Skip to main content

This plug-in hybrid SUV is the most powerful production Volvo ever

The most powerful production Volvo ever is a plug-in hybrid SUV. Really. That’s thanks to a new performance package for the XC90 T8 “Twin Engine” courtesy of in-house speed shop Polestar, Volvo says.

Polestar started out as an independent race team and tuner, and was bought by Volvo last year. It’s known for the S60 and V60 Polestars, standard Volvos that were given complete overhauls to turn them into performance cars. But Polestar didn’t even go that far with the XC90 T8.

Recommended Videos

The XC90 T8 doesn’t get the full-on Polestar treatment. Instead, it’s equipped with one of the milder “Polestar Performance Optimization” packages released for other XC90 models last year. The changes may not be too drastic, but they’re enough to boost output to 421 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque, compared to 400 hp and 472 lb-ft. for the standard XC90 T8. That allows for 0 to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds, Volvo says.

Read more: Volvo’s next-generation Polestar models could boast 600 hp

The powertrain is mechanically unchanged. A 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic transmission work with an electric motor to drive four wheels. The Polestar Performance Optimization package includes mostly software changes, meant to improve throttle response and unlock that extra power.

The package also adds a gear hold function, which keeps the car in a pre-selected gear during cornering at high lateral g-forces. This prevents mid-corner shifts, which can upset the car’s balance, and ensures the engine is in its power band when it’s time to exit the corner. Automatic transmissions that don’t hold gears, but do habitually upshift, are the bane of the modern driving enthusiast, so this should be a useful feature.

Volvo recently confirmed that the Polestar Performance Optimization treatment will be offered on the S90 and V90, which share a platform and powertrains with the XC90. The package isn’t available for the T8 plug-in hybrid versions of those models yet, but expect that to change eventually. Meanwhile, U.S. buyers can order the Polestar package for the XC90 beginning in October.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Volvo EM90 electric minivan: price, release date, range, and more
Volvo EM90 Driving

If you want an electric SUV, crossover, or sedan, you're spoiled for choices right now. Kia EV6? Rivian R1S? Volvo EX30? All great picks.

But what if you want ... a minivan?

Read more
Big EVs are almost here: 7 upcoming electric SUVs we’re excited for
Rear three quarter view of the 2024 Volvo EX90.

SUVs are all the rage. So are EVs. It makes sense, therefore, that the Tesla Model Y is the world's best selling car. But that begs the question -- how much of the Tesla Model Y being so popular is just because of the fact that it's one of the very few large-size electric cars out there?

Well, we're about to find out. A number of electric SUVs have been announced, and many will be released in the very near future. This is far from a list of all the upcoming electric SUVs -- but it is a list of the ones we're most excited about.
Lucid Gravity

Read more
Starting under $40K, Volvo’s compact EX30 will be its most affordable EV, and its fastest
Front three quarter view of the 2025 Volvo EX30.

Electric cars aren't just an opportunity for automakers to be friendlier to the planet. They're an opportunity to try something new. That's what Volvo is doing with its new EX30 crossover SUV.

The EX30 essentially represents a third stage of evolution for Volvo's EVs. The Swedish automaker started with the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, two EVs based on an existing internal-combustion architecture. It then showed the EX90, which was designed from the ground up as an EV, but in the image of the gasoline-powered Volvo XC90. Now, we get to see what an EV can look like with all the gasoline baggage shed.

Read more