Volvo doesn’t usually stir the pot in India. Certainly not as often as other premium car makers. But when it does, it makes sure it remains in the limelight. This time around, the Swedish carmaker is on an electric revolution that involves converting half of its portfolio to electric cars by 2025. And the first to be electrified is the Volvo XC40. Yes! The quirky looking compact SUV from the Scandinavian company has taken the electric route and arrived in India at a time when the EV trend has just started. Volvo is offering the XC40 Recharge in its P8 form, a single variant offering that will be packed with everything Volvo was known for. Now, the XC40 Recharge may be an EV, but it shares almost all of its aesthetics with the gasoline- and diesel-powered versions. And so, we spend a day with Volvo XC40 RechargeTo see how it is.
Apart from the non-existent grille at the front, the styling is exactly the same as that of the XC40.
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
Volvo XC40 Recharge ExteriorDesign: What does it look like?
The traditional and traditional vertical stack taillight and everything else that screams Volvo in terms of styling. You know the only recharge badge from the XC40 that is engraved on the edge of the two-tone roofline and the badge on the back that really gives it a go. Far flung. Of course, upfront you also have a non-existent grille, but otherwise, the styling is exactly the same as the XC40. That’s a good thing in the Indian context because you want this car to be attractive, good looking. The XC40 always had that cover. Now the fact that this is one of those first electric products in a compact footprint gets me hopeful about the pricing equation.
The silhouette of the Volvo XC40 Recharge is similar to that of the standard XC40 compact SUV.
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
Volvo XC40 Recharge Interior: What’s It Like Inside?
The Volvo XC40 recharge has one of the best interiors and is one of the most spacious in the segment. It comes with high quality materials for upholstery and is also durable as the material is partially recycled! Much like it’s ICE counterpart, the XC40 Recharge gets a very attractive, very urban and youthful cabin design. The layout is great. There’s a lot to talk about here, but this is different, and we’ll come to that. What is good, however, is that India’s imagination will also follow that overall sustainability principle. So you have that distinctive XC40 door fabric liner that’s made from recycled ocean plastic. nice touch.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge gets a very attractive, very urban and youthful cabin design.
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
India spec will also not get leather anywhere, anywhere in the cabin, and while this is good in the premium brigade, I think this kind of stance is smart. Some of the other features of Volvo that you can expect something like this, the glove box, open it, it has this little fold-out hook. And then you can hang up to two kilos in there. So just a little grocery bag or a handbag. It’s a nice touch and I love it. So good quality of material nice finish. And one more quirk. No start-stop button. The car just gets the impression that you are in and you have the key and all you have to do is put it in drive. And then everything comes to life.
Read also: Volvo Cars debuts first over-the-air software update on XC40 Recharge
The instrument panel is bright and clear.
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
Volvo XC40 Recharge Powertrain: How To Drive It?
The heart of the Volvo XC40 Recharge is electric and comes with a single-motor drivetrain, which relies on a 79-kWh battery, from both axles, to develop a combined output of 405 bhp and 660 Nm of peak torque, driving all the wheels. Transfers power. Single speed transmission. Now, that’s enough to accelerate from a standstill to 100 kmph in 4.9 seconds which isn’t bad in the EV realm, as the Polestar 2 electric sedan is only 2 milliseconds faster. The XC40 Recharge is also quite sporty, but you don’t get different drive modes, instead there is only one off-road mode that you can go for if you want. But otherwise, you know you get a great response because it’s the electric instant torque of the part that you already know. And hence, it makes the drive really satisfying as it gives you tremendous sporty capability.
The Volvo XC40 Recharges to 100 kmph from a standstill in 4.9 seconds, and it’s super fast!
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
What’s more, you can go to the driving setting and make the steering feel a little tighter if you prefer. I certainly do. The other thing I’ve tried and done is switch to a pedal driving mode which is basically more brakes and energy recovery. So much regeneration, and you don’t have the three different modes that you have on some cars. There’s no pedal shift to adjust, as on the I-Pace, you just turn the single pedal and drive the single pedal which is a lot of fun and which is great because you keep getting a lot of juice back from the battery.
When you release the accelerator pedal or when the brake pedal is used the vehicle uses braking energy and regenerates the current in the battery.
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
Volvo XC40 Recharge Range: Should It Worry You?
And the range is a decent 400 odd kms, only if you keep a soft touch on the pedals. One thing that I found a little troubling is that here in the digital driving display on the cluster you quickly read the percentage of battery remaining, but you don’t get the driving range. And you know when you’re driving. This is something you want to keep an eye on.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge is equipped with a standard 11 kW onboard charger for Type 2 AC charging.
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
So it’s a little annoying, but the good thing is that you can go into the screen here in Range Assistant, and directly you get to see the rest of the range and so that’s reassuring. This is a good big number. It’s easy to read even when you’re driving.
Volvo XC40 Recharge Safety Features: Is It Tech-Loaded?
When we talk of Volvo it is almost impossible not to mention safety and usually in Volvo style the car is loaded to the gills with features worth every penny. Being the safety equipment of the Volvo Tonnes is all standard, they will only be an India spec one India variant and this means that it will all be loaded onto the car.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge is equipped with a new 9-inch Android-based touchscreen infotainment system.
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
You have a lot to talk about with Lane Keep Assist, you’ve got Steering Assist, you’ve also got Road Sign Recognition which is good. Because you get to see the low speed limit pop up on the digital instrument cluster. And you’ve also got collision warnings and active collision avoidance on board. So, it’s all a Volvo, shouldn’t be a surprise, right?
The fact that it’s one of the first electric products in a compact footprint gets us hopeful about the pricing equation.
photo credit: apoorva chaudhary
Volvo XC40 Recharge Verdict
Then on price. Well, that is yet to be announced, but the ballpark figure of ₹ 75 lakh (ex-showroom, India) is something we are expecting. Yes, it is a bit pricey but you know this will be the most affordable premium EV money can buy, and Volvo has definitely played their cards right!
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