Test drive: 2024 Volvo S60 Recharge PHEV is better in charge

It’s been practically a decade since Volvo first began rolling out plug-in hybrids within the U.S., and whereas the components for them hasn’t modified an entire lot, a few necessary particulars have. 

Certainly one of them is that Volvo’s made the batteries bigger each few years, resulting in extra plug-in electrical vary, improved hybrid drivability, and general a greater mixture of attributes. 

The opposite factor that’s modified in that point is that Volvo is severely going all-electric. It’s focusing on 2030 for a completely electrical lineup, with EVs that gained’t price greater than gasoline automobiles by 2025.

Volvo simply this week introduced that the S60 will likely be discontinued, with 2025 the ultimate mannequin yr for this South Carolina-built sedan. It’s going away as that plant turns into the primary of Volvo’s crops globally to go all-EV, making house for each the Volvo EX90 and, later within the yr, the Polestar 3. 

That stated, the S60 Recharge plug-in hybrid has saved getting higher, with a considerably bigger battery pack 18.8-kwh (14.7-kwh usable) arriving for 2023. That’s up from 11.6 kwh gross and 9.1 kwh usable previous to 2022, and it boosted the EPA rated vary from 22 miles to 41 miles. That’s Volvo’s highest-mileage plug-in hybrid. And when that plug-in cost is used up, the Recharge is barely extra environment friendly than earlier than, at 31 mpg mixed. 

A couple of months in the past I received to observe up with the S60 Recharge—a 2023 mannequin, simply earlier than the late-arriving 2024s rolled in. The decision? It’s a bit of confused about its hybrid identification however extra electrical when it counts versus earlier Volvo PHEVs I’ve pushed. For those who’ve been on the fence a few Volvo plug-in hybrid, this may be the one that may totally cowl your commute plus your out-of-the-way road-trip wants.

S60 Recharge electrical vary: 40-ish miles in chilly climate

I ran via three fees within the time I had the S60 Recharge, not at all times seeing the mileage I fairly anticipated. As we’ve underscored earlier than with plug-in hybrids and EVs, while you’re not harnessing waste warmth from an engine, using cabin warmth comes at a reasonably steep price by way of vary misplaced. 

With the local weather management set to 72 levels on a 44-degree night and the automobile set to start out in its Pure (electrical) mode, I drove simply 33 miles earlier than the S60 began its engine and went to Hybrid mode. The route included a near-equal mixture of 65-mph freeway driving and 30-50 mph boulevards with some hills and stoplights. Then on a drizzly night time with the temp at 47 levels and cabin warmth nonetheless at 72 levels, I lined 36 miles in a combination together with 4 miles of metropolis streets plus the rest at 55-70 mph on the freeway. 

Simply to push the query concerning the affect of local weather management, on a transparent night at 46 levels I then drove via one cost with out utilizing the cabin warmth—solely the seat and steering-wheel heaters—and managed 44 miles (roughly 20% farther) whereas recreating the earlier loop. That being roughly 20% farther with out utilizing the local weather management. So within the scope of year-round driving and the extremes of the yr, 40 miles feels doable in a gentle local weather.

In interface, the S60 Recharge doesn’t have a ‘B’ shift mode like some hybrids or EVs, however it does have a one-pedal driving setting, in a display submenu. I principally saved it in the usual mild-regen setting as a result of it’s not a very constant one-pedal mode. 

S60 Recharge will get dreamy seats, good cabin consolation, quiet trip

The local weather system is incredible and warms the cabin up shortly with out it needing to start out the engine (however you’ll pay in vary). The S60 additionally has dreamy entrance seats, with extendable thigh bolsters that made this lanky 6-foot-6 driver really feel proper at house, plus wonderful again assist, and the seat heaters’ heat goes all the best way as much as the again of the shoulder blades. 

Getting out and in of the again seat was simple sufficient, too, though the low trip peak mixed with the rakish roofline made mounting a toddler seat—and serving to the kid out and in of the again seat—tougher than I might need guessed.

As soon as underway, in electrical mode, it’s clear how a lot effort Volvo has put into protecting highway noise muted. The S60 rides with a firmness that speaks European sport sedan, however its dampers take in the minor stuff with out pinging into the cabin. Upholstery and trim had been appropriately darkish per this Black Version automobile, however it all additionally felt appropriately premium. 

The S60 has a 2.0-liter turbo-4 making 312 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, hooked as much as an 8-speed automated transmission, with a skinny motor system (143 hp and 228 lb-ft) within the center. A clutch system permits simply the motor to propel the automobile in electric-only mode, however I sensed (and heard) the transmission shifting alongside the best way. 

You may’t speed up as quickly in plug-in electrical mode as you possibly can in hybrid mode, however it’s loads fast for many wants. A pronounced accelerator detent close to the ground helps guarantee that you just’re not unintentionally ordering up the engine while you don’t intend to, and as soon as it enters hybrid mode, a unique-to-Volvo interactive show helps you perceive when the gasoline engine goes to start out based mostly on how arduous you’re accelerating and its current state of cost. 

Recharge’s hybrid mode might be enjoyable however raucous

For all that Volvo has executed with that packaging, the engine makes itself be recognized when it begins, and it’s not a lot exhaust noise as a basic soundtrack. The turbo-4 is fairly coarse-sounding. It appears that evidently Volvo has tweaked the programming of the transmission to maintain the engine lugging in its low-rpm vary a bit greater than it had in earlier iterations of the S60, and it carries audibly.

The general system is fast by the stopwatch or the dragstrip—0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds, in keeping with Volvo—however it’s not as fleet-footed for real-world calls for. In hybrid mode it certain doesn’t really feel like a four-second automobile, or a six-second automobile, in case you stomp the accelerator to the ground at, say, 25 mph. There, even when the engine’s on you get a second by which the transmission feels prefer it’s panicking, lining up the best gear and peak motor increase. After which when it’s delivered it’s all incorrect for a second, with seemingly an excessive amount of torque despatched to the entrance wheels (and a queasy lightness to the steering wheel) earlier than all is effectively and also you’re ripping extra seamlessly into unlawful speeds, all in management.

However most notably—and sure, this can be a criticism—that full-rip attraction is absent within the third-to-half throttle the place suburban commuters are going to be the overwhelming majority of the time as soon as via a cost. 

To check out that hybrid mode, I additionally lined a 111-mile spherical journey with household to a mountaineering trailhead and again, gaining about 800 ft of elevation on the vacation spot and returning to the place we began, having fun with the Energy mode for a part of it. The journey pc confirmed we averaged a good 32 mpg for the complete journey. 

S60 Recharge interface is…good, not nice

The 9.0-inch touchscreen system is neither the most effective nor the worst within the S60’s class. It’s well-organized, and the vertical orientation makes good sense for following navigation instructions. Local weather features “stick” to the decrease portion of the display; you possibly can present navigation directions on the gauge cluster; and at last, because of a latest replace, you should utilize Apple CarPlay on the entire remaining display—fairly than a smaller module. It’s a Google-based infotainment system, so a few of its native features should still depend on that ecosystem. 

The 2023 I examined, in its prime Final Black Version type, added as much as $63,690 and included particularly lustrous (and troublesome to {photograph}) black metallic paint, a black ironmark and entrance grille, black trunk lid badging, a charcoal headliner, and fabric in charcoal nappa leather-based and matching artificial trim. The $750 Local weather Bundle introduced headlight cleaners, heated rear seats, and an particularly toasty heated steering wheel. And the $3,200 Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system provided up quite a lot of energy to crank up the sound with out distortion, however you may must tweak the sound settings; it was a bit too muddy and bass-heavy for this cabin with all of the settings on heart. Priced out, an identical 2024 model would price $64,145 together with the $100 increased vacation spot price ($1,195). 

It must also be famous that the 2023 leftover I examined had a 3.6-kw onboard charger that restricted recharges at house with my higher-current, 240-volt charger, to about 4 hours. New 2024 fashions have gained a 6.6-kw onboard charger, slicing the cost time to about 2.5 hours—that means within the time of a protracted buying journey or leisurely dinner you would possibly be capable of get well most of a cost. 

Does Volvo lastly have the components proper for plug-in hybrids, simply as extra of its EVs begin arriving? That’s so that you can determine, however maybe past the unique intent this Recharge finally ends up exhibiting electrical is healthier.

2024 Volvo S60 Recharge
Base value: $53,895 (Core mannequin)
Worth as examined: $64,145 (Final Black Version with choices)
Propulsion: 312-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 and 143-hp motor; 455 hp, 523 lb-ft mixed; all-wheel drive
EPA effectivity: 41 miles electrical vary, 31 mpg mixed
The hits: Dreamy entrance seats, wonderful local weather management, agency however quiet trip
The misses: Coarse engine, hybrid system’s stumbles, tight roofline in again