New Volvo C40 Recharge 2021 Review, Exterior, Interior

The addition of the #C40 to the Volvo line-up presents a puzzling conundrum. It’s a good electric car, but we’re not sure what more it offers over the #XC40 Recharge other than its styling, as its range advantage is negligible. For now, you can only buy the expensive Twin Pro model, too. Perhaps it will make more of a case for itself when the line-up expands to include cheaper variants. Volvo was the first mainstream manufacturer to commit to a fully electric future, when the brand made its headline grabbing pledge to phase out internal combustion power back in 2017. However, four years on from that grand announcement, we’re only just driving the brand’s first standalone electric model. The compact premium electric SUV sector is red hot at this moment, and the new #VolvoC40 arrives at a time of rich pickings for buyers of these sorts of cars. Notable rivals include the likes of the Audi Q4 e-tron, the Mercedes EQA and our 2021 Car of the Year, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The Volvo C40 uses the same platform as the XC40 - Volvo’s CMA architecture for smaller vehicles - and from launch the sole powertrain option is familiar too. It’s the 402bhp dual electric motor setup found in the fastest versions of the electric XC40 Recharge and the Polesar 2. The motor system is supported by a 78kWh battery pack (75kWh usable), while the 150kW DC charging tech enables an 80 per cent rapid charge in 40 minutes at a fast enough charging terminal. Perhaps none of these figures truly leap off the page. Partly because they’re all respectable, but not class leading specifications in what is a rapidly expanding market. But mainly, it’s because this landmark car - Volvo’s first model available only with electric power - is more of an amalgamation of the brand’s latest technologies, than a quantum leap forward for them. That’s being saved for next year, when the brand will launch the first of its next-generation EVs on the new SPA2 platform. Perhaps the familiarity of the C40 will be a welcome sight for some Volvo buyers going electric for the first time. But for many, the car will appear to be little more than a style driven alternative to the XC40 Recharge. Though there are plenty of surfacing and detailing changes, not to mention the swoopy new coupe profile, the footprint of the C40 means it occupies the same road space as its XC40 sibling. Its interior is extremely similar too, save for some trim changes. It’s available with the same dashboard inserts as the XC40, but the C40 introduces thin, backlit plastic veneers. volvo c40 recharge c40 recharge volvo c40 recharge price volvo xc40 2022 volvo c40 electric xc40 2022 c40 recharge price volvo c40 2022 c40 volvo 2021 2022 volvo c40 recharge 2022 volvo c40 c40 recharge volvo 2022 volvo xc40 recharge volvo c40 range volvo c40 recharge release date volvo c40 release date volvo 2022 xc40 new volvo c40 2021 volvo c40 electric price volvo c40 recharge review volvo c40 2021 price volvo xc40 recharge 2022 c40 electric volvo c40 recharge range volvo c40 ev 2022 volvo c40 recharge price volvo cars c40 c40 volvo recharge volvo c40 recharge cost 2021 volvo c40 volvo recharge c40 c40 2021 c40 recharge cost 2022 volvo xc40 release date volvo c40 recharge 2022 new xc40 2022 volvo electric c40 2022 xc40 recharge volvo c40 recharge 2021 c40 recharge review c40 recharge pure electric volvo c40 charge volvo xc40 coupé 2021 xc40 recharge 2022 volvo cars c40 recharge volvo ev 2022 test volvo c40 volvo xc40 recharge epa range new c40 volvo c40 recharge range new volvo c40 recharge c40 electric volvo volvo c40 new c40 recharge t8 xc40 volvo 2022 volvo recharge 2022 volvo c40 p8 2022 volvo c40 price volvo c40 recharge test c40 recharge release date electric volvo c40 volvo new c40 volvo 2022 suv c40 volvo electric volvo c40 recharge pure electric c40 range new c40 volvo c40 youtube 2021 volvo c40 recharge 2022 volvo electric 2022 volvo recharge c40 2022 2022 c40 recharge volvo 2022 cars volvo c40 release