Volvo XC60 vs Hyundai Ioniq 5

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are smart for certain consumers. They allow people to give electric vehicle ownership a try before diving into the deep end of the pool by acclimating people to nightly plug-ins and the benefits of electric-only driving.

At the same time, they eliminate a phenomenon called “range anxiety,” which is the mild panic EV drivers may feel when their battery gets low. That’s because they also have a gasoline engine, and that means you can take a cross-country trip in one without ever needing to find a charging station.

Talk about a win-win situation. And among luxury PHEVs, the 2023 Volvo XC60 Recharge is an appealing choice. But it certainly does not come cheap.

It would appear to be the calendar, not the competition, that has the Ioniq 5 due for a mid-cycle refresh. We liked it when it burst onto the scene as an angular oddball in a sea of soft-lined sameness, and it has only improved over the last few years.

Verdict: Hyundai makes minor but welcome changes and avoids tweaking the many things that were working well, successfully making a good thing better.