Volvo Volvo XC60 -Hybrid PHEV

【Car Purchase Experience】
I wasn't planning to buy a car so soon, but taking advantage of the car purchase subsidy and the fact that new energy vehicles don't require摇号, I got the first car for the family. Initially, I didn't consider BBA, as I always felt the brand premium was quite high (though Mercedes' interior is really nice). Every little boy should like cars, and when I was a kid, I loved looking at car headlights. At that time, Cadillac planted a seed in my heart, so within my budget, I had been关注ing the top trims of CT6 and CT5 for sedans, and XT5 for SUVs, as Cadillac's electrical configurations are fully loaded. However, my wife prefers Volvo, so I started关注ing the S90 and XC60. Both二线 luxury brands are quite good; I visited their 4S stores, and clearly felt that Volvo's service enthusiasm was much better than Cadillac's. After筛选, the CT6 and S90 are relatively long, the XT5's side profile isn't as稳重 as the XC60's. Additionally, considering license plate and fueling convenience, Cadillac doesn't have hybrid models, plus space considerations, I finally settled on the XC60 T8.

These photos were taken today before getting the car wrapped. I've only driven it for over 120 kilometers. The Thor's Hammer headlights, overall, the exterior gives a "I am who I am" vibe. I plan to drive it for 20 years. Life is limited, and I want to go see distant places.

It happened to be 618, and before picking up the car, I bought some car accessories. If there's a chance, I'll share them with everyone. Calculated by the pickup time, I'm probably one of the last owners of the 2022 model in Shenzhen.

Finally, let's talk about a few pitfalls. When choosing a license plate number (not sure about other regions), it's recommended to first try self-selection and then random selection. I did random first and then self-selection, only to find that the randomly generated numbers couldn't be used for self-selection, and ended up having to choose from 1 out of 50. Fortunately, there was a number I was satisfied with. Also, new energy vehicle insurance is relatively expensive. I just don't understand: is the insurance for hybrid models considered new energy or gasoline-powered? Why can't the insurance price be a mix?

【Space Performance】
When looking at the display car, the rear space seemed small, but actually, the legroom for the driver's seat is quite deep, so after adjusting the driver's seat, the rear space is still very good. In addition, the SUV has a wide field of view, plus the panoramic sunroof (Cadillac's is segmented), allowing you to take in all the scenery along the way.

【Comfort】
The leather seats, I think the comfort is very good. The leg rest and lumbar support are adjustable. The front passenger seat has memory function and can also adjust lumbar support and leg rest. The vehicle is relatively quiet when driving on pure electric mode, which gasoline-powered cars can't compare to.

【Safety】
Safety, Volvo—needless to say. Although other luxury brands also have good safety, they wouldn't dare solo with Volvo. Whether it's safety or environmental protection, choosing Volvo is giving the family a safety guarantee. Friends' cars of other brands have a strong smell.

The active braking has been triggered twice, once when moving forward and once when reversing. At that time, I really felt what safety is. It brings not only safety but also peace of mind.

【Driving Experience】
The T8 series has strong power and extremely fast response. The steering wheel is also very light, making it easy for my wife to drive. The 360-degree panoramic view provides a lot of security when meeting cars in crowded parking lots.

【Fuel Consumption】
The official fuel consumption should include the full electric range. I've driven it when the battery was low; maybe because it's a new car, it's about 10 liters per 100 kilometers.

【Most Dissatisfied】
I haven't driven it for long, and haven't encountered any vehicle problems so far. If there are quality issues later, I'll talk more about it.

【Car Purchase Experience】
I had my eye on the Volvo XC60 as early as a year ago. I like its good brand image, high safety, and calm and understated style. I went to the auto show excitedly in October 2020, but was directly discouraged by the arrogant and indifferent attitude of the Volvo salesperson.
Then I focused on the X3, GLC, Q5 and CT5; I got out of the Q5 as soon as I sat in it; my good brother bought the GLC, so I temporarily ruled it out; the top configuration of the CT5 was very attractive, but after struggling for a long time, I still decided to buy an SUV, so I basically focused on the X3.
In the following days, I did a lot of research and was even ready to order the 30i. By chance, I experienced the Bowers & Wilkins sound system from the "King of Wide-faced Cars". Once I entered the "Hou Men" (a metaphor for falling in love with it deeply), other cars became like strangers.
I went to Volvo 4S stores for various test drives, and in July 2021, I placed an order for the 2022 T8 with Bowers & Wilkins. After waiting for half a year, I picked up the car in December.

【Space Performance】
The trunk is large but slightly sloped;
The storage space in the front and rear rows is slightly compact, which is insufficient if you are used to putting some small odds and ends in the car;
The front seats are very comfortable with enough headroom; the rear seats are not as spacious as the GLC, but similar to the X3, which is completely够用, and the experience varies from person to person.

【Safety】
The active and passive safety configurations are quite complete. The pilot assist, 360-degree camera, and blind spot monitoring are extremely easy to use; once on the highway, the lane keeping steering correction was triggered, which was very gentle. This car feels like a reliable brother, making people feel at ease.
AEB has not been triggered yet, as I drive relatively carefully; as for collision reliability, you can refer to various car review results. I personally hope never to verify it in my life. The road is long and dangerous, and I just want to go home safely!

【Car Pick-up Price】
July was when the 2022 model had just come out. I asked several stores in Xi'an, and the bottom line of the quotation was 420,000 yuan. I thought that was it. With the addition of Bowers & Wilkins, I placed the order for a total of 445,800 yuan; the 4S store charged a mandatory service fee of 5,000 yuan, which was a pitfall. The insurance was 10,000 yuan, and that was roughly the cost to get it on the road.
Other expenses such as car wrap and modification parts were spent by myself, so I won't go into details.

【Driving Experience】
The mechanical quality of this car is definitely at the first-line level. The steering wheel is light, the steering is precise, and with the surging power, it feels as light as a swallow and leaves no trace like stepping on snow.
Let's talk about the driving modes. In hybrid mode, low speed is equivalent to pure electric. The engine will only intervene when the speed is greater than 70km/h or when you step on the accelerator hard. If it's convenient to charge at home, this mode is very economical for daily use; in sport mode, the power is very violent, the throttle is linear and responsive, and you can complete almost all overtaking with a light step. When accelerating, changing lanes or in an emergency, stepping deeply on the floor throttle will directly cause the car to lift its head and give a pushing-back feeling. On the premise of safe driving, it is basically not afraid of almost all cars that can be seen on the road; pure electric mode is very useless. First, the pure electric range is only about 40 kilometers, and second, the pure electric power is very poor; the off-road mode has a speed limit. In this mode, the four wheels have limited slip and work under the maximum low torque, only for that moment of getting out of trouble. When the speed increases, it will automatically switch to hybrid mode; the AWD four-wheel drive mode can also be used as a daily mode, which gives more confidence when driving in the mountains or on snowy roads.
The battery has three working modes: automatic, maintain, and charge. In automatic mode, it will automatically maintain when the power drops to 10%; in battery hold mode, for example, if the current remaining power is 30KM, it will maintain this power all the time, and the engine will automatically charge when the power drops; when the charge mode is turned on, the engine starts immediately to charge, and it can almost be fully charged.
I always switch to sport mode, keep the battery level, and engage B gear when I get in the car. B gear is the regenerative braking gear. When you release the accelerator, there will be a very comfortable regenerative braking action, which is not abrupt. I like this gear very much, and it is basically the same as D gear when used.
I would like to focus on the throttle and brakes. The throttle of this car is very linear and responsive. Even when the speed is greater than 100km/h, stepping on the throttle can still give you a pushing-back feeling, which other 2.0T 250-horsepower cars cannot provide; the high-power version of BMW benefits from the excellent ZF8AT. The start in sport mode is very violent, but to be honest, the latter part is just so-so, which is equivalent to putting all the power in the front. However, the T8's power has mechanical supercharging in the front section and rear axle electric drive to ensure low-torque explosion, and the turbo intervention in the rear section is effortless. The brake pedal is a bit soft in the initial stage, but it is still smooth. However, there is an obvious problem: no matter the speed, there will always be a slight点头 (点头 means the front of the car dips down) when braking to a stop. Maybe this is how Volvo tuned it.

【Comfort】
The new voice control is very convenient, and the Gaode map is very good. The car machine and central control, even if not navigating, will have default broadcast prompts in the background;
There is really no peculiar smell in the car. After starting, there is fresh air ventilation in the car. The car is equipped with air purification and negative ion generation, which is monitored in real time;
Bowers & Wilkins is really great! It lived up to my half-year wait. The built-in QQ Music plays SQ lossless audio, which does not conflict with Gaode at all. This is very good. In other car machines or mobile phone Bluetooth, the navigation broadcast will lower the music volume very much, directly affecting the listening experience. But on Volvo, while the navigation broadcast is clear, it only lowers the music volume a little, almost not affecting the listening experience. It's a pity that you can't plug in a USB flash drive. I hope the system update will support it in the future. On viaducts, in tunnels, and between mountain roads, listening to the sounds of nature, I feel enjoyment and satisfaction!
Almost all the visible lights in the car are touch-controlled, and the panoramic sunroof is also touch-controlled, which is very convenient. The only drawback is that there is no ambient light. If the crystal gear lever can change color at night, it would look more playful.

【Fuel Consumption】
I didn't check the fuel consumption deliberately. A full tank of 70L costs about 500 yuan, and I just refuel when it's empty. I always use sport mode with battery hold, just treat it as a fuel car. To be honest, if this power is given to a 3.0T V6 engine, the fuel consumption will be 13 or 14 liters casually. You can't expect the horse to run fast and not eat grass. The 4S store gave a full tank of oil, which showed that it could run 880km. Now there is still 3/4 left. When it's almost used up, I'll add 168 yuan of oil and continue running.

【Maintenance】
It comes with a five-year extended warranty and five maintenance services. Basically, I go for maintenance once a year, which doesn't cost money. Usually, going to the 4S store for a car wash is free. Some people always say that Volvo maintenance and repair are expensive. Don't compare Volvo with Toyota, Honda, and Volkswagen. Compare it with Mercedes-Benz and BMW to see who is more expensive? The T8 is positioned to surpass BBA in the same class. The brand value is a matter of opinion. If you value that, you don't need to buy a Volvo; just buy a Mercedes-Benz directly.
Finally, I hope all car owners drive safely! I hope all friends can have their favorite cars. The pass is as strong as iron, but now we are striding forward from the beginning.

1. Driving Experience: I drove an old XC90 starting from 2013 for several years. That car was too big, and the steering wheel was very heavy, so later I drove a used BMW 525. When buying a car in 2020, I still chose a Volvo SUV. After experiencing some drawbacks of the XC90, I firmly chose the XC60. Now having driven 37,000 kilometers, I am sure that the choice was correct. Moreover, the driving feel has significantly improved after the facelift. The hybrid version's fast acceleration is indeed quite famous; surprisingly, many friends know its 100-meter acceleration data for this relatively niche model. Now I am very satisfied with the handling; it responds quickly, and the passability is also good.

2. Range: My understanding is when both fuel and electricity are full, but I'm not sure if this is correct because the pure electric range is too short, which is unsatisfactory. It's okay for commuting in a small city, basically needing to charge once a day or every two days. Now the 2022 model has a larger battery, which is quite enviable; a bigger battery is really necessary. I prefer pure electric mode as it's very quiet, especially with almost no noise at low speeds. Including the fuel range, it can exceed 800 kilometers on the highway, which is definitely sufficient. The fuel consumption is friendly when not charging, only around 8L/100km, and energy recovery saves a lot of energy; highway fuel consumption generally doesn't exceed 8L/100km. This advantage is more obvious especially after the recent sharp rise in fuel prices.

3. Intelligent Features: The in-vehicle system and APP functions are acceptable. I think they have all the necessary functions, no major issues. I just wonder if there will be a chance to use HarmonyOS because basically all my home devices have been replaced with HarmonyOS, so I'm particularly looking forward to it.

4. Safety: Safety is Volvo's biggest advantage. It has avoided dangerous situations several times in the past year and a half, which is really impeccable. With better living conditions, we should cherish life.

5. Vehicle Usage Experience: I am very sensitive to odors, so the new car having no smell was also a consideration in my choice. The downside is that the noise handling is not very good, which is the most annoying point. The road feel feedback is too clear, somewhat affecting comfort.

6. Space: The front row is okay, but the rear space is slightly small. However, it's acceptable since there are usually few passengers. It would be better if the wheelbase could be a bit longer without affecting driving performance. The trunk currently feels sufficient.

7. Exterior and Interior: I chose the Inscription Sport version, which has a dynamic design. I like the牛仔蓝 (Denim Blue), and later found there's also a very nice 高级灰 (Premium Grey). The interior is simple and elegant, which I personally like. Because I prefer the style of the sport version, I didn't choose the Inscription Luxury version with Bowers & Wilkins audio. I don't have high requirements for audio; I usually listen to high-quality MP3 format music and don't have the energy to pursue lossless audio quality, so I'm not that torn.