Yahoo Autos 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge First Drive Review: EV SUV is petite, potent and unpretentious
After years of polishing its plug-in hybrid powertrains, Volvo is jumping into the electric vehicle space with both feet. But rather than trying to make an immense splash in the deep end, Volvo elected to start with its entry-level vehicles – the 2023 XC40 Recharge and its mechanical twin, the C40. Fear not. While they may be small, they are charmingly mighty.
Volvo was so eager for us to sample the XC40 Recharge that it actually loaned us a 2022 model for the purpose of this writeup after announcing its planned updates for 2023 XC40 lineup. The changes are of virtually no consequence in the context of this review, as most of them serve to catch the standard XC40 up to the Recharge model, which was already equipped with Volvo’s latest goodies, including Google’s new Android Automotive infotainment suite. There are some aesthetic updates (ooooooh, new fog light trim!) but nothing truly noteworthy.
While the XC40 is meant to appeal to a more crossover-minded buyer, it and the C40 are virtually identical. While Volvo offers pared-down versions of its EV powertrain in other markets, America gets only the “Twin” variants of each, named thusly for their pair of electric motors. Nope, no bargain-priced FWD-only models here. From the $54,645 (destination included) base model on up, you get 402 horsepower, 486 pound-feet of torque and all-wheel drive.
It being a Volvo, everything inside is a little bit different (perhaps just for the sake of being so) but without being Saab levels of weird. Take the time-tested process of turning the car on, for example. There isn’t a key nor start button; Volvo’s electrics are just on by default. If you’re in the car and the key is present, you’re live. Put it in whatever gear you like and set off on your way. When you’re done, put it in park, get out, lock the door and, should you need to or want to, plug it in.
While that may seem superficially unconventional, it’s fundamentally a very Volvo thing to do. There are those who choose to believe that Tesla deserves credit for normalizing minimalism in car interiors. That’s a neat theory, but Volvo’s been doing it better for longer — and not as a disguise for being cheap. Eliminating the on/off switch seems very on-brand for a company whose cabins have long resembled that one section of the Ikea maze where the college kids can’t even afford to window shop.
If anything, the XC40 Recharge and the C40 both lean a little too far in that direction. The two are virtually indistinguishable from the inside, which is neither here nor there, but frankly it would be nice to see a bit more of the subtle flex Volvo has traditionally displayed in its cabin materials and design. The electrics come off a bit underspecified and barren by comparison. The standard XC40 gets a pass at $38,000; north of $50,000, not so much.
Underway, the XC40 prompts flashbacks to Autoblog’s now-departed long-term S60. Newer examples of the T8-powered model are now marketed under Volvo’s electric “Recharge” sub-brand (a nod to the fact that virtually anything with a plug qualifies as an electric car for the purposes of most world government regulations) and for better or for worse, the association is more than nominal. Both offer crisp, urgent acceleration; comfortable, well-isolated cabins; and competent but not particularly aggressive handling — more on that later. The big difference is that there’s no coarse, twice-force-inducted four-cylinder under the XC40’s hood threatening the serenity of your cruise; just two mighty powerful electric motors.
