2023 Volvo XC90 Recharge: Turning green with age

Volvo is committed to an all-electric lineup by the dawn of the next decade. In the meantime, the Swedish brand is taking interim steps on the path to electrification.

The XC90 large crossover became a new flagship for Volvo when it debuted in 2015, and the 2023 XC90 Recharge plug-in hybrid will serve as the brand's green flagship until the 2024 EX90 arrives.

The EX90 will have seating for up to seven, up to 300 miles of range from a 111-kilowatt-hour battery and feature advance driver-assistance technology from embedded sensors such as lidar. The XC90 and EX90 will live side by side in Volvo's U.S. lineup for some time after the EX90 launches.

The XC90 Recharge is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine and paired with an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The complete powertrain setup produces 455 hp and 523 pound-feet of torque, with 0 to 60 mph taking 5 seconds.

The EPA has assigned the crossover an electric-only rating of 58 mpg and a combined gasoline and electric rating of 55 mpg. The combined city and highway rating for the gasoline engine in the Volvo XC90 is 27 mpg. The XC90 Recharge also can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

We've gathered some reviews of the XC90 Recharge from the automotive press.

"There's effortless performance throughout the rev range, rather than dragster punch. Mash throttle to carpet in Power mode and the T8 launches pretty smartly, the battery pouring power into the electric motor as the turbocharged and supercharged direct-injection 2.0-liter four slogs its guts out. As a performance powertrain it's undoubtedly effective, the claimed 5.1sec 0-62 mph feeling entirely believable, but the car's not inconsequential weight (2297 kg) blunts the feeling of performance.

This kind of heavy-footed tomfoolery also feels pretty inappropriate, not because the chassis can't cope – far from it – but because the petrol engine's strains lack charm, shattering the XC90's otherwise very endearing serenity. This is a big car that prefers to mooch around, rather than be thrashed. As you might expect for a large, seven-seat SUV.

Volvo insists a more sonorous, higher cylinder count would have been incompatible with the firm's product architecture and the wants of environmentally responsible consumers. Certainly the four-cylinder engine contributes much to the T8's headline figures of 28-34g/km of CO2 and 188-235 mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, though having driven several XC90 Recharge T8s, we can safely say the latter is an almost impossible figure in real-world driving.

The obscene three-figure MPG rating is synonymous with the plug-in hybrid car genre. We reckon if you charged religiously, and never drove more than 100 or so miles, the figure might be just about achievable. But the real hindrance to the XC90 is that when the battery is bereft of charge, you're realistically looking at a sub-30mpg car.

Volvo quotes an official electric range of 42 miles for the 2023 model year XC90 hybrid with the bigger battery, but in day-to-day mixed driving we never saw the onboard computer predict more than 32 miles. Fuel consumption varies wildly, depending on how you drive and charge it:

Back to the XC90's drive modes. It's better to select the Hybrid and trade a little of Power's throttle response and poke for improved economy and some far more agreeable peace and quiet. Either way, the integration of electric and petrol power is almost seamless. At smaller throttle openings the petrol engine chiming in and out is almost undetectable, and the brake pedal is similarly well resolved, passing through the regenerative phase and into hydraulic braking with no discernible shift in resistance.

The usual PHEV functionality ensures a good degree of control: choose Pure mode to use only electric, select Braking on the gear selector for stronger regenerative braking on downhill runs, or even a lower gear for increased engine braking; use the instrument display or the dead-spot in the throttle pedal's travel to stay on electric power, rather than accidentally triggering the petrol engine's assistance."

— Tim Pollard, Car

"The 2023 XC90 switches to mild-hybrid powertrains as standard, complete with integrated 48-volt battery and an integrated starter/generator added to the existing 2.0-liter engines. The new B5 and B6 mild hybrids therefore replace the outgoing T5 and T6 engines. The XC90 Recharge remains a plug-in hybrid option.

The XC90 switches to Google-based infotainment software for 2023, incorporating Google Maps, Google Play and Google Assistant voice control. The XC90 also gains over-the-air update capability, which means Volvo can send remote software updates to the vehicle, improving features over time.

Trim levels are reorganized into Core, Plus and Ultimate.

A little 2.0-liter four-cylinder may not sound sufficient enough for a large vehicle like the XC90, but it actually has plenty of grunt to shove this crossover along with ease. The new mild hybrid engines don't change much on paper, and we don't expect them to feel much different than the outgoing T5 and T6 they're based on. We still expect the B5 to be noticeably slower than the others, but the torque from the turbo should still be enough to keep up with traffic. The B6, with its extra power, should make it feel a little more eager to match highway speeds, dropping the 0-60 time from 7.3 to a more respectable 6.4 seconds. The Recharge is the fastest of the bunch, as power comes on strong right away with the help of the electric motor. Even with the rear axle getting power from this motor, there's still enough power going forward to spin the front tires up and get torque steer.

Handling is nothing to get excited about, but it's still plenty responsive for a vehicle of its stature. Both the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE are more fun to drive fast. Volvo's optional air suspension can stiffen and improve body control marginally, but it'll never come close to matching the performance of the Germans.

The ride is plush when you opt for the smaller wheel sizes, but it can get uncomfortably jarring if you go for the optional 21-inch wheels. Just as a good luxury vehicle should be, the XC90 is quiet on the highway. Its Pilot Assist driving assist system tracks in the center of lanes well and makes highway driving just that much easier."

— John Beltz Snyder, Autoblog

"Clarity of thought is what sets the XC90 apart. It knows precisely what sort of car it's trying to be and sticks to its game plan religiously. It'll go off-road, but it's not a Discovery, there's no big V8 option to spoil the packaging, or hardcore sports suspension ruining refinement (mostly…). Instead it just drives cleanly and well. Undemanding.

What you have here is a car that's been conceived to support family life, and that's been kept at the forefront at every stage of its development. From the operation of the seats to the ambience of the cabin, the XC90 is a car that will carry you and your family in safety and security, with minimal fuss and hassle and look good while doing so. Can't say fairer than that, really. We think this one's a winner."

— Top Gear

"For a hardly-small SUV, the XC90 Recharge can certainly hustle. Even without switching to the more performance-minded drive modes, Volvo's judicious application of instantaneous torque means surging away from stop lights is a rapid affair. The throatier tones of the mild-hybrid in the V60 Cross Country aren't so much present here — different segment, different priorities — but even when the 2.0-liter gas engine is roused, it doesn't sound milquetoast despite being down on capacity and cylinders compared to many of the XC90's peers.

The 4-corner air suspension is a $1,800 option and a worthy one. Volvo's ride refinement levels are high, allowing the XC90 to waft with unconcerned ease over poor-quality road surfaces. There are 8.3 inches of ground clearance, should you consider it worth risking those sizable alloy wheels, and an option to have the SUV automatically dip around 1.4 inches in the easy entry/exit mode.

Considering the pace of model turnover in the auto industry these days, by all rights the XC90 should be showing its age. The fact that the Volvo still feels fresh and compelling — even with strong competition both from the usual German competitors and an array of affordable-luxe upstarts — is a testament to just how well the automaker's reinvention started out.

— Chris Davies, SlashGear

"This car's nearly ten years old. Of course, Volvo has put the effort in to keep it fresh, giving it a mid-cycle update for the 2020 model year. Beyond that, 2022 and later models got a larger 14.9-kWh (usable capacity) battery pack, solving one of my biggest criticisms on my last go-around, improving the feasible driving range to about 33 miles.

There are still plenty of areas where this car shows its age, though. The XC90 has a cramped third row should you need to fully utilize it as a family hauler, the infotainment system is fussy and obscures away most of the controls a keen driver would want, like drive modes, and going down the options list can really inflate this car's price to stomach-churning heights. For example, this XC90 Recharge Ultimate Bright model with a Bowers and Wilkins premium audio system and 4-corner air suspension will set you back $85,495.

It's perfectly competent and safe, of course, with well-weighted steering and a sorted chassis. Getting the air suspension also helps for a cushier ride, even if it costs an extra $1,800. Push the XC90 hard, though, and you'll notice a serious amount of body roll as the car's 5,000-plus-pound curb weight rears its head.The Volvo's charm still lies in just how straightforward the whole experience is. You don't have to fuss with setting the suspension firmness and the transmission aggressiveness and the throttle response up just so. You can get in, blip the Orrefors crystal shifter into drive, and get on with your day."

— Zach Butler, the Fast Lane Car

"Scandinavians are known for creating home interiors or any indoor spaces — including vehicles — that are inviting and practical at the same time, and that skill is apparent in the Volvo XC90. It is filled with unique material, such as the environmentally friendly seat coverings and carefully placed accents, which serve to enhance the overall design.

The cabin is well-insulated from road noise, minimizing stress, while the technology is nicely integrated, though the tablet in the center stack is beginning to look dated. The interior also is filled with storage spaces, and the sound quality from the entertainment system is first rate. The driver's seat also offers an expansive view of the road and the lighting scheme used in the cabin during nighttime driving is first rate.

The XC90 is surprisingly nimble for a vehicle of its size, which helps make it easy to drive in heavy traffic. The vehicle's suspension levels out all sorts of road surfaces and the combination of suspension, electric steering and excellent brakes provide solid driving dynamics. The positions of the larger battery for hybrid power train also had to the vehicle's overall stability.

The solid driving dynamics are complemented by the vehicles impressive power with its turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which is augmented by the electric motor, producing an additional horsepower to help enhance the pleasure of driving on short and longer trips where the vehicle's quiet, comfortable cabin comes into play."

— Joseph Szczesny, The Detroit Bureau