PONTIAC, Michigan — When the auto industry zagged toward electric SUVs, Volvo zigged to an X60 plug-in hybrid station wagon.

Sleek looks, hatchback utility, electric smoothness, no range anxiety.

After plugging into the 220-volt charger in my garage for four hours, the V60’s battery was fully charged to 40 miles — enough to get my daily chores done on battery power alone, but with another 490 miles of gas range in reserve should I need to take a road trip to, say, northern Michigan.

The Volvo wants to do it all. Which explains the absurdly long name: Volvo V60 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered. Let’s break it down.

—V60. The V designates Volvo’s wagon class as opposed to the S60 sedan or XC60 SUV. It’s a handsome thing. The $51,490 V60 starts as a Cross Country model with a higher, SUV-like stance to accommodate easier entry and egress. Step up to my stealth-black, performance-focused $72,445 Polestar Engineered tester, and the V60 steps down to a more aggressive stance. Approach the rear with its bat-wing vertical lights and the V60 looks ready to rumble. V for vroom.

—T8 eAWD. A lot of treats to unpack here. T is short for Twin Engine, meaning the Volvo carries a combined gas-and-electric drivetrain that can be used independently or in tandem. The Swede uses the same all-wheel-drive drivetrain concept as the Chevy Corvette E-Ray — but in reverse. Where the Corvette uses its mid-mounted V-8 engine to drive the rear wheels and an electric motor to drive the fronts, V60 T8 uses its front, turbo-4 cylinder engine to drive the front wheels and the electric motor to drive the rears.

—Polestar Engineered. The gas/electric double whammy leads to some impressive performance numbers. While the standard Cross Country model boasts a respectable 247 horses and 258 pound-feet of torque, adding the electric motor bumps those numbers to 455 horsepower and 526 torque. With the e-motor proving low-end torque-fill, the V60 accelerates like Thor’s Hammer with Car and Driver clocking a 4.1 second 0-60 sprint.

Better act fast — 2025 is the last year for the Polestar Engineered model. Volvo’s decided to zig to EV SUVs.

What’s it like, Payne?

Driving the V60 T8 is like unwrapping a new toy. Follow the instructions and there are all kinds of fun features to discover. Like Easter eggs, Volvo likes to hide them.

Install a $2,000 charger in your garage and you can fill up the battery each night like a smartphone. With 41 miles of charge at my disposal, I went deep. Deep into the Settings (that little gear Easter Egg in the bottom right of the vertical 12-inch dash screen) where I chose PURE mode for the battery part of the twin-drive chain. Then I chose ALWAYS START IN PURE ON STARTUP so that — when I returned to the car with an armful of groceries — the Volvo would automatically start in battery-only mode.

It’s a 14.9-kWh battery — not a 75-kWh moose like my AWD Tesla Model 3 — so don’t go drag-racing anyone on Woodward, but the Swede glided ‘round town like Zetterberg on skates. No gearshifts, no droning CVT transmission, just silky electric power.

Expect your mileage to vary depending on temperature, but I managed 90% of range (37 miles) in the metro area as I cruised roads as diverse as Telegraph, I-696 and two-lane city streets.

Monostable shifters have come a long way from BMW’s first awkward efforts, and Volvo’s tool is a class act. Make that glass act. Swedish glass maker Orrefors crafts the shift knob for Volvo, and I flicked it back and forth between R-N-D-B.

Wait, B?

B for Brake. It’s another Easter Egg — for brake regeneration — so you can one-pedal drive the V60 using the electric motor’s resistance as you brake (and put charge back into the battery at the same time. I told you this was a fun toy). Regen is a common EV feature popularized by the Chevy Bolt and Tesla, but Volvo extends one-pedal driving to its gas-electric hybrid mode as well. Just select B — instead of D — whenever you drive forward.

When the battery runs out, the Volvo defaults to HYBRID mode using the gas engine (which, by itself, will get you a healthy 490 miles). But POLESTAR mode unleashes the full potential of the T8 twins.

Select POLESTAR (inside the Settings screen) and the V60 suspension noticeably stiffens. The steering wheel gets heavier, the exhaust note lower.

Grrr. Awright, Payne, enough of this green cruisin’, let's terrorize some Priuses.

The full 525 pound-feet of torque comes on in a rush. I’m generally critical of rough Volvo transmissions, but the electric motor’s torque-fill tidies that up. ZOT! This Volvo goes.

Look closely and you’ll see big, gold Brembo brakes behind the wheels — a giveaway that this is a Swede with teeth.

Point the Volvo toward a road trip and Google Maps will be your guide. The Swedish automaker has adopted Google Built-In to run its infotainment system like General Motors and Honda. The system is as familiar to use as Android Auto on your phone, but is programmed to help you find, say, a gas station when you need gas.

Your fellow travelers may be less impressed by the V60’s rear seat, which is tight for six-footers. Need more interior room? Consider the bigger V90 wagon across the showroom for a similar $70K price — though the V90 doesn’t come with a T8 plug-in option like the V60.

That plug-in option is what makes the V60 Polestar Engineered a genuine performance option alongside other segment hotties like the Audi RS5 hatchback, Audi A6 Allroad wagon and Mercedes E-Class Wagon.

V60 is Jekyll and Hyde in a nice wagon suit. It allows you to glide around all day in respectable green company with its electric motor. Then switch to POLESTAR hellion mode when you need a fossil fuel fix.

Like a Swedish hockey player, the handsome V60 is understated on the outside, a fiery competitor inside.

2025 Volvo V60

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-door wagon

Price: $51,495, including destination fee ($72,445 T8 eAWD Polestar Engineered as tested)

Power plant: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder (V60 Cross Country); 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder with two electric motors and 14.9-kWh battery (Polestar Engineered as tested)

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.1 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed: 113 mph

Weight: 4,494 pounds (as tested)

Fuel economy: EPA est. 23 city/30 highway/26 combined (Cross Country); 30 city/33 highway/31 combined (Polestar Engineered); Range (gas-electric combined): 530 miles

Report card

Highs: Sleeper performance, truck-like range

Lows: Tepid, electric-only acceleration; tight backseat

Overall: 4 stars

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