Volvo has finally set its plans in place for the new XC40 Recharge. This upcoming model is a fully-electric vehicle based on the XC40 crossover. Test drives will soon begin and the car will be launched in India in July this year. Deliveries are expected to begin by October. We've already driven the car, and here are our first impressions. Well, here's its picture gallery following this video review.
The appearance and even in terms of design, the Volvo XC40 Recharge looks identical to the standard Volvo XC40 SUV with an almost identical silhouette.
Some of the common design elements include the overall shape, Thor-hammer LED headlights, quite similar body lines, and L-shaped tail lamps.
Still, the XC40 Recharge does have some unique elements to help this electric vehicle stand out. The most prominent one is the completely sealed front grille.
Then, there are a few 'Recharge' badges on the sides, and the crossover rides on a set of new 19-inch dual-tone alloy wheels.
Do note the upcoming Volvo XC40 Recharge will come in five different exterior shades. However, the one you see in these pictures will not make it to the cars that will go on sale in India.
Now, on to the powertrain front. The upcoming Volvo XC40 Recharge sports two electric motors, each powering respective axles. It's a proper all-wheel-drive SUV.
There's a single-speed automatic transmission and the afore-mentioned two electric motors together produce 402bhp of peak power and 660Nm of peak torque.
In terms of performance, the XC40 Recharge can put many fast cars to shame with a 0-100kmph sprint time of just 4.9 seconds. Still, the top speed is limited to 180kmph.
Now, claimed range for this powertrain is 418km on a single charge. We witnessed enough charge left on our drive, making us believe that it’ll cover 350km in real-world conditions without any hassle.
On the inside, the Recharge will sport new leather-free seats when it goes on sale. This material will slowly also move into other cars from Volvo's portfolio.
Feature-wise, it's packed to the brim with advanced electronic aids and boasts features like a huge portrait touchscreen infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Other features will include a 360-degree surround-view camera, multiple airbags, lane assist system, emergency braking assistance, electronic parking brake, and many more.
Lastly, this upcoming Volvo XC40 Recharge is a CBU model. So we expect this fully-electric SUV to demand more premium than the standard petrol derivative of the Volvo XC40.
