I’ve always been an unabashed fan of every Volvo I’ve driven, but I’ve never really been a fan of the best selling Volvo—the midsize XC60 crossover. That changed when I saw this 2025 Volvo XC60 T8 PHEV sitting in our parking lot.

There’s nothing new for 2025, save for dropping the Recharge name, but this one with its Crystal White paint, optional diamond-cut 21-inch wheels, and hunkered down on its air suspension, looked fantastic. That air suspension automatically lowers when parked to ease getting people and/or their things in and out of the XC60, but it has the lovely side effect of making the XC60 look far more cool than I would have ever thought possible—even taking into account that Volvos always look good.

What’s under the hood?

It goes a long way that this T8 Plug-in Hybrid powertrain has the spicy performance capability to back up the XC60’s hot style. Not only does it look surprisingly athletic, it is surprisingly athletic, with a combined 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque delivered by its incredibly clever e-AWD hybrid powertrain setup.

Unlike most all-wheel-drive vehicles, there is no mechanical link between the front and rear wheels on Volvo’s T8 PHEV powertrain. Over the front wheels you’ll find a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission, with a small motor/generator sandwiched between them to make for seamless starting of the engine—as you’d find in most modern mild hybrids. Over the rear wheels is a relatively large electric motor fed by a 400-volt battery, and is capable of comfortably moving the XC60 at highway speeds for up to 58 kilometers on its own.

Driving impressions

It’s a brilliant best-of-both worlds setup that plays to the strengths of both gasoline and electricity as energy sources, while effectively negating the downsides. Electric vehicles are lovely around town because you get instantaneous and impeccably smooth throttle response when accelerating, and you can use the B mode on the lovely crystal shifter to give yourself the enormous convenience of one-pedal driving, which is strong enough to bring the XC60 down to a stop and hold it there.

If you haven’t experienced it yourself, believe me when I say using just one pedal in traffic is a godsend that makes urban driving so much nicer. It’s a treat that’s pretty much exclusive to electric vehicles, and these Volvos—which still have a powerful traditional engine on board to negate range anxiety and deliver serious extra shove—this XC60 can comfortably sprint from zero to 100km/h in under five seconds. That used to be Ferrari territory.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about this powertrain is how it’s able to be everything to everyone, which is usually a surefire way to disappoint. If you want to conserve fuel, you can largely avoid using it at all. If you like the driving style of EVs, you can have that. If you like a refined, quiet powertrain with reassuring passing power, you can have that. And if you like hauling ass, you can do that too. It’s so good, and it’s incredibly efficient even if you can’t or won’t plug it in, averaging 8.8 L/100 kilometres without much plugging in.

My adoration for the XC60 goes beyond having a genius powertrain and looking delicious, although that’s usually enough to hold my attention. It handles and drives well, again striking a great balance of being everything to everyone, feeling nice to someone who doesn’t really care about the finer points of driving, and being enjoyable to someone like me who will ignore everything else if it isn’t well dialed and satisfying to pilot. The ride quality is just a hair on the sharp side no doubt thanks to the big wheels, but it’s a compromise I’d live with.

Interior comfort, style, and tech

There’s little else in the way of compromise with the XC60, especially in this top-spec Ultra tester. The Nappa leather seats are as nice to sit in as they are to look at, and the fronts are heated, ventilated, massaging, and the rears are heated, more supportive than most, and have plenty of legroom. There’s plenty of cargo space with the seats up or down, measuring 597 L with the seats up and 1,395 with them folded, and there’s lots of room for storage. Everything looks and feels properly nice.

Technology is handled by a familiar nine-inch portrait screen, running Google software but skinned to look like Volvo’s previous Sensus system. It’s easy enough to use and figure out, and being that it has Google Maps, Search, and recognition built into it, it does the things that matter quite well. A digital gauge cluster with a heads-up display keeps the driver posted, and a wonderful Bowers & Wilkins sound system keeps the driver entertained. Adaptive cruise and lane tracing work quite well, and its surround-view cameras make parking a cinch. The only downer is that it doesn’t have wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but I didn’t miss it.

Is the 2025 Volvo XC60 worth it?

Volvo doesn’t lock out this plug-in powertrain behind the top trim, meaning you can get into one of these for $59,950 without as many bells and whistles, but you still get that incredibly competent core package. This decked-out 2025 Volvo XC60 T8 PHEV climbed up to $91,455 as-tested. It’s not an easy pill to swallow, but is in-line with the rest of the segment—the majority of which don’t offer a plug-in hybrid, can’t match it’s power output, and I’d argue struggle to stand up to the XC60’s all-around competence and style.