Volvo has revealed that plug in hybrid V60 it will debut in Geneva next week will be capable of 149mpg and should go on sale before the end of next year.
As well as its impressive fuel economy, the car also boasts the ability to cover up to 31 miles on electric power alone thanks to a large 12kW battery mounted beneath the boot.
This does eat into the V60's luggage capacity – and means the car now clocks in at a weighty two tonnes – but prospective owners may well be seduced by the ultra-low 49g/km CO2 emission figure and the ability to tow 1800kg.
The latter is possible because Volvo has married its 70bhp rear-mounted electric motor to its 215bhp D5 five-cylinder diesel engine at the front, which means the hybrid gets some impressive performance stats alongside its environmentally-friendly figures.
The V60 will hit 62mph in just 6.9 seconds and should be capable of 125mph. The car will operate in three modes; Hybrid, Pure and Power. The first is the default mode which calls on diesel engine only as is required by driving conditions or battery depletion, the second triggers all-electric driving while the final setting turns on the engine and uses the motor as a supplementary power boost.
Each mode selectable from within the car, and all reconfigure the six-speed automatic gearbox and throttle response to suit. There's even the option to increase traction in slippery conditions by opting for an all-wheel drive function that works even when the battery is flat by drawing energy directly from the on-board generator.
Using a 240-volt socket, Volvo estimates the V60's battery will take 4.5 hours to fully recharge. It claims the car should be capable of a 750 mile range.
The manufacturer expects that kind of endurance to appeal to customers who have professed an interest in electric cars, but remain skeptical about the practical applications.
Those buyers will be expected to pay a premium for the V60's beguiling mix of economy and performance, though. Modifications to the car's structure and cost of components are likely to make the plug-in hybrid an expensive option in Volvo's estate line-up.