EV Special: Volvo Launches XC40 Recharge In SUV Segment. Check India Review
Price and bookings will start from July 2022 but the XC40 Recharge has no rivals at its expected price while the performance is addictive along with a good enough range.
Volvo XC40 Recharge: I still cannot quite believe an SUV goes this fast but it does show how electric cars are fast closing the gap in terms of performance amongst different body styles. Quite literally! Welcome to the Volvo XC40 Recharge and it is a new electric SUV that is coming to India in the next few months. Crucially it will be the most accessible luxury electric SUV to buy, since, at the moment, there is not a single EV luxury SUV below a crore. Hence, with the XC40 Recharge you get an SUV which will embarrass a sports car while having zero emissions. The electric world is surely an interesting place!
Volvo XC40 Recharge: Acceleration
No doubt that electric cars are fast but the XC40 Recharge somewhat has a rate of acceleration which would make owners think twice of putting their foot down! To put it into context, the SUV will rocket from 0-100 km/h in under 5 seconds and that's acceleration with no drama. The surge and the way the SUV moves with all wheel drive providing grip makes this a really quick car to do long journeys. We drove the XC40 Recharge to the beautiful Neemrana Fort to understand how electric cars behave under extreme heat (Delhi is reeling under a heat wave) and of course check out the real world range.
Volvo XC40 Recharge: Specifications
The specs of the XC40 Recharge are impressive with twin motors, all wheel drive and a total of 408bhp/660Nm. It has a 78kWh battery pack while the range officially is 417km (WLTP). While SUVs having a battery pack somewhat reduces some of their practicality in terms of lower ground clearance, it is not the case with the XC40 Recharge though. Coming out of Gurugram and tackling large speed breakers or broken roads posed no problems with the XC40 displaying having more than enough ground clearance. The compact size, light steering and the ease with which the XC40 Recharge drives is useful for everyday use. The XC40 Recharge is after all, a compact luxury SUV but its tall driving position and linear electric performance makes for a comfortable day to day car. It's also not complex with a button free cabin and it does not even get a start/stop button! Yes, just jump in and off you go!
Volvo XC40 Recharge: Features
You would be able to buy the XC40 Recharge with a leather free interior while the Google Android infotainment system integrated in the car makes for a better experience with Google Maps added in along with OTA updates. The XC40 Recharge also gets the usual luxury features as well including a terrific 360 degree view camera and a premium audio system.
Out on the highway, the earlier mentioned performance of the XC40 Recharge comes in handy with a mere flex of your right foot resulting in triple digit speeds. For so much power, the XC40 is composed and has good grip. We made rapid progress and reached Neemrana Fort very quickly. The narrow lanes and the massive speed breakers posed no problem with the XC40 Recharge though while the aircon managed to cool down the cabin quickly.
Volvo XC40 Recharge: Charging
In terms of range, it would be easy to get upwards of 300km with 330 km easily possible. We got 280-300km with stops in between to shoot and acceleration runs. EVs have typically less efficiency out on the highways while they thrive in the cities. With a typical everyday commute in the city, 330km plus is very much possible. With a fast DC charger it will charge upto 80 percent in just 40 minutes while with a fast AC charger, it will take 2-3 hours.
Volvo XC40 Recharge: Price
Price and bookings will start from July 2022 but the XC40 Recharge has no rivals at its expected price while the performance is addictive along with a good enough range. Overall, the compact size, luxury factor, performance and other things makes it an electric SUV that would be popular for Volvo India no doubt!
What we like- Quality, performance, range, driving experience
What we do not like- Would be considerably more expensive than petrol XC40
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