The Swedish giant Volvo has unveiled its second-ever all-electric vehicle, the C40 Recharge. Essentially, the C40 Recharge is the coupe version of the XC40 Recharge. Interestingly, the XC40 is also available as an internal combustion engine propelled vehicle gulping petrol. As for the C40 Recharge, it is exclusively an EV and according to Volvo, showcases their plans and ambitions about the greener future going forward.
Looks
Talking about the design and the exterior design, it seems like a well put together vehicle in 4430mm of length and is quite wide at around 2040mm, which not surprisingly, is the same as the XC40. The C40 Recharge is shorter in terms of height at around 1580mm and quite naturally, the headroom at the rear is a bit tight due to that sloping roofline.
Upfront, it gets a very EV-ish design that is minimal, no-nonsense and will definitely appeal to quite a lot of folks. The headlights are very Volvoesque as well, featuring an element quite resembling Thor’s hammer. There ain’t a proper grille as such and the design is quite simplistic yet equally modern and futuristic. You wouldn’t mind looking at this machine for quite a few years.
When you view it from the sides, the coupe style is hugely evident. The roofline and the design flow smoothly through the sides and the roofline neatly slopes down at the rear. The alloys are a 5-spoke unit and are reminiscent of the ones of the Tata Nexon. From the rear, it’s not at all easy to figure out that it is a coupe SUV. It features a very upright rear and a spoiler is neatly further at the rear, which increases the difficulty of figuring out that the C40 is a coupe SUV. You get signature Volvo taillights at the rear and the rear as well looks quite minimal overall and hence is quite a people pleaser
Official statement
Henrik Green, chief technology officer at Volvo Cars, said: “The C40 Recharge represents the future of Volvo and shows where we are going. “It is fully electric, offered online only with a convenient care package and will be available for quick delivery. Getting a new Volvo was never this attractive.”
Interiors
On the inside, it looks like a Volvo for sure, featuring a large touch infotainment system jointly developed by Google which hosts a few Google apps hence like the Maps, Assistant and play store services. The dash is also neatly laid out and the texture on it looks novel and lovely.
The C40 also gets a twin-motor setup, with one electric motor on each axle, powered by a 78 kWh battery pack. The peak output is rated at 408 HP and 660 Nm, and the driving range is rated at 418 km. The battery will support 150 kW DC fast charging, which will allow it to charge up to 80 per cent in around 40 minutes.
Volvo will offer minimal trim levels and will allow users to buy this car online as well. The prices aren’t announced yet but the first batch of deliveries should be out before the year-end.