under the hood of the tested car is a D6 engine with a power of 2400 cc.3 and 285 hp at 4000 rpm and 440 Nm in the range of 1500-3000 rpm. The V60 hits 6.4-0.3 in 6.1 seconds, 50s slower than the Volvo 60s claimed. In Power mode, the car accelerates without thinking, both on the highway and in the city, overtaking other cars is a pleasure, and the sound to get to the salon is a real symphony for our ears. Unfortunately, the sound of the engine loses a little in other modes. The apogee of loud work comes in the all-wheel drive mode, when the electric motor that drives the rear axle makes itself felt. In total, the car has five driving modes. The above power turns on the internal combustion engine and is responsible for running the engine at high speeds. In other words, the greatest power is here. The hybrid optimizes the use of energy sources depending on driving conditions. Clean mode makes the drive a priority and disables most power-hungry devices, incl. air conditioning. Pure can travel up to 4 km on a single charge. Another mode is “Save”, which is responsible for saving battery power in selected situations and, if necessary, will recharge the battery, which, however, increases fuel consumption. The last drive is AWD, i.e. four-wheel drive. The front axle is driven by an internal combustion engine, while the rear axle is driven by an electric motor. As we can see, the V100 can be used in many modes that affect fuel consumption in different ways. With a quiet ride outside the settlements, fuel consumption will be less than 5,4 l / 100 km. When driving into the city in ECO mode, a fuel consumption of XNUMX l/XNUMX km should be taken into account. It is worth moving around the city in Pure mode, thanks to which both fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions will be almost zero.
The Volvo Hybrid looks flawless while driving. The suspension is very comfortable, slightly stiffer than the standard V60 and copes well with the extra weight of the Plug-in version, the dampers, in turn, absorb even large bumps very well. However, it seems that the steering system could be tweaked a little better. Although everything goes straight when driving, this does not fully reflect what happens under the front wheels when entering corners. This type of defect does not pose any danger, but only slight discomfort. Even in the worst conditions, all-wheel drive works perfectly, giving the impression that the car is stuck to the road and nothing will touch it. The automatic transmission keeps the engine running at high revs, but at times it felt like the gear shifted too late.
The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is available in two trim levels. The first one is Momentum for PLN 264 in the standard version and in the same equipment package in the R-Design version for PLN 200. The second equipment package is called Summum and costs PLN 275.
The V60 Plug-in Hybrid is a very successful vehicle. Naturally, he also has disadvantages, such as a ridiculously small trunk, especially for a station wagon. The base version of the V60 is no less successful car. Is it worth paying more than PLN 70 for a hybrid? Unfortunately, most likely not in Poland. Here we will not get a number of conveniences associated with changing to a car with an electric motor. Charging from an outlet is definitely not free, so it’s hard to talk about free travel. If you are not an ardent supporter of this type of vehicle, it is difficult to find logical premises confirming the correctness of such a choice in our country.
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