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Our annual Rocky Mountain Driving Experience, an event put on by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Media, had us headed to Denver once again this year. It was great to get out and travel again; this was our third trip to the Mile High City since the first of the year.

This time, we were offered a new 2021 Volvo XC90 Recharge T8 Inscription. Now, that is quite a name in and of itself, but we were most interested in the “Recharge” part of that moniker as Volvo has committed to being totally electric by the year 2030.

Their goal is to be half electric and half hybrid in sales by 2025, switching over to complete electric vehicles by the end of the decade. This is a very ambitious effort on the part of Volvo, and our hats are off to them as they work toward this goal.

The Recharge label on their vehicles means they are a mild hybrid, as it was for the XC90. Fully charged, the XC90 will deliver a modest 18 miles of all-electric range. For many of us, that would be enough to get to work, plug in again and then go home.

However, for others, this is a very limited range as they may have to travel father than 18 miles to get to work or just run daily errands. We would love to see a number more in the mid 30s as it would attract more buyers to the premium luxury SUV.

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With the limited range, charging the XC90 was easy, even at our hotel. It only need six to eight hours of charging time on a regular 110-volt outlet, which is much easier to find than a level 2 or 3 charging station at most stops.

We even spent a day at the Pikes Peak International Raceway and were able to get the XC90 fully charged on a wall outlet where we had parked for the day.

That being said, the XC90 is a strong seven-passenger SUV even with only a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that has a twin turbocharger on it. That is supplemented by a 67-kilowatt rear-mounted electric motor that increases horsepower to 400 ponies along with 472 foot-pounds of torque.

Weighing in at 5,100 pounds, the XC90 was very quick off the line with the help of the electric motor, and it was extremely nimble in all the driving we did, which ranged from heavy freeway traffic to twisty mountain roads. We felt very confident driving in it.

After putting over 300 miles on the odometer in the XC90, we were able to average a very nice 32 miles per gallon, which we felt was extremely good for such a large SUV.

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We had traveled to Denver for the Rocky Mountain Driving Experience, and we were involved in setting up the event and making sure it ran properly. This allowed us to really utilize the XC90 during the few days we had it.

With all the seats down, there is a huge amount of storage in the rear — over 65 cubic feet of space. We were able to get three extra-large coolers inside along with two carry-on bags and six road signs for our event.

Having the XC90 as one of our support vehicles during the event was a great addition from our friends at Driveshop, the fleet service that provided the Volvo for us while we spent time in the Denver area.

Even with all of the seats in the upright position to provide comfortable seating for seven adults, there is still 12.6 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat to store things. This is plenty of room for a family trip.

On the luxury side, the Volvo, of course, did not disappoint us in any way, coming with very nicely trimmed leather seating surfaces that were both heated and cooled, and — most importantly — they had massaging features built right in. We have come to love this feature and always have it running, no matter how long the drive may be!

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The interior is adorned with high-end luxury items including sleek piano black accents and beautiful inlaid wood trim up front.

Technology now abounds in the Volvo line with the 9-inch portrait touch screen being front and center in the dash and controlling everything from radio to climate. There are very few controls under the infotainment screen, and it makes for a very stylish dashboard.

The XC90 started with the twist of a knob on the center console instead of the usual push of a button. This takes a little getting used to, but it became second nature within a couple of days. The shift lever also works a little differently as it takes a double tap to go forward or backward.

Safety is the name of the game when it comes to any Volvo; the Swedish automaker has always been known for an overabundance of it in their vehicles. The XC90 came with adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and lane centering technologies to help with the drive.

Also, the vehicle receives input from the navigation system that helps it adapt to the road, slowing for curves and hills and other road elements along the way. It is one of the best systems we have driven to date in this department, working just as advertised. It was a great companion while we were out in territory that was unfamiliar, leading us to believe it would be a fantastic road tripping SUV!

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If the new XC90 is the shape of things to come for Volvo, we can hardly wait for the all-electric vehicles that are sure to come soon from the Swedish manufacturer.

Base price: $68,750

Destination charge: $995

Price as driven: $81,450