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Before a long distance trip
It is always worthwhile to have your vehicle checked by a trained and qualified Volvo servicetechnician before driving long distances. Yourretailer will also be able to supply you with bulbs,fuses, spark plugs and wiper blades for your usein the event that problems occur.
As a minimum, the following items should be checked before any long trip:
• Check that engine runs smoothly and thatfuel consumption and the oil level are normal.
• Before leaving on a trip, fill the fuel tank andmake sure the hybrid battery is fully charged.During the trip, make a habit of refueling reg-ularly.
• Check for fuel, oil, and fluid leakage.
• Check condition of drive belts.
• Check state of the battery's charge.
• Examine tires carefully (including the sparetire where applicable), and replace those thatare worn. Also, check tire inflation pressure.
• The brakes, front wheel alignment, and steer-ing gear should be checked by a trained andqualified Volvo service technician only.
• Check all lights, including high beams.
• Reflective warning triangles are legallyrequired in some states/provinces.
• Have a word with a trained and qualifiedVolvo service technician if you intend to drive in countries where it may be difficult toobtain the correct fuel.
• Consider your destination. If you will be driv-ing through an area where snow or ice arelikely to occur, consider using snow tires.
Driving economically
Better driving economy can be obtained by thinking ahead, avoiding rapid starts and stopsand adjusting the speed of your vehicle to imme-diate traffic conditions.
Driving economically with Twin EnginePlug-in Hybrid vehicles
Plan your driving in order to utilize the electric motor as much as possible. An energy-conserving driving style lowers current consumption from the hybrid battery and helpsincrease electric driving range.
Charging
• Charge the hybrid battery as often as possi- ble from the electricity grid using the charg-ing cable. Whenever possible, begin a drivewith a fully charged battery.
• Check the location of charging points.
• Where possible, choose parking spaces withcharging points.

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Preconditioning
•If possible, precondition the vehicle with the charging cable before driving.
• Avoid parking the vehicle so that the passen-ger compartment becomes too hot or cold.Park, if possible, in a climate controlled park-ing garage.
• For short drives after using the precondition-ing function, turn off the climate systemblower if possible.
• If preconditioning is not possible in coldweather, use the seat and steering wheelheating primarily. Avoid heating the entirepassenger compartment, which reduces thehybrid battery's charge level.
Driving
•
Choose the Pure drive mode to help mini-
mize electric power consumption.
• Maintain a constant speed and an adequate distance to the vehicle ahead to minimizeuse of the brakes.
• Balance energy requirements using theaccelerator pedal and utilize the gauge onthe instrument panel to see the amount ofpower available from the electric motor. Thishelps avoid starting the gasoline engineunnecessarily. The electric motor is moreenergy-efficient than the gasoline engine,especially at lower speeds. See also the arti-cle "Hybrid-related symbols and messages". •
Brake as gently as possible; doing socharges the hybrid battery. There is a regen-erative function in the brake pedal which canbe augmented by the electric motor's brakingcapacity when the gear selector is in mode B
.
• Higher speeds increase energy consumption and the vehicle's wind resistance increasesalong with speed. Do not exceed postedspeed limits.
• In hilly terrain, put the gear selector in mode B
to utilize the electric motor's braking func-
tion when the accelerator pedal is released. This helps charge the hybrid battery.
• Use the
Hold function at highway speeds
when traveling farther than is possible using the hybrid battery's capacity.
• Whenever possible, avoid using the
Chargefunction to charge the hybrid battery. Charg- ing the battery using the gasoline engineincreases fuel consumption and carbon diox-ide emissions.
• Avoid carrying unnecessary items (extra load)in the vehicle.
• Maintain correct tire pressure. Check tirepressure regularly (when the tires are cold).
• Use tires recommended by Volvo for yourvehicle.
• Remove snow tires when threat of snow orice has ended. •
Note that roof racks, ski racks, etc, increaseair resistance and also energy consumption.
• Avoid driving with open windows.
Handling and roadholding
• Vehicle load, tire design and inflation pres-sure all affect vehicle handling. Therefore,check that the tires are inflated to the rec-ommended pressure according to the vehicleload. Loads should be distributed so thatcapacity weight or maximum permissible axleloads are not exceeded.
• At the specified curb weight your vehicle hasa tendency to understeer, which means thatthe steering wheel has to be turned morethan might seem appropriate for the curva-ture of a bend. This ensures good stabilityand reduces the risk of rear wheel skid.Remember that these properties can alterwith the vehicle load. The heavier the load inthe cargo compartment, the less the ten-dency to understeer.
Related information
•Hybrid-related information in the instrumentpanel (p. 133)
• Parking climate (preconditioning) (p. 187)
• Tire inflation pressure table (p. 563)
• Volvo and the environment (p. 20)
• Hybrid-related symbols and messages(p. 397)

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Winter driving
Check your vehicle before the approach of cold weather.
The following advice is worth noting:
• Make sure that the engine coolant contains 50 percent antifreeze. Any other mixture willreduce freeze protection. This gives protec-tion against freezing down to –31 °F(–35 °C). The use of "recycled" antifreeze isnot approved by Volvo. Different types ofantifreeze must not be mixed.
• Volvo recommends using only genuine Volvoantifreeze in your vehicle's radiator.
• Try to keep the fuel tank well filled – thishelps prevent the formation of condensationin the tank. In addition, in extremely coldweather conditions it is worthwhile to addfuel line de-icer before refueling.
• The viscosity of the engine oil is important.Oil with low viscosity (thinner oil) improvescold-weather starting as well as decreasingfuel consumption while the engine is warm-ing up. Full synthetic 0W-30 oil is recom-mended for driving in areas with sustainedlow temperatures.
• The load placed on the battery is greater dur-ing the winter since the windshield wipers,lighting, etc., are used more often. Moreover,the capacity of the battery decreases as thetemperature drops. In very cold weather, apoorly charged battery can freeze and be damaged. It is therefore advisable to checkthe state of charge more frequently andspray an anti-rust oil on the battery posts.
• Volvo recommends the use of snow tires onall four wheels for winter driving.
• To prevent the washer fluid reservoir fromfreezing, add washer solvents containingantifreeze. This is important since dirt is oftensplashed on the windshield during winterdriving, requiring the frequent use of thewashers and wipers. Volvo Washer Solventshould be diluted as follows: Down to 14 °F(–10 °C): 1 part washer solvent and 4 partswater Down to 5 °F (–15 °C): 1 part washersolvent and 3 parts water Down to 0 °F(–18 °C): 1 part washer solvent and 2 partswater Down to –18 °F (–28 °C): 1 partwasher solvent and 1 part water.
• Use Volvo Teflon Lock Spray in the locks.
• Avoid using de-icing sprays as they cancause damage to the locks.
Related information
•Snow tires and chains (p. 479)
Towing eyelet
When used, the towing eyelet should always be securely attached in the opening on the rightside of the rear bumper. There is a cover overthe attachment point.
Using the towing eyelet
Take out the towing eyelet, which is stored under the floor in the cargo compartment.

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HYBRID
This is the default mode in which the electric motor and gasoline engine are both utilized. The vehicle starts in
Hybrid mode. The control
system uses the electric motor and the gasoline engine, separately or in tandem, and calculatesoptimal use with respect to performance, fuelconsumption and comfort. At higher speeds,ground clearance is lowered automatically to helpreduce wind resistance. Driving capacity on theelectric motor alone is determined by the hybridbattery's charge level and e.g., the need for heat-ing/cooling in the passenger compartment. If sufficient electrical energy is available, only the electric motor will be activated when the driverpresses the accelerator pedal up to a certainlevel. Above this level, the gasoline engine willstart. Charge the hybrid battery using the charg- ing cable or activate the vehicle's
Charge func-
tion in the center display's Top view in order to drive using the electric motor only. See also thearticle "Maintaining/increasing hybrid batterycharge while driving" for additional information. Information in the instrument panel When driving in
Hybrid mode, a hybrid gauge will
be displayed in the instrument panel. The indica- tor in the gauge will show the amount of electri-cal current required when the driver depressesthe accelerator pedal. The marker between the"lightning" and "oil drop" symbols indicates theamount of energy available. See also the article "Hybrid-related information in the instrumentpanel" for additional information.
The instrument panel gauge when both the electric motor and gasoline engine are being used
The gauge also indicates when the battery is being recharged (regener-ated) during light braking. See the arti-cle "Brakes" for additional information.
PURE
Driver display when only the electric motor is being used
This mode activates the electric motor only with as low energy consumption as possible and thelowest possible carbon dioxide emissions.
Pure maximizes the use of the hybrid battery.
Ground clearance will be lowered to help reduce wind resistance and certain climate system func-tions will be reduced.
Pure mode is available when the hybrid battery is
sufficiently charged. If the charge level gets too low, the gasoline engine will start. The gasoline engine will also start:

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•
If the vehicle's speed goes above approx. 78 mph (125 km/h)
• If the driver wants more response than theelectric motor alone can provide
• If factors such as cold weather, etc., affectthe system or components
ECO climate
In the Pure drive mode, ECO climate in the pas-
senger compartment is activated automatically to help reduce energy consumption.
NOTE
When the Pure drive mode is activated, set-
tings for certain climate system/electricity- consuming functions are reduced. Some ofthese settings can be reset manually but fullfunctionality will only be restored by leaving the
Pure drive mode or by adapting the set-
tings in the Individual drive mode to full cli-
mate system functionality.
If condensation forms on the windows, tap the max. defroster button, which will function nor-mally.
OFF ROAD
This mode helps maximize the vehicle's capacity to traverse difficult terrain or poor roads. In OFF ROAD, ground clearance is maximized, the steering is light, All Wheel Drive and HillDescent Control are activated and a compass will be displayed between the speedometer and tach-ometer in the instrument panel. This drive mode can only be activated at low speeds (the permissible speed range will beshown on the speedometer). At higher speeds,OFF ROAD mode will be cancelled and AWD willbe activated.
CAUTION
OFF ROAD drive mode may not be used if the vehicle is towing a trailer without an elec-trical connection. This could result in damageto the pneumatic suspension system's bel-lows.
NOTE
•
This mode is not intended for normal street driving.
• Due to the increased ground clearance, ifthe OFF ROAD mode was selected whenthe engine was switched off, the suspen-sion will lower when the engine is restar-ted.
AWD
This mode offers improved traction on slippery surfaces by using four-wheel drive. It also helpsincrease directional stability at higher speeds, forexample when towing a trailer. In this mode, both the electric motor and the gas-oline engine are utilized, which results in higherfuel consumption. In the other drive modes, the vehicle automati- cally adapts the need for all-wheel drive accord-ing to the road surface and may activate the elec-tric motor or start the gasoline engine asrequired.
POWER
Power mode is intended for sportier, more active
driving. This mode maximizes the combined effects of the electric motor and the gasoline engine andprovides power to all four wheels. Response topressure on the accelerator pedal is more imme-diate and the transmission shifts up at higherrpm. Steering response is also more immediate,the suspension is stiffer and lower ground clear-ance reduces body roll when cornering. In this mode, both the electric motor and the gas- oline engine are utilized, which results in higherfuel consumption.