Geneva 2011: Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid

Swedish automaker Volvo has taken the wraps off the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid in Geneva today, as the new V60 Plug-in Hybrid is being showcased at the Swiss venue.The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid features a special white paint supplied by Dupont. The interior also has several unique details and colors compared with a standard V60, such as leather upholstery from Elmo.

The new Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is to be marketed by the Swedes as a vehicle that benefits from elements from three different car types. More specifically, the vehicle comes with three different driving modes at the push of a button. The driver chooses the preferred driving mode via three buttons on the instrument panel: Pure, Hybrid and Power. The car will reportedly offer the same safety as other models from the Swedish automaker’s product line.

The instrument panel in the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid has been modified to give the driver a full range of important information about diesel consumption, battery charge level, remaining range and so on.

Performance-wise, the front wheels of the V60 Plug-in Hybrid are driven by a five-cylinder 2.4-liter D5 turbodiesel, which produces 215 horsepower and maximum torque of 440 Nm (325 lb.ft.).

The rear axle features ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) in the form of an electric motor producing 70 horsepower, which receives its power from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The car features a six-speed automatic transmission.

The vehicle is claimed to come with carbon dioxide emissions below 50 g/km, which translates into fuel consumption at 1.9 l/100 km (124 US mpg), as Volvo brags.