Volvo XC40 Recharge: Price, Detailed Analysis and Review

Volvo XC40 Recharge could be the EV that many have been waiting for with a small footprint, sports car specifications, and a long range.

Volvo, as big a company as it may be overseas, but in India, it rarely causes a stir. Certainly not as frequently as other high-end automakers. But when it does, it makes certain that it is in the spotlight. This time, the Swedish automaker is embarking on an electric revolution, with the goal of converting half of its portfolio to electric vehicles by 2025. The Volvo XC40 is the first to be electrified. Yes! The quirky-looking compact SUV from the Scandinavian company has gone electric and arrived in India at a time when the EV trend is just getting started. Volvo is offering the XC40 Recharge in P8 form, which is a single variant offering that includes everything Volvo is known for. The XC40 Recharge is an electric vehicle, but it looks almost identical to the gasoline and diesel versions. As a result, we spent a day with the Volvo XC40 Recharge to see how it performed.

Volvo XC40 Recharge Exterior Design

The Volvo XC40 has always been a hot car, as evidenced by its numerous design awards. Volvo, on the other hand, has taken a huge step forward with the XC40 Recharge, and we love it! The traditional vertical stack taillight and pretty much everything else about the styling screams Volvo. The XC40 only has the Recharge badge etched on the side of the two-tone roofline and the badge on the back that really gives it away. Of course, there's no grille up front, but otherwise, the styling is identical to the XC40. That's a good thing in the Indian context because you want this car to look good. That was always taken care of by the XC40. The fact that this is one of the first electric products with a small footprint gives me hope for the pricing equation.

Volvo XC40 Recharge Cabin

The Volvo XC40 Recharge has one of the best and most spacious interiors in the segment. It has high-quality upholstery materials and is also environmentally friendly because the materials are partially recycled! Like its ICE counterpart, the XC40 Recharge has a very appealing cabin design that is very modern, very urban, and very young. The design is excellent. There's a lot to talk about here, but that's for another time. What's nice is that the India specification will also adhere to the overall sustainability principle. So you've got your standard XC40 door fabric liner made of recycled ocean plastic. That's a nice touch.

The India spec will also lack leather throughout the cabin, which is nice in the premium segment, and I think taking that stance is wise. There are a few other quirks that are very typical of Volvo, such as the glove box, which has this little fold-out hook. You can then hang up to two Kgs there. So a small grocery bag or a handbag will suffice. That's a nice touch, and I appreciate it. So good material quality and finish. Another oddity. There is no start/stop button. The car simply detects that you have the key and that all you need to do is put it in Drive. Everything comes to life at that point.

Volvo XC40 Recharge Performance

The Volvo XC40 Recharge's heart's electric, with a single motor drivetrain relying on a 79-kWh battery to generate 405 bhp and 660 Nm of peak torque from both axles, transferring power to all wheels via a single-speed transmission. Now, this is good enough to accelerate from a standstill to 100 kmph in 4.9 seconds, which is not bad in the EV realm, considering its electric sibling, the Polestar 2 electric sedan, is only 2 milliseconds faster, but is also on par with its closest rival, the Jaguar I-Pace.

The XC40 Recharge is also quite sporty, but it lacks different drive modes, instead opting for an off-road mode if desired. But, aside from that, you already know you get a great response because it's electric instant torque. As a result, it enhances the driving experience by providing a tremendous amount of sporty capability. In short, the Volvo XC40 Recharge accelerates quickly, with no lag, and delivers all of its torque instantly. What are the benefits of being an EV?

Furthermore, you can go into the driving settings and make the steering feel a little stiffer if you like that. I most emphatically do. Another thing I did was switch to one-pedal driving mode, which is basically more braking and energy recuperation. So there's more regen, and you don't have the three modes that some cars have. There is no paddle shift to adjust like on the I-pace; you simply turn on the single pedal and drive the single pedal, which is a lot of fun and great because you keep getting a lot of juice back into the battery.

Volvo XC40 Recharge Range

And the range is around 400 km if you keep a light touch on the pedal. One minor annoyance is that in the digital driving display here on the cluster, you can quickly read out the percentage of battery remaining, but not the driving range. And you're aware when you're driving. That's what you'll want to keep an eye on.That's a little annoying, but the good news is that you can go into the range assistant screen and immediately see the remaining range, which is reassuring. It's a nice big figure. It's simple to read, even while driving.

Volvo XC40 Recharge Safety Features

It's almost impossible not to mention safety when discussing a Volvo, and the car is loaded to the gills with features that are well worth the money. Because it is a Volvo, tonnes of safety equipment is standard, and there will only be one India spec and one India variant, which means that everything will be loaded onto the car.

You have a lot to talk about with the Lane Keep Assist, steering assist, and even road sign recognition, which is nice. Because you can see the speed limit displayed on the digital instrument cluster. You also have collision warning and active collision avoidance. So the fact that it's a Volvo shouldn't come as a surprise, right?

Volvo XC40 Recharge Verdict

Now for the price. That has yet to be announced, but we anticipate a price of around Rs. 75 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Yes, it's a bit pricey, but it'll be the most affordable premium EV money can buy, and Volvo has certainly played its cards right!