Burnt out? I found the perfect place to recharge in the Volvo XC60

Sometimes we need to slow down to speed up, as the old adage goes. Life, for me, has been a blur of testing cars, presenting for Drive TV and racing around for the Australian Grand Prix. But the time has come, as it always does, to recharge.

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It’s decided that a trip to Victoria’s evergreen Mornington Peninsula is required, stat. Offering the perfect blend of countryside charm and coastal living, this jutting shard of the oft-untouched Australian bush is only an hour or so from Melbourne. The objective of the trip? To simply unwind – with a few stops at some very special spots to assist. Just as important as the destination is a vehicle that will facilitate a sense of relaxation and escape.

For that, I’ve scored the keys to the brilliant and beguiling Volvo XC60 Recharge T8 Black Edition. It’s not often Volvo does a Black Edition, making this an exclusive affair. The Black Edition channels plenty of Scandinavian design inside, and I love details like the little Swedish flag sewn into the driver’s seat. The Orrefors crystal gear lever adds a bejewelled touch, while the lavish, charcoal nappa leather is beautifully soft.

This cutting-edge, all-wheel-drive Volvo is a plug-in hybrid, meaning it’s effectively an electric car for up to 81km – more than the average daily commute. Banishing range anxiety, there’s still a turbocharged engine at your service for longer trips, like today’s. Having settled into the plush driver’s seat, the XC60 starts silently in its Pure electric mode, and its elevated ride height and impressive 360-degree parking camera make exiting even the tightest of car parks a breeze.

Moving through Melbourne traffic, there’s plenty of electric-only power off the line, while the head-up display minimises the time your eyes are off the road. With the packed schedules, deadlines and general frenzied Melbourne life fading into the rear-vision mirror, signs to Red Hill, Flinders and Portsea start appearing as I merge onto the motorway towards Mornington.

The Volvo XC60 Recharge’s adaptive cruise control and Pilot Assist keep the car confidently centred in the lane. Safety has always been a Volvo trademark, and this technology feels, reassuringly, like the car is driving with you. The XC60 is superbly smooth and quiet at motorway speeds, while the plush, air-suspended ride comfort offers little to no clunks or rattles on even the harshest of surfaces.

Our first stop is the architectural wonder that is Flinders Residence. With its exquisite, warm timber exterior, form and function interplay to make this the ultimate place of retreat. I’m tempted to ask when I can move in. The XC60 couldn’t look more at home in the beautiful pebbled driveway.

Sitting broodingly in Onyx Black, the Black Edition’s badges are a stealthy black hue, as are the window surrounds, while the striking 21-inch wheels are finished in an elegant inky shade. I love that even the Volvo badge gets the blacked-out treatment, while the headlights themselves are styled, I’m told, to resemble Thor’s hammer – a nod to Norse mythology and Sweden being in the epicentre of history.

Having absorbed some soothing architecture, it’s time to return to the road. Keeping me focused is the XC60’s central 9.0-inch screen, which is a lovely high resolution and works seamlessly on the go. The XC60 runs Google as its operating system, and while it’s Android-based, it also obliges for iPhone users with Apple CarPlay easily accessible.

Google Assistant means you can control most functions by voice, including phone calls and Spotify, which you’ll be using regularly as the 15-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system has to be heard to be believed. For the time that I use Pure electric mode, it’s pleasing to know I’ve not used a single drop of petrol.

As I venture further into the countryside, I’m treated to scenery, dense forests, and meandering roads flanked by a plethora of wineries, and arrive somewhere guaranteed to help me reground. Mock Orchards is situated in the leafy Red Hill, and I’m here for a bit of apple-picking therapy. I meet the delightful Mardi-Claire Mock. The family’s first apple orchard, she says, was outside Melbourne on Mock Street.

“My great-great-grandfather, Walter Mock, started growing apples in East Burwood in 1895,” she smiles. The Mock family’s current Red Hill orchard spans 65 acres and is certified biodynamic – an organic way of farming that results in deliciously sweet, crisp produce.

“My grandfather, Wally Mock, was walking along Flinders Road here and saw one of the neighbouring farm's apple trees had a limb hanging over the fence,” says Mardi-Claire. “The apple tree was not good, but this limb hanging over was absolutely perfect because it had not been sprayed with all this chemical. There was an epiphany.”

Four generations of the Mock family now live on and assist with the biodynamic orchard. Sustainability and minimising waste are also central themes for the Mocks – who are unsurprisingly very interested in the plug-in hybrid Volvo parked nearby. I venture into the quiet lanes of lush produce trees to pick from the beautifully blushing apples.

Carrying a crate of my spoils to the XC60, you can open its deep, 468-litre boot by placing your foot underneath the rear bumper. The tailgate rises electrically, while special hooks built into the boot itself stop things like shopping bags moving around – handy if you intend to try the XC60’s Performance drive mode. (And with 340kW, trust me, you should.)

The sun twinkles through the gums to herald the late afternoon, and I make a quick stop at Montalto Olive Grove to visit its sprawling kitchen garden for some further, meditative handpicking – a welcome theme of the day. While checking out the XC60’s back seat, I notice the built-in booster seats for kids – a genius hidden gem. Drive just a few more minutes, and you’re greeted with breathtaking coastline and bustling seaside villages.

After the long trip, the XC60’s onboard battery is low, but there’s not the slightest worry here. The XC60 in its Hybrid mode unlocks additional hundreds of kilometres of petrol-powered range. Even if you fully drain the battery, the XC60 still maintains and even sometimes accumulates a small amount of charge, while the switch between electric and petrol is invisibly smooth.

As I pull into my accommodation, I can hear the distant crashing of waves. This is just what I’ve needed. It’s mission accomplished in gaining a sense of calm in the squall that is sometimes life. And while it’s a Black Edition in name and nature, this XC60 also calls itself a Recharge – and I can absolutely see why.

To book a test drive of the Volvo XC60 Recharge, click here.