By ThatCar.co.za
The petrol price this week is set to increase by R3.29 per litre, hitting around R30.21/l — give or take, depending on where you are.
That is craziness.
Why do I say that?
Look, it would be cheaper for you to fill up with Fanta Orange than fuel. I mean, a 2-litre bottle of Fanta Orange is what, around R19.00 at your local store?
So, a 100-litre tank of Fanta would cost you in the region of R950.
A 100-litre tank of petrol, on the other hand, would cost you in excess of R3,000.
I wish my salary would increase at this rate.
(Editor, I’m leaving breadcrumbs here.)
Anyway, because of this, alternative-energy cars are becoming a necessity. And as much as we love burning petrol, we’re also starting to look at fridges — oops, we mean NEVs.
That means New Energy Vehicles, if you didn’t know.
And one such vehicle is the Volvo.
Volvo has been at the forefront of moving its vehicles from ICE engines to NEVs — ICE means internal combustion engine, but you knew that.
The company has recently updated its T8 engines for the 2027 XC60 and XC90.
Here is what you need to know…
IT’S A PHEV
Get your mind out of the gutter. You’ve been watching too many bail applications on TV.
P.H.E.V means Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, and it represents one of the most significant improvements to Volvo’s PHEV system.
Why?
OK, bear with us as we get really technical and boring…
The integration of electrification, turbocharging and variable valve timing enables Volvo to deliver a powertrain that balances efficiency with the performance and drivability expected from a premium plug-in hybrid.
The result is lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions.
The engine also supports compliance with upcoming Euro 7 requirements and remains fully compatible with South African fuel-quality standards.
What does that mean?
Simply put, the new XC60 and XC90 will use less fuel.
You want more details?
We thought you might.
The MY27 XC60 T8 PHEV offers an electric-only range of up to 81 km and a claimed combined fuel consumption of 1.4 l/100 km.
The XC90 T8 PHEV offers an electric-only range of up to 84 km and a claimed combined fuel consumption of 1.5 l/100 km.
Maybe the 1.4 l/100 km or 1.5 l/100 km figures are a bit ambitious, but even if you double those figures, the consumption is hella impressive.
And most of us do around 60 km a day, so you could hardly use your petrol engine.
THE PRICE?
Here is where people start excusing themselves and suddenly need to go to the bathroom.
It’s when the bill is put on the table — especially the Jaaaaag drivers.
So, let me rip the Band-Aid off.
The entry points to Volvo’s plug-in hybrid offering in South Africa are:
- XC60 T8 PHEV Core: R1,280,000
- XC90 T8 PHEV Core: R1,585,000
Before you start complaining, remember that the XC90 T8 is a seven-seater.
An equivalent seven-seater, say a BMW X7, comes with a 3.0-litre inline-six TwinPower Turbo diesel and 48V mild-hybrid technology, producing 259 kW total power (250 kW ICE + 9 kW electric) and 720 Nm of torque.
It starts at around R2,313,566, with claimed fuel consumption of 8.0 l/100 km. THAT’S ALMOST A MILLION RAND PREMIUM ON THE VOLVO , we don’t think you get a million rand more car
VERDICT
We think the Volvo XC90 T8 PHEV Core, with its starting price of R1,585,000 and claimed consumption of a dreamland 1.5 l/100 km, is the bargain of the century.
Look, I’ll predict around 4 l/100 km in the real world. Still very impressive.
Full-electric vehicles come with a lot of issues. We simply don’t have the required infrastructure in South Africa yet.
And until someone one day designs an engine that runs on Fanta Grape, we would seriously consider the Volvo with the T8 engine.
Actually, no.
We wouldn’t consider it.
If they paid us better…
(Again, Editor — breadcrumbs.)
…we would BUY the new Volvo.
I’d take the XC90.
