Jonathan Gitlin
GHENT, BELGIUM—Volvo built a rather good little crossover in the form of the XC40. It got even better when the Swedish automaker swapped out the internal combustion engine stuff for an electric powertrain. Now, Volvo has a new variant that combines those same battery-electric mechanicals with a slightly more stylish, very slightly more aero-efficient shape—the Volvo C40 Recharge.
This being a modern Volvo, you can also expect a Scandinavian-chic interior and Volvo’s reassuring approach to safety. Google’s voice assistant is onboard, too, thanks to the Android Automotive infotainment system. But it’s not the most efficient electric vehicle on sale today, and the C40 Recharge commands a high price for its new looks.
Jonathan Gitlin
If the idea of a slighty less practical, slightly more stylish Volvo seems odd at first, don’t be alarmed. Every so often the designers are allowed to run wild in Gothenburg, and the C40 Recharge is the latest evidence of that, joining other oddballs like the 480 and C30.
The design is a subtle refinement of the already extant XC40. There are tweaks to the nose below the “Thor’s hammer” headlights, but the most noticeable changes are the steeper rake to the windshield and the plunging roofline behind the C pillar.
According to Volvo’s press materials, the C40 and XC40 even share the same drag coefficient and frontal area (0.329 and 2.56 m3, respectively). I’m surprised if that’s the case given that the C40’s lower roofline makes for a car that’s 2.8 inches (71 mm) shorter than the XC40 Recharge, but the fact remains that the shape is much draggier than many other EVs.
Jonathan Gitlin
Not that it’s a chore for the 402-hp (300 kW) twin-motor powertrain to move the C40 Recharge. In fact, it’s the car’s 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque that you really notice, which gets the small Volvo moving even with modest throttle inputs. The automaker quotes a 0-60 mph (98 km/h) time of 4.5 seconds, which doesn’t quite make this the quickest-accelerating Volvo of all time, but it’s not very far off. Top speed is limited to 112 mph (180 km/h).
(And yes, for once this is a case of a twin-motor EV where the combined output is equal to the sum of both motors, which provide 201 hp/150 kW and 243 lb-ft/330 Nm each.)