Road test: Volvo C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge

• VOLVO C40 RECHARGE PLUS P6 and XC40 RECHARGE ULTIMATE P8
• Base price: $87,900 and $99,900
• Powertrain and economy: (C40 P6) Single front-mounted motor, 170kW/330Nm, 69kWh battery, FWD combined claimed economy 19.3kWh/100km. (XC40 P8) Dual-motor, 300kW/600Nm, 78kWh battery, AWD, combined claimed economy 23.8kWh/100km.
• Vital statistics: 4400mm long, 2034mm wide, height 1647mm (XC40) and 1591mm (C40), 2702mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 419L (XC40) and 405L (C40).
• Safety: 5 stars (Source: ANCAP)
• We like: Still looks sharp, dual-motor is outrageously quick
• We don’t like: Nothing qualifies for Clean Car rebate, ageing cabin

Given Volvo’s outspoken support for electrification, it’s kind of surprising that they haven’t offered a pure EV in New Zealand until now.

The brand’s first dedicated plug-in is a biggie; a plug-in version of its most popular model, the XC40 Recharge. And, because it’s the in Vogue thing to do these days they’ve released a coupe version, too, called the C40 Recharge. We recently checked them both out to see where they fit in the increasingly busy sub-$100,000 EV space.

OUTSIDE

The XC40 has been around for quite some time now in its traditional combustion form, but its exterior styling has aged gracefully.

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The ‘tough little robot’ aesthetic is as handsome as ever, with the only change brought about by the EV variant being the new filled-in grille. A shout-out to Sage Green, too – one of the most pleasant press vehicle colour picks I’ve seen in ages.

Obviously, there’s more to talk about with the C40. Being a coupe-shaped SUV, it does away with the XC40’s squared-off rear end in favour of a 56mm trim to its height and a sloping roofline that culminates in a neat little rear spoiler.

It’s one of those cars that I’d recommend seeing in the metal before forming an opinion. I found there were angles where the C40’s tail was tough to like, and other angles where it looked stellar. The all-important side-on silhouette view was, thankfully, part of the latter.

INSIDE

The two Recharges we drove weren’t just separated by body shape. They were also two different specs; the C40 being the entry-level P6 Plus grade and the XC40 being the dual-motor P8 Ultimate. This is the one scenario where the C40 costs less than the XC40. Ordinarily the coupe comes at a $2000 premium.

There’s not too much to split the pair when you think about it when it comes to toys and luxuries, with the P8’s main scalps being Harman Kardon audio, ‘Microtech Vinyl’ (Volvo’s vegan substitute for leather), a 360-degree camera, park assist with automatic steering inputs, and more elaborate ambient lighting.

I wouldn’t ordinarily give a rats about ambient lighting, but admittedly it contains the P8’s coolest interior party trick.

Included in the lighting upgrade is a topographical pattern featured on the passenger side that lights up at night. The sections lit up differently, presumably through the use of varying thicknesses of plastic. It’s quite striking, especially at night.

The P6 doesn’t go empty handed. It gets a neat annotated map of Gothenburg instead.

The splash of character on the dash is a bit of rare flavouring in a cabin space that can otherwise feel a little dated. I understand that this is Volvo, a brand that is often proudly understated. But ‘minimalist’ doesn’t have to feel last-gen – just look at the upcoming Volvo EX90.

It probably doesn’t help that I recently spent a week enjoying the much more modern cabin of the Polestar 2. The Polestar is a different car (ie, not an SUV), but comparisons are inevitable when the two models share the same platform and are priced in the same window.

The fairly tall seating position coupled with the C40 and XC40’s relatively flat and square bonnet makes it easy to position with precision. Space in the second row is adequate, and the same goes for the boot.

As you would expect, the C40 trades away a small chunk of practicality (14 litres of it, to be precise) in exchange for its coupe looks. Both boot spaces are a touch smaller than that of the petrol XC40, thanks to a floor that’s been raised to presumably help accommodate EV hardware.

UNDER THE BONNET

Psych! You won’t actually find much under the bonnet apart from a handy 31 litre carpeted ‘frunk’ and a washer fluid reservoir.

Let’s start with the C40. Its single-motor, front-wheel drive P6 Plus powertrain makes 170kW and 330Nm. Volvo claims it can accelerate to 100kph in 7.4 seconds – a second quicker to the mark than the petrol XC40, and perfectly adequate performance for anyone shopping in this segment.

The P8 Ultimate powertrain in the XC40 is another beast entirely. Utilising dual motors, its 300kW and 600Nm of output is sent to all four wheels in jarring, almost jaw-dropping fashion.

Volvo claims a 0–100kph time of 4.9 seconds, but the P8 feels quicker than that somehow. Perhaps in part because it simply doesn’t look like the kind of car capable of beating a Mitsubishi Evo or HSV Clubsport to 100.

The duo come with a 69kWh battery (C40 P6) and 78kWh battery (XC40 P8) respectively. Funnily enough WLTP testing gives both of these models specifically an identical combined range rating of up to 438km – the larger battery’s size countered by the added motor and the XC40’s weight.

The big-battery C40 P8 is good for an added 11km of range thanks to its sleeker body style and lesser weight.

ON THE ROAD

It doesn’t matter which Volvo you’re in, both feel massively competent and refined when out on the road. Commuting is almost completely silent whether you’re trundling slowly through town or cruising at 100kph on a chipseal highway. They even ride reasonably well – a typical weakness I find with premium crossover fare.

This is motoring at its most calming and most relaxing … until the next time you stab the throttle in the P8, I suppose. Or unless you’re not a fan of single-pedal driving. The regenerative braking system in both Volvos is quite aggressive – although it can just as easily be deactivated if it’s not your thing.

While you’re unlikely to get the 438km written on the tin, on our figures 350km of range per charge is a realistic target, and getting close to 400km isn’t out of the question depending on where you’re going.

VERDICT

Volvo’s first EV effort is just as you might expect it to be – a clinical, hard to fault, and ultimately quite charming. The lack of an option that qualifies for the Clean Car Discount is a point against both models, especially when its distant Polestar 2 cousin does qualify.

But the Polestar isn’t really an SUV, and these most definitely are. And if the market is anything to go by, that matters.