This, as its diagonal badge and orange umbilical suggest, is Volvo's XC60 plug-in hybrid concept, due to make waves at the Detroit motor show next week.
It showcases new technology from Volvo, including a four-cylinder turbopetrol engine specially developed for hybrid use, on-demand all-wheel drive and new ways of combining satnav and the internet.
Volvo says it's a battery car, an eco-hybrid and a 256kW performance car all rolled into one, thanks to three buttons on the dashboard labelled 'Pure', 'Hybrid' and 'Power'
In Pure mode a 50kW/200Nm electric motor drives the rear wheels, powered by a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the floor of the load compartment, which takes 3.5 hours to recharge from a conventional 220-volt outlet, and gives zero-emissions operation for up to 45km; as soon as the battery charge level drops below optimum it will default to Hybrid mode.
Hybrid is also the standard setting whenever the car is started; it combines the 206kW/380Nm petrol engine (which drives front wheels through a new eight-speed auto transmission) and the electric motor for the most economical driving under varying conditions of speed and load.
Volvo quotes fuel consumption of 2.3 litres per 100km and CO2 emissions of 53g/km under the official EU combined cycle, and claims a total operating range of 960km.
In Power mode the 206kW petrol engine and the electric motor are combined to sprint the car from standstill to 100km/h in 5.8 seconds.
The two-litre four is the first of the forthcoming Volvo Environmental Architecture modular range of petrol and diesel engines, which use direct injection and balance shafts to minimise internal losses.
Different levels of forced aspiration provide the flexibility to cover the range from high-performance engines to extremely fuel-efficient variants, each based on a standard size of 500cc per cylinder for optimum thermodynamics and maximum interchangeability of components.
Volvo says that while four-cylinder turbo engines deliver the best compromise between efficiency and smoothness, the VEA concept could also be used to develop three-cylinder engines for smaller cars.
It claims that VEA engines are considerably lighter than current engines with similar performance; fuel economy is improved by as much as 35 percent compared to engines with similar performance, while their modularity and compact transverse layout will be ideal for future electric-car developments - which probably means extended-range electric cars rather than hybrids.
The engine in the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept has no conventional starter motor or alternator. Instead, there's a disc-shaped starter/generator between the engine and transmission that can deliver an extra 34kW during acceleration, and also charges the battery under braking.
Volvo head of research Peter Mertens says: “In the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept we demonstrate that our new four-cylinder engines will offer the same high performance as today's sixes. At the same time, their fuel consumption will be lower than in current four-cylinder engines.”
The concept car carries a “T8” badge, to point up the combined 256kW of the high-performance four-cylinder engine and the electric motor, which moves the car into V8 territory.
“It's time to stop counting cylinders,” Mertens insists. “Four-cylinder engines are the most effective way to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption without compromising driving pleasure and performance.”
The electric all-wheel drive is activated by pressing a button; instead of mechanically transferring power as in conventional all-wheel drive, the central control unit distributes power between the petrol-driven front wheels and the electrically driven rear axle to provide better traction when starting and when driving on slippery roads, for instance in snow or mud.
CONSTANTLY ONLINE
The Sensus infotainment system in the XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept keeps the driver constantly updated on the best route to the destination depending on whether the driver prioritises low energy consumption, the fastest route or the shortest distance, low-emission zones where sufficient capacity is needed for running on electricity only, the nearest charging stations with access to renewable electricity and locations along the route with access to quick-charging facilities.
The driver can to connect to the car from a smartphone app to check the battery's charge level, remaining range, and the location and capacity of the nearest recharging station - it can even check whether the charger cable is still hooked up and pre-programme the car's aircon.
The concept is finished in a special white paint, with 21” rims and special interior detailing such as dark blue leather upholstery and inlays of blue-grey wood.
Mertens says the VEA engine range is still several years away from production and won't be drawn on which models it will be applied to first, but points out that the XC-60 concept is a clear demonstration that the technology is here, and it works.