Volvo XC90 to be 'world's cleanest SUV'

Volvo claims to have produced "the world's most powerful and cleanest SUV" with its new XC90 T8 Twin Engine, which will cost $122,890 when it arrives here late this year.

Pumping out 299kW and 640Nm in full flight, the electrified XC90's advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain comprises a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine at the front and an electric motor at the rear, enabling it to sprint to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds – almost as quick as Ford's supercharged V8 Falcon XR8.

But it's also staggeringly efficient, says Volvo, which is claiming an NEDC fuel consumption average of just 2.1L/100km – almost half that of a Toyota Prius hybrid – and CO2 emissions of just 49g/km.

The astounding efficiency figures are attained because the seven-seat XC90 T8 can shut off its petrol engine completely and drive solely on its 64kW/200Nm electric motor for around 40km, making short trips to school or work silent and potentially emissions-free.

What needs to be scrutinised closely is the wording of Volvo's press statement. The car is "the powerful and cleanest" in concert, thanks to its hybrid nature, but it's certainly not the most powerful – that accolade nominally goes to the 423kW/750Nm twin-turbo V8-powered BMW X5 and X6 M.

The Mercedes-AMG G 65 could be the world's most powerful production SUV, its twin-turbo V12 belting out a face-slapping 450kW/1000Nm – but it was only offered in selected markets.

As for efficiency, the XC90 T8 undercuts Porsche's Cayenne S E-Hybrid which outputs 245kW and consumes 3.4L/100km, and it's also more efficient and more powerful than the BMW X5 xDrive40ewhich outputs 230kW and consumes 3.3L/100km.

The Mercedes-Benz GLE 500e is more powerful at 325kW, but less efficient at 3.3L/100km, while the Audi Q7 TDI e-tron is more efficient at a staggering 1.7L/100km, but not quite as powerful at 275kW.

Of the four German plug-in hybrid SUVs, only the Porsche is currently on sale in Australia, where regular turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel versions of the new XC90 arrive from August.

The fuel-sipping T8 will hit local showrooms later this year and Mercedes has also promised to release the electrified version of its facelifted M-Class here by year's end, with the diesel-electric Audi and BMW SUVs to follow next year.

Nevertheless, Volvo is confident the XC90 will be the mean and green SUV to beat, due to the technological showcase of its powertrain and safety systems.

"We have been working hard to earn our competitive edge and to give our customers the ultimate combination of performance and low fuel consumption," stated Dr Peter Mertens, senior vice-president of research and development at Volvo Car Group.

"Our Twin Engine technology has enabled us to build on our heritage of efficient powertrain development in a completely new way. Thanks to our new scalable product architecture, and our world class four-cylinder engines, we have a clear and leading position."

However, Volvo may yet offer a more powerful SUV, with the company's high-performance hot-shop, Polestar, confirming it is fettling the big XC90, which could be powered by a 'triple boost' 336kW four-cylinderversion Volvo's new 2.0-litre engine.