American Volvo fans have been feeling left out, watching the V60 diesel PHEV wagon shatter sales projections in Europe. However, their depression should lift soon, when the Swedish automaker introduces what it considers to be a more US-friendly model, the new XC90 T8 Twin Engine Plug-In Hybrid.

The corded crossover will go on sale in the US this summer, with an MSRP starting at $68,100 for the entry-level model.

The XC90 T8 has a 2.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E gas engine and a rear-axle electric motor. Total power is 394 hp, and fuel efficiency is rated at 59 MPGe. Range in “Pure electric mode” is estimated at 17 miles.

Volvo’s newest PHEV is already a runaway success in the UK – it’s scheduled to go on sale there later this year, and is already sold out, with a lengthy waiting list.

“We were planning on a three to five per cent take rate of this model,” Volvo UK’s Managing Director Nick Connor told Auto Express. “But our current rate on sold orders is over 20 per cent. We underestimated it.”

The XC90’s unexpected popularity may cause the company to broaden its PHEV lineup. “The intention is that [the plug-in powertrain] is kept at the upper end of each model, but if it was to be something that grows considerably, we could do it across every model,” said a spokesperson.

Source: Green Car Congress, AutoblogGreen