What's the news?

There's an old phrase that says you can't have your cake and eat it. Volvo clearly thinks otherwise, as it is now offering its V60 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) model in sporty R-Design specification, meaning your eco-car doesn't have to look like some sort of bog-standard rental on ridiculous aero alloy wheels.

Exterior

It's quite subtle on the outside, as it looks like any R-Design model - with the beefy front bumper and grille, rear diffuser and 18-inch Ixion alloys - although it has Plug-in Hybrid badging, plus the giveaway charging port in addition to the fuel tank filler cap.

Interior

Inside, the car comes with a full R-Design interior, featuring sports seats as standard with a blend of black nubuck textile and perforated leather. There are also sports pedals and floor mats and charcoal headlining, plus the PHEV's unique hybrid instrumentation and information systems. Also fitted as standard on all PHEVs is Volvo's telematics technology, Volvo On Call. This allows users to use a free mobile app to access a number of functions and keeps the driver in constant contact with the vehicle.

Mechanicals

In D6 specification, the PHEV uses a five-cylinder, 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine that makes 215hp and 440Nm, which drives the front wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox. The rear axle is powered by a 70hp/200Nm electric motor that gets its juice from an 11.2kWh lithium-ion battery under the boot floor. Volvo claims peak total drivetrain outputs of 285hp and 640Nm, meaning both motors give their maximums in unison, which is nice.

You can then choose from three driving modes. In 'Pure', you can cover up to 31 miles in total silence on the rear motor alone. 'Hybrid' mode uses the diesel engine and the electric motor in their most environmentally-friendly guises to deliver ludicrously good figures of 48g/km and 155.2mpg combined. Opt for 'Power' and you get the aforementioned 285hp diesel Volvo with all-wheel drive.

Anything else?

This blend of the best of both worlds doesn't exactly come cheap, however. The Volvo V60 D6 AWD R-Design Lux Nav is priced from £51,675 (excluding the Government's £5,000 Plug-In Car Grant) and can be ordered now, with expected deliveries from August 2014.

Matt Robinson - 28 Apr 2014