Volvo has announced a 10g/km drop in emissions for the new XC90 plug-in hybrid, bringing its CO2 down to 49g/km.

The drop comes as the result of further tuning by the Swedish company.

Senior vice president of research and development at Volvo Car Group, Dr Peter Mertens, said: "We have been working hard to earn our competitive edge and to give our customers the ultimate combination of performance and low fuel consumption.

“Our Twin Engine technology has enabled us to build on our heritage of efficient powertrain development in a completely new way. Thanks to our new scalable product architecture, and our world class four-cylinder engines, we have a clear and leading position.”

Volvo claims the seven-seater is capable of delivering 26 miles of pure electric range, a 0-62mph of 5.6seconds, and a combined power of 401bhp, along with up to 134.5mpg fuel economy.

The XC90 T8 Twin Engine is available to order in the UK now, with first deliveries expected at the end of the year.