Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid Excellence to be launched in India on September 14, 2016

We had first told you that Volvo India will be launching the new XC90 Hybrid this year. Though the carmaker was supposed to launch the car in July, we understand that the launch has been now pushed ahead. Volvo now has a date for the launch. The Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid Excellence will be launched in India on September 14, 2016.

The Volvo XC90 T8 is a Plug-in Hybrid SUV

The Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid will be India's only plug-in hybrid SUV at the moment. Porsche had the Cayenne Hybrid on sale for some time; however, due to poor response, the vehicle was taken off the market in 2014.

Coming back to the Volvo, the hybrid version will have an electric motor (naturally) and a petrol engine. The 320PS 2.0-litre petrol engine is a direct injection unit and is also supercharged. Volvo says that the combined output of both the motors is a cool 410PS while torque is 640Nm. On electric power alone, the XC90 T8 Hybrid will run 42km while in a combined power output, the car will go 250km before needing a refuel. That's impressive coming from a 2.5-tonne SUV. Equally impressive is the 0-100kmph time of 6.0s. To charge this SUV, one needs a 110V power outlet or a 240V, depending on which the charging time will be around 12 hours or six hours respectively.

When we say Excellence, we know this is a special Volvo. After all, the Volvos sold in India come in the Inscription or Momentum trims. The Volvo XC90 T8 Hybrid Excellence then chops off the third row of seats as well as one seat from the middle row. Yes, this is a four-seater SUV with all the charms of a Roll-Royce.

All the four seats have individual massaging, ventilation, electric adjustment as well as recline functions. There is also the refrigerator behind the parking brake that can hold two 750ml bottles as well as two special champagne glasses. The Excellence console available to the back seat passengers lets them control the temperature of the beverage as well as adjust individual seat temperatures. The boot space is separated from the rest of the cabin by a glass partition.

The glasses are handcrafted while the cupholders provide one with hot or cold water depending on the selection

This limited edition Volvo XC90 Excellence will be priced around Rs 1.25-crore mark. The diesel XC90s have been well-received in the Indian market. While Volvo knows this is a halo product, globally, the company hopes this will account to around 18 per cent of the total sales for the model. Want to be a part of the exclusive club of XC90 owners and do your bit to save the environment? Head over to your nearest Volvo showroom and reserve your Hybrid Excellence for Rs 20 lakh as the booking amount. Deliveries will start from October 2016.