Developed in partnership with Swedish utility company Vattenfall, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid uses a five-cylinder, 215bhp diesel engine to power its front wheels and a 70bhp electric motor to drive the rear wheels. This allows it to almost match the V60 T6’s performance, reaching 62mph in 6.1 seconds and with automatic all wheel drive when necessary.

The system can also be recharged from a conventional wall socket, offering a 31-mile range on electric power with the option to save that range for inner city use no matter where it is during a journey. This long electric range allows the V60 Plug-in hybrid to return  157mpg and emit 48g/km CO2. Volvo said this is expected to make it a popular fleet option, with some of the lowest BiK costs in the V60 range.

Volvo’s first 1,000 units, of which around 130 were earmarked for the UK, are in a single highly equipped special edition trim level. For the 2014 model year, production will be ramped up to 5,000 units, available in a choice of colours and equipment levels. UK customers will have their vehicles delivered in a closed container and have all features explained by a technician.

Click here to read our road test of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid