Volvo to unveil diesel V60 plug-in hybrid at Geneva Motor Show

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Volvo's chief executive officer, Stefan Jacoby, confirmed that the automaker will launch a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) diesel in 2012. Jacoby later revealed that Volvo's first plug-in hybrid, to be based on the V60, would spew out a projected 49 grams per kilometer of CO2 emissions, provide up to 31 miles of electric range and boast the ability to fully recharge in five hours.

This March, at the Geneva Motor Show, Volvo is expected to pull back the sheets on its V60 plug-in, unveiling the vehicle to the public. We won't have to wait that long to learn some of the specs of this vehicle, though, since Volvo let those loose today. Volvo's V60 PHEV features a five-cylinder 2.4-liter D5 turbodiesel, which directs 215 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic transmission that turns the front wheels. The rear axle is driven by a 70 hp electric motor that receives juice from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Jacoby believes that the V60's sporty driving characteristics, combined with its low emissions, makes it stand out in the plug-in pack:

In order to get true car enthusiasts to think green, you have to offer them the opportunity to drive with low carbon dioxide emissions without taking away the adrenaline rush that promotes genuine driving pleasure. The V60 Plug-in Hybrid has all the traditional properties of a genuine sports wagon. What we've done is to spice it up with spearhead technology.

Look for live shots of the Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid after it hits the stage March 1st.

[Source: Volvo]