XC90 2.0 D5 vs 2.0[390] T8 Momentum Pro

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

I believe it is because the diesel is a proper AWD whereas The T8 is front drive with separate motor to rear. If battery not charged it’s front wheel drive only.

I don’t know how true that is.

In answer to your question it is not true.

Stick it in 4wd mode and the engine runs constantly with the generator engaged so that the batteries are charged up and available for rear wheel drive.

[Milliner]

Originally Posted by XC90Mk1

I believe it is because the diesel is a proper AWD whereas The T8 is front drive with separate motor to rear. If battery not charged it’s front wheel drive only.

I don’t know how true that is.

The 4WD is always available if it’s needed on the T8, even if the batteries are ‘flat’ (they rarely are anyway, energy recovery is always adding some back). Just choose AWD, Power or Off Road at low speed.

[Quacker]

It must have one heck of a generator and the engine must pull hard to produce those 80hp?

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by Quacker

It must have one heck of a generator and the engine must pull hard to produce those 80hp?

The generator is 46hp IIRC. So in theory you cant have full electric output continuously. But then you wont necessarily need full output continuously.

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by Philip Fisher

The generator is 46hp IIRC. So in theory you cant have full electric output continuously. But then you wont necessarily need full output continuously.

That will be at full revs though, so output at 2000 rpm is likely to be half that.

From experience I can tell you that while no more than 50% to theback is always adequate, 30% on occasion is not. My Honda can only transfer 33% to the back and there have been situation where that left the rear unable to push the car forwards. 30% of 150hp is 50hp, for comparison purposes. Normally it is not an issue of course.

[AWM]

i've got several classic Land Rovers and Range Rovers and also other 4WD's in my collection, right up to a 4 Tonne Bedford MJ Army Truck, so I'm v.keen on 4WD...

I'm quite interested to see how the XC60 T8 I've got on order performs off-road.

I realise it's a 'soft roader', as have been all my recent company cars, so I don't expect miracles but I'll report back with my findings later this year when I've got it. There's a green lane that I use for testing purposes, as it has several small challenges that any half competent modern 4WD SUV can handle.

I checked how it dealt with the battery issue before going with it. Clearly they've arranged it so that there is always 4WD available but as Quacker says - is it enough?

The off road capability is also why I went with 18" rims. Unless you are into US style rock crawling anything more than that is real a limitation in my experience. Tread pattern notwithstanding of course.

Has anyone tried theirs off road yet? Even just a wet/muddy field, or in some deeper snow?


AWM

[MaDProFF]

There are some you tube videos that are actually really impressive for an XC60 T8 with just road tyres on it, just google it.

I have driven / raced off road, as well as driven in snow etc on road many times over the years, as for on road tbh a car with decent winter tyres is more than adequate for most, it is only the thickness of snow that can cause a problem, add winter tyres to AWD well personally you should never get stuck unless it is so deep the front of the car is pushing snow, and that is deep on a raised XC 60

I backed mine down on a really grassy steep bank to park, once, it would not pull it up in front wheel drive, (partly because the front on the brow, so not all the weight on the front wheels, so put it in to AWD, pretty well creeped up on its own

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by AWM

Has anyone tried theirs off road yet? Even just a wet/muddy field, or in some deeper snow?


AWM

Yes, with my D5, plenty. No snow or deep mud but recently ploughed and semi-cultivated fields and quite extreme slopes. The downhill assist works as well as any. It has no low range gearbox so first gear relies on the torque convertor for power at low speeds and high loads.
Up extreme grass hills it romps up.

This is where the Honda, which transmits a maximum of around 33% of maximum torque to the rear wheels fails. This may be more similar to the T8 Volvo.
Driving up such slopes means a significant weight transfer to the back axle. When the lightly loaded front wheels inevitably lose traction, there is just not enough torque for the rear axle to push the car forwards. In the Honda's case it just slips the wet clutch pack and within a few seconds sends big red flashing signs to the dash to say the rear diff has overheated. Basically due to the traction and weight transfer to the rear, with the front wheels spinning, the rear wheels just stop turning due to not enough torque.

That is not an issue I've had with the XC90, or any other car that I drive down there and back. I would strongly suggest that the Volvo T8 would be left floundering in the same or similar conditions.

However, just how many Volvo or Honda customers ever come across such conditions? Very very few in all probability.

In my case the solution is easy. I just don't drive the Honda down there any more.

You may wonder how I got the Honda up from there at all. Well the obvious answer is to use reverse, where the weight and traction transfer is then to the directly driven front axle of the car. Except that doesn't work with a manual car and possibly not on an automatic either. That's because reverse is always very high geared and there is no way that the engine has enough power at the reasonably low revs and wheel speed required for traction.
So the answer is to reverse, but since there is no road, to drive back and forth as space allows, sideways, gaining a bit of height with every 'swing'.

If conditions were wet, firstly I wouldn't be there, and secondly, if I was, the car would have to stay there until Spring and dry weather.

P5070410.jpg

Frame-11-07-2017-12-01-17 (1).jpg

[zork]

I know that op has made his mind but a silly thought: I for one I dont like the sound of the D5 VEA...Dont know how T8 sounds like...

PS:I own an 215hp D5 and I love that sound...