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Payne: Range Rover Sport vs. Volvo XC90 in plug-in face-off
Posted by Talbot Payne on July 18, 2025
Henry Payne
If you FOMO on BEVs but still must emit CO2 for trips, PHEV may be your GOAT.
Translation: Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are the new fashion statements as luxury customers face the drawbacks of BEVs (battery electric vehicles) yet still require electric for moral or convenience reasons. Two of the latest PHEVs are the handsome 2025 Range Rover Sport and Volvo XC90 T8 sitting in my driveway.
Both bring the latest digital tech, peppy drivetrains and roomy three-row cabins — wrapped in their respective, distinctive European wardrobes. Here’s how I rate ‘em after a weeklong test in Metro Detroit:
Charging
Like BEVS, PHEVs are best fueled on home 240-volt charging systems. I plugged both models into my garage charger overnight for 100% battery range the next a.m. That is, 53 miles of battery-only driving for the Range Rover, 33 miles for the Volvo. That was plenty for daily errands ‘round Oakland County but not enough for my 64-mile round trip to Detroit Metro Airport. Your range will vary depending on temperature, rain and speed.
Driving to the airport on a lovely 50-degree May morning, my XC90 T8 Ultra tester got its advertised battery range at 75 mph on the Lodge and I-94. At 33 miles, just shy of the airport, the Volvo seamlessly switched to gas-electric power without missing a stride. Inside the quiet cabin, I didn’t notice the turbo-4 engine kick in while traveling on I-94 on adaptive cruise control.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Had I been driving the Englishman (its given name, the Sport P460e Dynamic SE a typically European bowl of alphabet soup), the internal combustion mill wouldn’t have kicked in until I was halfway back home. But either way, if I wanted to drive on electrons alone, I would need to plug the two utes in at my airport parking lot, Qwikpark, and its bank of 110-volt outlets.
When I arrived at 6:40 a.m. on a Monday, there were only two spots left at the 12-space charging stable. I dragged the charging cord out of the hatchback’s sub-storage bin and … wrong plug for the Qwikpark outlet. Back to the trunk, I found the proper, three-prong plug, and … it didn’t work.
Every charging station is different, and Qwikpark secrets their plugs inside covered boxes to keep them out of Michigan’s elements. This box was too shallow for Volvo’s plug. Grrr. A Qwikpark airport shuttle sidled rolled up. I waved her on.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“I’m still plugging in,” I smiled, thankful I left home three hours ahead of my flight. “I’ll get the next van.”
I found another 110-volt box that had been — um, expanded by force — to accommodate larger connections like mine. The three-prong connector snapped into place. Phew. Of course, the beauty of PHEVs is that, even if charging failed, I would still have 497 miles of gas range in the Volvo, 407 in the Rover.
The XC90 indicated it would take 24 hours to fill 32 miles on the 110-volt. That’s a loooooong time. No worries, though. I wouldn’t be back from my trip for 40 hours.
Driving
Assisted by battery torque and turbochargers, the internal combustion powertrains in Rover ‘n’ XC90 can really hustle. On battery power alone? Not so much.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
In EV (Range Rover) and PURE (Volvo) modes, the SUVs sail along on smooth, all-wheel-drive power. But these are small batteries — 31 kWh in the Sport, 15 kWh in the XC90 — compared to the massive 100-kWh pack in a comparable Tesla Model X or Cadillac Vistiq. So acceleration is more of a nudge than the face-flattening ZOT! of a luxury BEV peers.
The Brit’s a bit perkier, thanks to its 2X battery capacity over the Volvo, but that added beef comes at a price — the 6,199-pound Rover is 1,000 pounds heavier than the XC90. That’s a lotta meat pies. The XC90 feels downright spry compared to the Rover.
When the battery runs out — or if you switch Rover to HYBRID mode — the big Brit wakes up. RAAAAWRGH! I stomped the gas pedal and the beast let out a roar from its twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline-six — its formidable 454 horses vaulting past 60 mph in less than five seconds.
With 455 ponies, the Volvo is just as quick, according to our friends at Car and Driver, but gets there with a less invigorating turbo-4 banger. Hammer down, Thor!
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Design
Speaking of the Scandinavian superhero, the Volvo delivers the brand’s signature Thor’s Hammer headlights combined with the expected grille bisected by Volvo’s diagonal bar logo. What’s unexpected is the new, interlaced grille logo interpretation. It’s both refreshing and more distinctive — always a welcome combination when you are paying north of $80K.
Speaking of looks, Land Rover is an industry icon. Its chiseled proportions and simple aesthetic are mimicked by brands from Ford to Jeep. The Sport ups its game inside with the usual lush materials decorated with crisp, thin digital tablets in the console and instrument display. The latter — which seems to float beneath its hood — is particularly eye-catching.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
As expected at this price point, both utes are lathered with luxury features like heated/cooled seats, massaging chairs and comfortable head/legroom. The tight third rows? For small adults and children.
Rover and XC90 adopt monoshifters to save console space and accommodate wireless phone chargers and cupholders. The Volvo shows off its Scandinavian heritage with its shifter made from Orrefors glass. De-lish.
Operation
The brands’ austere design themes mean few buttons. Both mitigate this slight with clever visual, in-screen shortcuts to adjust, for example, temperature and drive modes. But ultimately, I learned to adjust my environment with voice commands:
Hey, Land Rover: Set driver temperature to 70 degrees
Hey, Land Rover: Navigate to CVS Pharmacy
Hey, Land Rover: Turn the radio on.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Volvo was one of the first automakers to adopt the Google Built-in operating system, which accomplished the same mission. Voice commands also avoid sometimes laggy screens.
Tech
Where Range Rover separates itself from Volvo in content and price is its ridiculously capable off-road toolkit. If I owned a Sport, I would take it to Holly Oaks ORV Park, select OFF-ROAD mode, finger MUD/RUTS and exercise it over the auto playground’s hills and valleys. The Brit even has a two-speed transfer case for the really sticky stuff.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
If it’s bandwidth you’re looking for — six cylinders, off-road capability — Rover’s your dog. If not, both these critters will hunt just fine. Often on nothing but electric motors.
Next week: Picking up my second-generation Tesla Model 3 Performance
2025 Range Rover Sport PHEV
Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive, five-door, seven-passenger luxury SUV
Price: $96,725, including $1,625 destination charge ($106,865 Dynamic SE as tested)
Powerplant: 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, inline 6-cylinder and electric motor paired with 32-kWh lithium-ion battery
Power: 454 horsepower, 487 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.8 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 6,614 pounds
Weight: 6,199 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA 53 MPGe; 21 mpg (gas only); 53 miles on battery alone; 470 miles gas/electric
Report card
Highs: Gorgeous inside/out; throaty inline-6
Lows: Tight third row; gets pricey
Overall: 3 stars
2025 Volvo XC90 PHEV
Vehicle type: All-wheel-drive, five-door, six-passenger luxury SUV
Price: $81,995, including $1,295 destination charge ($88,695 T8 AWD Ultra as tested)
Powerplant: 2.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder and electric motor paired with 15-kWh lithium-ion battery
Power: 455 horsepower, 523 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.8 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 5,290 pounds
Weight: 5,124 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA 58 MPGe; 27 mpg (gas only); 33 miles on battery alone; 530 miles gas/electric
Report card
Highs: Handsome new face; peppy inline-4
Lows: Tight third row; inline-4 lacks sex appeal of rest of package
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him athpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.