Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Volvo C40 Recharge Review (First Drive): Desirable Electric Swedish Rouge
Volvo is on a silent yet steadfast march towards an all-electric future. The Swedish firm plans to sell only EVs by the year 2030.
However, the only Volvo EV we'd seen here in India was the XC40 Recharge SUV. Last month, Volvo changed that by unveiling the C40 Recharge for the Indian market.
The Volvo C40 Recharge coupe-SUV is due to launch in September. However, before that event happened, Volvo invited us media folk to Lonavala to experience the C40 Recharge for ourselves. Here's what we found out.
Volvo C40 Recharge Review: Design, Comfort & Tech: Edgier Exterior But Still Minimalist On The Inside
The Volvo C40 is, in essence, the coupe-SUV version of the XC40 Recharge. You can consider the C40 Recharge as the trendier and edgier version of the electric Volvo XC40, a fact made evident by the new EV's design.
The overall design is the same as the XC40 Recharge, with the coupe-like roof and a few sporty touches adding to the sharper looks of the new C40 Recharge.
At the front, the new C40 Recharge sports Volvo's iconic Thor's Hammer headlights. Those iconic lights flank the closed-off front grille sporting the Volvo badge. The C40 Recharge also gets sportier bumpers playing host to the fog lamps on its edges.
The sharply sloping roofline dominates the sides of the Volvo C40 Recharge. The coupe-SUV also sports flared-out wheel arches and ruggedised side skirts that help enhance its sporty appeal.
The rear end of the Volvo C40 Recharge is all action, with two mini spoilers on each side of the raked rear windscreen. The section where the rear glass meets the metal part of the boot lid is where you find another spoiler.
The taillights sport a C-shaped lighting signature before heading up the sides of the rear windscreen. The lower section of the rear bumper sports the same black plastic cladding as the sides of the bottom part of the front bumper.
Step into the cabin of the Volvo C40 Recharge, and the backwards cap madness of the exterior makes way for the minimalist simplicity of the interior. The C40 Recharge's cabin is a direct transplant from the XC40, and if you've been in that SUV, the view will be very familiar.
The cabin is entirely leather-free, which should keep the mad vegans happy. The C40 Recharge also uses reprocessed material with the carpets made using recycled plastic bottles.
The dash features a portrait-oriented 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system powered by Android that also supports Apple CarPlay. The infotainment system comes paired with a premium Harmon-Kardon audio system.
The sporty-looking front seats of the Volvo C40 Recharge feature heating and electric adjustment and keep you comfortable and supported on your road trips.
The rear seats feature the same sporty design as the ones up front. This layout also means that the Volvo C40 Recharge is a proper 4-seater unless you're the kind of person who likes squeezing three adult humans together.
However, for those of the taller variety of humanity, the C40 Recharge's coupe-like roofline means that good headroom can sometimes be hard to find. Behind the rear seats is the 413-litre boot, enough for most weekend trips and shopping mall runs.
The view out of the rear window of the C40 Recharge is extremely cramped thanks to that steep rear window, which makes the view out of some sports cars feel brilliant. However, this being a Volvo, there are enough sensors and cameras to help you squeeze into a parking spot.
The C40 Recharge comes packed with a lot more kit like a panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charging, 360-degree camera, connected car tech, sensor-based autonomous driving aids (ADAS), multiple airbags, and even more safety kit.
Volvo C40 Recharge Review: Motors, Battery, Range & Dimensions - Dual Motor Madness
The Volvo C40 Recharge draws power from a large 78kWh battery pack that offers a range of 530 kilometres on a single charge. The on-board 11kW charger takes 6-7 hours to charge the battery pack to capacity. Fast charging from 10-80 per cent with a 150kW DC charger takes 27 minutes.
The large battery pack drives two electric motors (one on each axle) that combine to produce 402bhp and 660Nm of peak torque. The result of all that power is a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 180km/h.
The Volvo C40 Recharge is what Volvo considers a compact SUV coupe. However, don't let that fool you. The Volvo C40 Recharge is 4,440mm long, 1,873mm wide and 1,591mm tall and sports a 2,702mm long wheelbase. The C40 rides on 19-inch alloy wheels draped with Pirelli tyres, and the SUV offers 171mm of ground clearance.
Volvo C40 Recharge Review: Driving Impressions - Swedish Straight Line Fun & Rump Start?
Starting the Volvo C40 Recharge is not what you'd consider a normal process. There is no push button start. Instead, the Swedish EV detects if the driver is seated and strapped in when the gearbox moves into 'Drive'. Who said the Swedes were a humourless bunch?
Once started, there are no drive modes to select, something appreciated by those of us tired of too many options to check before going anywhere. And when you put your foot down, the C40 Recharge pushes you into the back of your seat as it pulls up its skirts and skedaddles.
On the go, the C40 Recharge feels a lot quicker than its 4.7 seconds, 0-100km/h time would suggest. Perhaps that's something to do with how it looks on the outside, but sprinting from a standstill and overtaking are fun experiences in the Volvo C40 Recharge.
To deal with the large battery pack and the nearly 2.1 tonnes of weight it has to pull around, the Volvo C40 Recharge comes with a stiff suspension setup. This suspension setup is good if you want to push the SUV coupe into a corner, but on our broken roads, the damping makes the does feel a bit too harsh.
The steering does weigh up as you push the C40 Recharge, and with the firm steering mode enabled, this 'weighing up' feels very consistent as you raise the speedo reading higher. The regenerative brakes help top up the battery pack every time you slow down, while the one-pedal mode makes the C40 Recharge easy to drive in the city.
On the move, the C40 Recharge cocoons you from the world with its excellent NVH levels and EV drivetrain coming together to provide a near-silent experience while on the go.
While we were unable to find out the actual range of the C40 Recharge due to time constraints, but we believe the Swedish EV will be easily able to travel at least 400km on a single charge, given how it behaved during our time behind its wheel.
Volvo C40 Recharge Review: Verdict & Final Thoughts - Desirable Swedish Rouge
The Volvo C40 Recharge is everything you expect from an EV from the Swedish brand. It is packed with safety gear and tech and has a minimalist cabin. However, the C40's coupe SUV design and bonkers dual-motor powertrain give it a roguish charm, making it desirable for those willing to open their chequebooks to Volvo.
Continue with Google