But what about driving modes? In 2021, even some dirt bikes have different driving profiles (Sport, Rain, Eco, and so on) that the rider can select, so why didn’t the C40 receive this technology? “We could have added [a sport mode], but we don’t need it. It’s sporty enough for the brand, and a sport mode would make it too complicated. We want to keep it simple for the customer,” Engström replied. This sums up the C40 stunningly well: sporty enough for Volvo, which does not aspire to rule the Nürburgring in the foreseeable future, and imbued with Scandinavian simplicity. It doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t.
My time behind the wheel was too short to accurately measure real-world range or put the charging times Volvo provided to the test. The EPA hasn’t gotten its hands on the C40 yet, but I’m told to expect an official driving range rating in the vicinity of 225 miles, which is not awful but not stellar. For context, the XC40 Recharge is rated at 223 miles and an all-wheel-drive XC40 with a turbocharged four-cylinder goes 355 miles on a tank. But while Volvo has not manifested an interest in paying for your gasoline, it will give C40 buyers 250 kWh of free charging on the Volkswagen-operated Electrify America network. In theory, the battery pack can be fast-charged from 10 percent to 80 percent of its capacity in 37 minutes—assuming you have access to a 150-kW charger and the battery’s temperature is in the right zone.
The Niche That Points the Way Forward
Built in Ghent, Belgium, and sold exclusively online, the Volvo C40 Recharge will reach showrooms across the United States in time for the 2022 model year. Pricing starts at $59,845, including the mandatory destination charge, plus any and all available incentives that enter the equation. Even with federal help factored in, the C40 costs more than an entry-level XC90. Expensive? You bet, but the members of Volvo’s target audience (remember: folks “who want to be seen”) have reliably proven that they’re more than willing to pay a premium for style—even if it comes at the expense of practicality.