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2024 XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition - What Is It?
The XC60 is Volvo’s five-passenger crossover SUV. Recharge means the vehicle is equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. AWD means all-wheel drive. Ultimate Black Edition means it is a top trim.
2024 XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition - What Powers It? MPG?
Volvo’s XC60 Recharge has one of the best powertrains we have ever had the joy to experience. An electric drive system conspires with a turbocharged liquid-fuel engine to provide a whopping 523 lb-ft of torque. This vehicle feels fast in every situation. It offers the smooth, satisfying power delivery of an EV.
The all-electric range is 36 miles, something we confirmed in very cold weather testing. Total range is a phenomenal 560 miles. Even after the all-EV range miles are depleted, the vehicle can still go over 520 miles between stops. Combined MPGe is 63. When operated as a hybrid, the vehicle returns 28 MPG, which for a vehicle with over 500 lb-ft of torque is superb efficiency.
2024 XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition - The Driving Experience
Driving the Volvo XC60 Recharge reminded us once again what makes this brand so special. Like every recent Volvo we have tested, the XC60 Recharge simply feels like the very best vehicle its size one can buy. In terms of total driving satisfaction, we’d rank it near the best of any vehicle we have ever driven. It rivals the Genesis GV60 battery-electric vehicle for tops overall on our list of favorites.
The powertrain is smooth, silent, and always provides more thrust that you will need in any real-world scenario. Select sporty modes and combine the motors, and this vehicle is a rocket. Cruise sedately in all-EV mode, and it still offers satisfying thrust in all day-to-day situations. When you opt to operate in hybrid mode on the highway the powertrain is virtually silent, despite making use of its liquid-fuel engine for efficiency.
We loved Volvo’s menus for selecting how you wish the powertrain to operate. You can lock out the EV-only mode when you will be on the highway a while to preserve your EV-only operation for local driving. You can opt to lock EV-only mode so you only use that form of power. You can opt to let the vehicle mix up the usage for the best efficiency. All the expected choices are there, and you can opt to set the vehicle to remember your favorite and then start in that mode.
The suspension is next-level good in a way that only an air suspension can be. Smooth over bumps, yet sharp in its handling for a sporty experience if you want that. Braking is dialed in perfectly.
Simply put, this is one of the best-driving vehicles you can buy at any price.
2024 XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition - Infotainment and Interior
This Scandinavian-designed and built vehicle offers an interior second to none. The Nappa leather seating surfaces are perforated and heated to the point that you will need to use the lower setting or toast your buns. The steering wheel also has multiple heating settings. We love that you can both ventilate and heat the seats at the same time. Why not? The interior is beautifully appointed, with fine materials arranged in a way that feels modern and classy.
The center infotainment screen is arranged vertically. A nice change from the 90% of vehicles we test with it horizontally. The driver info display is digital and has a great variety of views. The head-up display is very good as well. The screen menus are super easy to use.
Our vehicle had the 1.4kW Bowers and Wilkins Audio system, and it is among the best we’ve every heard. It has a great list of settings to tailor the sound to your taste. This was something we put to full use. We listened to audiobooks that sounded as if the voice performer was in the vehicle next to us. We rocked old classics using Stage setting. We shifted to Studio for a more modern sound with more modern music. You won’t find a better sound system.
2024 XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition - Living Electric
Many green vehicle shoppers want to have just one vehicle and for that vehicle to be locally emissions-free, all-electric, and also have a range of over 500 miles. This vehicle provides that.
We plugged in using our Emporia Level 2 charger and observed a recharge rate of 3.7kW. At that (slow) rate, it took about 6 hours to fully charge the 18kWh battery from empty to full. So, expect to plug in at night and have a fully charged vehicle ready each morning. Our 40-amp charger could have charged this vehicle to full in about 90 minutes if the vehicle’s onboard charger was more capable. Charging in public is simply not worth even considering. One PHEV on the market today offers DC charging for much faster charges on the go. Volvo is a smidge behind the market leaders here, but we are just glad the PHEV option is offered. Nearly all of our local driving was in EV mode.
2024 XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition - What’s Missing?
As much as we love the XC60, a few things we like to see were not included. Here’s a list: Wireless Android Auto, wireless phone charger, spare tire. We would also have preferred the engine be tuned for regular fuel, rather than premium. That would save an owner 30% on energy costs.
2024 XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition - Price As Tested 2025 Changes
Our tester had a price including the Volvo Destination Charge but not including dealer Doc Fees of $76,695. For the 2025 model year, the name changes to “Ultra” instead of Ultimate, and the price declines to $70,995 when similarly equipped.
2024 XC60 Recharge AWD Ultimate Black Edition - Conclusion
Volvo’s XC60 blew us away. This is a luxurious, satisfying-to-drive vehicle. If you are looking for the very best plug-in hybrid crossover SUV available today, start at your local Volvo retailer.
John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.
Image of 2024 XC60 Recharge PHEV by John Goreham.
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