Volvo->ke188 will come at the Detroit Auto Show with an innovative petrol plug-in hybrid: the XC60->ke3026 Plug-in Hybrid Concept that previews a production version vehicle set to be offered in both Europe and North America. The concept combines a 280 HP four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine driving the front wheels with an electric motor producing 70 HP.

The concept offered three modes of operation: Pure, Hybrid or Power, with the Hybrid one offering a fuel economy of over 100 mpg. This system will sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds

"The technology in the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept is as ingenious as it is unique," says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation. "You can make really green progress on the road without compromising on any of the luxury car's renowned properties. No other manufacturer has succeeded in delivering fuel economy and electrical range on this level in a capable, spacious performance car with 350 horsepower on tap."

Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept.

2012 Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2012 Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

The exterior and the interior

The concept will be immediately recognized as a XC60 SUV, but it will be further distinguished thanks to its special white color and the 21" wheels that enhance the muscular appearance. The interior gets dark-blue leather upholstery and inlays of blue-grey wood. The instrument panel has been modified to offer the driver all the necessary information about petrol and electricity consumption, battery charge level, remaining range and so on.

The engine

The concept's hybrid system combines a 2.0-liter turbo engine from the forthcoming VEA (Volvo Environmental Architecture) engine family with an electric one. The petrol engine delivers a total of 280 HP and drives the front wheels, while the electric one adds another 70 HP and drives the rear ones. The electric engine takes its power from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack installed under the floor of the load compartment.

The hybrid system sends its power via a newly developed eight-speed automatic transmission to all the four wheels via the AWD button.

The driver has the possibility to choose between three driving modes: Pure, Hybrid or Power. In Pure mode the car is powered solely by its electric motor as much as possible and offers an autonomy of 28 miles. In Hybrid mode the petrol engine and electric motor co-operate and offer an autonomy of over 102 mpg US. And finally, in Power mode the technology is optimized to create maximum possible power.

"In the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept we demonstrate that our forthcoming four-cylinder engines offer the same high performance as today's sixes. At the same time, their fuel consumption will be lower than in current four-cylinder engines," says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Corporation.

Prices

Prices for the new XC60 Plug-in Hybrid will be announced closer to its market launch.

The competition

By the time Volvo will put on sale the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid there will be lots of hybrid SUVs offered, so competition will be pretty strong. There are no details just yet if the XC60 direct competitor - Acura RDX->ke483 will offer a hybrid system, but Audi->ke14 will be offering a hybrid version for the Q5. In this model the hybrid system combines a 2.0L TFSI petrol engine with a high-performance 33 kilowatt electric motor. When driven at less than 37mph, the electric motor offers an autonomy of 1.86 miles.