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2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge First Drive Review | Pumping up the electric range

PALM SPRINGS, Calif — It may not look like it on the outside, but the 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge is a substantially updated plug-in hybrid SUV. In fact, the entire XC60 line is refreshed for the 2022 model year, but weÂ’re going to zero in on the Recharge PHEV.  Volvo let us spend a day behind the wheel of the newly-announced “extended range” Recharge model in sunny California, and we came away with far more feelings than expected from this Swedish crossover. Just so everybody is on the same page, the “extended range” Recharge represents a mid-model-year refresh of the XC60 Recharge. There were 2022 model year XC60 Recharge models sold prior to today that featured the same electric hardware as prior model years, and therefore featured the old EPA-estimated electric range of 19 miles on a full charge. The “extended range” model that we drove bumps that all the way up to 36 miles, nearly doubling the previous range. Volvo says that these new “extended range” models are the ones shipping to dealers now, not the older model. This is definitely something to be aware of in later years should you find a used 2022 XC60. So, how has Volvo found this much extra range? The big difference is in the battery pack, going from an 11.6-kilowatt-hour pack to an 18.8-kWh pack. Volvo managed to package a third layer of cells into the pack that it didnÂ’t have before, and it did so in the same space as before — it continues to run along the carÂ’s spine in the center tunnel area. Volvo claims that this more energy-dense battery pack will take 5-8 hours to charge when hooked up to a 240V power source, so you should easily get a full charge by leaving it plugged in overnight, assuming you have the applicable charging hardware.  This new battery pack is paired with a totally revamped powertrain setup. The layout is the same as before. That means there is an electric motor positioned on the rear axle that drives the rear wheels and a gasoline engine in front that exclusively powers the front wheels, thereby giving the XC60 Recharge all-wheel drive. To our delight, both the electric motor and the gasoline engine are new this year. The new rear electric motor represents a big power boost, with 143 horsepower greatly surpassing the old motorÂ’s 87 horsepower. Ultimately, this means that the XC60 Recharge is now significantly more enjoyable to drive in its purely electric mode (aptly named “Pure”).

Jaguar turns down offers to join V8 Supercars, questions AMG, Volvo participation

Rumors have swirled in recent weeks that Jaguar may be the next manufacturer to join the V8 Supercars racing series, made popular in Australia but now well-known in other parts of the world as well. Sadly, Jag's participation is not to be. In fact, it would be "insane," according to Jaguar Land Rover Asia Pacific Managing Director David Blackhall, for it to accept either of the two offers it has received to bring Jaguar into V8 Supercars.
Not only is Jaguar not interested in entering V8 Supercars, says Blackhall, it also fails to understand the recent entries from AMG and Volvo. "I don't know what it does for AMG to get flogged by a V8 Commodore week after week, but it's their brand, their issue. And the same thing will happen to Volvo to be honest."
Judging by Blackhall's statements to motoring.com.au, after not-so-serious consideration, the automaker decided the monetary commitment it would take to compete for wins would be more than any potential exposure would be worth, despite the fact that Jaguar has a 5.0-liter V8 to go along with what would seem to be a tailor-made rear-wheel-drive chassis. For what it's worth, one offer would have had Jaguar putting its name across an engine made by someone else, an option that was flatly turned down.

Russian auto boomtown grinds to halt over Ukraine sanctions

Thousands of auto workers have been furloughed and food prices are soaring as Western sanctions pummel the small Russian city of Kaluga and its flagship foreign carmakers, with more sanctions likely to come. The Kaluga region, 190 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Moscow, says it has attracted more than 1.3 trillion roubles ($15 billion) in investment, mostly foreign, since 2006. But Western sanctions imposed in recent weeks after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine have exacerbated lingering component shortages and halted production at two flagship car plants, Germany's Volkswagen and Sweden's Volvo. A third, the PSMA Rus plant that is a joint venture between Stellantis and Mitsubishi and employs 2,000, may halt production soon due to a lack of parts, Stellantis' chief executive said last Thursday. "It is not clear what will happen. They don't give us any concrete information," said Pavel Terpugov, a welder at the PSMA Rus plant. Terpugov said he needs twice as much money to buy groceries than before the sanctions. Analysts have forecast Russian inflation could soar to 24% this year, while the economy may shrink to 2009 levels. The United States and Europe are weighing more sanctions against Russia after Ukraine accused Russian forces of civilian killings in northern Ukraine, where a mass grave was found in Bucha, outside Kyiv. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" and the Kremlin categorically denied any accusations related to the murder of civilians, including in Bucha. One source of hope for some in Kaluga, with its 325,000 residents, is the West may be reluctant to hurt its own companies. "Does it make sense to impose sanctions on its own plant and lose money?" said Valery Uglov, an auto mechanic at the Volkswagen plant. "Does it make sense to lose the Russian market?" "We hope to return to work as soon as possible and everyone will have confidence in the future again," Uglov said. Volkswagen, whose factory employs 4,200 people, in early March suspended operations. A spokeswoman said production remained frozen. Volvo Group, which employs over 600 people to build trucks, also suspended production. Even before the sanctions, Russian car sales had contracted from 2.8 million units from when the Volkswagen factory opened in 2007 to 1.67 million units last year, damaged by both sanctions after the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the COVID-19 pandemic.