2022 Volvo XC90 Inscription Recharge AWD: The Luxury Brand’s Extended Range Flagship Plug-In SUV

The XC90 Recharge Extended Range is charging up for free next to a local public train station.

Highlight: The brand’s flagship SUV is fueled by both gasoline and electricity.

Test Vehicle’s MSRP: $84,090 (Base model: $66,895)

Seating Capacity: 6 or 7, depending upon trim

Standard Safety Features: air bags; ABS; blind spot information system; run off road mitigation system; lane departure warning system; all-wheel drive; rear view camera and a tire pressure monitoring system 

Standard Equipment (Inscription): 20-inch wheels; Nappa leather seats; ventilated front seats; layout of the interior included wood blends; leather seats; power front driver’s seat with memory feature; a 4-zone automatic climate control system; a navigation system; keyless entry system; a keyless turn knob ignition system; 3 years of maintenance; and an oversized sunroof with sunshade

Other Trims:

R-Design

Optional Features On Test Vehicle: 21-inch wheels; backrest massage front seats with nubuck headliner; high pressure cleaning headlights; heated second row seats; a heated steering wheel; a windshield heads up display; a 360-degree camera; air quality with an advanced air cleaner; metallic paint; integrated second row booster cushion; and a Bowers and Wilkens audio system

Standard Audio On Test Vehicle: a 14-speaker, 640-watt Harmon Kardon system

Bluetooth Connectivity: Yes

USB Connectivity: Yes                                                                                                   
Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty: 4 years or 50,000 miles

Powertrain Warranty: 4 years or 50,000 miles

Standard Engine/Horsepower: 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder turbo/400-hp

Recommended Fuel: Premium

Standard Fuel Mileage:
66-MPGe/26-MPG

Towing Capacity: 5,000 lbs

What’s New: Just in time to combat the higher gas prices, Volvo adds an extended range electrified XC90 to its portfolio. The XC90 Recharge extended range is capable of achieving approximately 35 to 36 miles of electrification, before the gasoline engine kicks in.

Why: 

Powerful 400-hp engine; when combined, both the electric and gasoline boosts the horsepower to 455!

A plug-in hybrid with a 36-mile electric driving range

An extended range electric vehicle

Heads up windshield display (HUD)

Sophisticated exterior styling

Premium interior with crystal-like knobs

Ventilated and heated front seats

Available second row heated seats

Optional partial massaging front seats

Seating for 7

Nappa leather

Harman Kardon premium audio interior

Semi-autonomous driving features

All wheel-drive

21-inch wheels available

The advance infotainment center operates like an Ipad or an app with its swipe left feature

Co-pilot assist autonomous driving feature

A radar activated cruise control system

An advanced and comprehensive suite of safety driving features

A 530-mile driving range, with extended range, according to fuleeconomy.gov - best in segment

An oversized power sunroof

An optional in-vehicle second row child booster seat

The extended range and plug-in capability eliminates range anxiety (it's like having a back-up generator, allowing for longer commutes)

Qualifies for the $7,500 federal tax credit

But: 

A manually operated tilt/telescopic steering wheel in a luxury vehicle

Limited electric range capabilities

Takes 6 hours to charge 36 miles using a Level 2 charger

Third row seating not designed for adults on an extended road trip

Extended range only available in an AWD configuration

Requires additional training with the vehicle to master the infotainment center

Cargo space is extremely limited when third row seating is in use

Verdict: Since the arrival of the sophisticated second generation XC90 in 2015, its Chinese owner has managed to tweak the SUV throughout the years, keeping it competitive, while maintaining its Swedish roots.

And as the automotive industry slowly makes its turn toward electrification, Volvo has infused a plug-in application into their brand’s flagship vehicle. In fact, the test model we reviewed was outfitted with the brand’s extended electrification range, which pushed the electric driving range based on miles from 18 to 36, according to fueleconomy.org. This is great news for drivers whose commute is less then 36 miles daily and/or if they have access to a charger, at their point of destination. Even with that being the case, range anxiety won’t be top of mind for XC90 owners, since the gasoline engine effortlessly kicks-in once all of the electrification has been used.

Conversely, the downside of charging, is that when we used a Level 2 charger, it took upwards of 6 hours to fully recharge, no pun intended, once all of the electricity was drained. That’s literally 6 miles of electric driving range per hour. 

Moreover, as it pertains to the price of the vehicle, it costs approximately $6,300 to upgraded to the extended range from the standard XC90 plug-in. And with the extended range package, the XC90’s electric driving ranges doubles from the standard 18 miles to a whopping 36 miles.

Ironically, while the cost of entry is steep for the XC90 Recharge extended range for the average car buyer, it does indicate that Volvo’s powertrain team is making strides toward fully electrifying their flagship vehicle.

Furthermore, the XC90 Recharge extended range offers more electric driving range too than any of its segment competitors. The next closest competitor is BMW's X5 xDrive45 which offers 31 miles of electric driving range. 

Overall this vehicle is close to being a tripple threat, when we combine the semi- autonomous co-pilot steering system, the extended range electric capacity and the array of luxury amenities Volvo's flagship luxury SUV offers.

Competition: BMW X5 xDrive45e; Jeep Grand Cherokee Plug-In; and Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid