2028 Volvo XC60 and XC90 first look: Double the range and smarter safety, too

Volvo caters to EV-curious buyers with way more range in its plug-in hybrid SUVs.

Given the current uncertainty in the global economy, you can forgive companies for hedging their bets and trying to cover as many bases as possible. In the automotive industry, that means leaning heavier than ever into hybrids that bridge the gap between the practicalities of internal combustion and the benefits of electrification.

With the upcoming versions of its XC60 and XC90 SUVs, Volvo is certainly aiming for the middle ground by delivering big upgrades to its plug-in hybrids. How big? More than doubling their all-electric range and, in the case of the XC60, creating a two-row, five-passenger SUV that can go 78 miles emissions-free and 590 miles total on a full charge and full tank of gas.

That extra range comes courtesy of a revised powertrain that relies on the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine combined with electric motors as previous models, but it's now paired with an even bigger battery pack in the middle. Specifically, it offers 41.2-kilowatt-hours of capacity, of which 37.9 kWh is usable.

The result is unchanged system power output, specifically 455 horsepower through all four wheels, but you get that boosted 78-mile range figure. That's way up from the 35 miles on a charge before.

The bigger, three-row XC90 gets the same powertrain upgrade, running the same engine-and-motor combination to deliver 73 miles on a charge and 560 miles of total range if you factor in a tank of gasoline, too.

That extra all-electric range should make these machines a lot more practical for daily commuters. It's far enough that most people should be able to make the school and work run multiple times without plugging in. It also makes them quite quick. The XC60 in plug-in T8 form gets to 60 mph from a standstill in 4.5 seconds, with the XC90 just 0.4 seconds behind.

Don't want something with a plug? Volvo will still offer the B5 flavor of the XC60, which has a mild hybrid setup offering 247 horsepower, 266 pound-feet of torque and an EPA rating of 26 MPG combined. The XC90 B5 also lives on, also with 247 horsepower, or there's a quicker B6 mild hybrid, with 295 hp.