2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge – First Drive
This Fully Electric Crossover is Brought to you by Sweden
If the roads aren’t crowded enough with crossovers already, here’s yet another one. It’s the XC40 Recharge. It’s fully electric, it’s practical, and it’s made by Volvo, the world’s safest automobiles. These are all things you probably already know. But what you probably didn’t know is it’s fast… really fast!
On the casual drive, you wouldn’t think of it much. The XC40 Recharge is smooth, it’s quiet and fairly comfortable and it’s even got an upright seating position with great overall visibility. That’s until you hit the throttle. For about $57,000, you have the power to command a whopping 402 horsepower via dual electric motors that not only produces neck pulling acceleration with immense traction. At 402 horsepower, you don’t often hear that number being thrown around a lot, yet someway, somehow, that exists in a casual 5-passenger family hauler…
And you know what else? It comes from the same country that makes your Ikea furniture. Sure, you’ve got the buttoned up serious German performers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes and the Japanese makers who like to do things the correct (aka: boring) way, but this, is Scandinavian. Straight contours, smooth lines and a compact cross-over form factor shows off its excellent proportions are all reasons to fall in love with its aesthetics. And check out these contemporary LED headlamps – the design is fit enough for Kim Kardashians bedroom chandelier.
As good as everything sounds so far, no car is flawless. The problem with electric vehicles is they cost a lot to produce. Car makers have to cut costs somehow, and that typically starts off with the interior. While the overall cabin is fairly bland, there are still some upscaled qualities to be had such as a panoramic sunroof, a crisp Harmon Kardon audio sound system, suede leather-like seats and the overall quality of construction isn’t too bad either.
One of the neat features of the XC40 Recharge is the media system’s got Google software built right in. Not only are you going to get the industry’s best navigation software (Google Maps), but you can do cool things with Google Voice such as turning on the seat heaters using voice commands.
Up front on the instrument dashboard also features a 12.8″ all-digital display that conveniently shows the navigation software in the center of the screen with a simple speedometer and power meter on the sides. While we appreciate the elegance of simplicity, it’s missing one critical bit of info we all desperately need to know at all times – EV range.
There also lies another problem… One of the first questions any EV buyer is going to ask is: what’s the range? Any Volvo salesperson is going to quake in their boots on that one because the XC40 Recharge’s only got 208 miles. While that’s still competitive against the Audi E-Tron and the Jaguar I-Pace, both offer more exotic features. The real problem lies with the leading contender Tesla Model Y that gets 300 miles on a single charge. That’s about 27% more on a single charge!
No, you probably don’t need that much power when the XC40 Recharge sits that high up off the ground, and things get a bit scary if you really try to corner hard.
Still, the dual-electric motors react in a snap that will please the majority of thrill seekers. And with the unique Scandinavian design, google built-in services and overall compact cross-over practicality, the XC40 Recharge can be a great fit looking for the above combination.
Specifications
- Vehicle : 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge
- Vehicle Type : Sub Compact Crossover
- Seating Capacity :2+3
- Engine : Dual Electric Motor, 402hp Combined
- Transmission : Direct Drive / CVT
- Price as tested: $57,000
Pros
- Unique Scandinavian Design
- Immense Horsepower and Acceleration
- Google-Built in Services adds a lot of convenience
- Practical compact cross-over form factor
Cons
- Expensive price tag
- Lackluster interior
- Low EV range compared to other competitors on the market