Remember the Volvo XC90 T8 Excellence? Of course you do. Not only was it was Volvo's first hybrid offering in India, the Excellence was a true luxury SUV; one with only four seats, retractable touchscreens for each rear passenger, a refrigerator, a crystal gearshift knob and more. Up until now, it was the only plug-in hybrid XC90 variant available in India, and at Rs 1.31 crore, it's a pretty pricey affair. Now, Volvo has introduced the XC90 T8 Inscription, which is essentially the standard, top-of-the-line seven-seat XC90 with a hybrid powertrain.
The XC90 T8's 'Twin Engine' setup pairs a 2.0-litre, turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 320hp with an 87hp electric motor. Total output stands at 407hp and 400Nm of torque and drive goes to all-four corners through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, with the engine powering the front wheels and the electric motor powering the rear. Volvo quotes a 0-100kph time of 5.8 seconds and an all-electric range of 40km for the T8.
The rest of the package is identical to the XC90 Inscription diesel. Standard features include a panoramic sunroof, four-zone climate control, a 19-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system, air suspension, a head-up display, ventilated front seats and Nappa leather upholstery to name a few. On the safety front, the T8 Inscription is equipped with seven airbags, collision avoidance, radar-based adaptive cruise control, city braking system and more.
Volvo has commenced local assembly of the XC90, in India, but it's only assembling the diesel variants here - the T8 continues to be shipped in as a CBU. That said, at Rs 96.65 lakh (ex-showroom), the T8 Inscription undercuts the T8 Excellence by over Rs 34 lakh, and is the only plug-in hybrid SUV at this price.
Also see:
Volvo XC90 T8 Excellence review, test drive