Volvo XC40 Recharge, a refreshing new pure electric SUV now available in India

Volvo is the latest luxury carmaker in India to venture into the electric vehicle (EV) segment after it rolled out its first fully electric model in the form of the XC40 Recharge. Priced at Rs 55.90 lakh (ex-showroom), the new electric SUV will be available in a single, fully-loaded Recharge Pro trim.

XC40 Recharge will also hold the distinction of being the first locally assembled luxury EV in India.

Interested customers can place orders for the electric crossover from July 27 onwards exclusively on Volvo's official website for a token amount of Rs 50,000.

The company offers five exterior colour options for XC40 Recharge, including Black Stone, Glacier Silver, Denim Blue, Fusion Red, and Crystal White.

In March last year, the Swedish carmaker announced the launch of XC40 Recharge and deliveries of the SUV were expected to commence from October 2021. However, the launch was delayed, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Exterior design

XC40 Recharge looks almost identical to the gasoline-powered XC40 barring a few subtle cosmetic tweaks. The most prominent difference between the two models is a sealed-off nose with a small inlet in the fully electric SUV as compared to a conventional mesh-like grille in the regular XC40. The LED headlight clusters remain the same although they feature an updated ‘Thor’s Hammer’ DRL.

The side profile of XC40 Recharge is dominated by sharp creases and flared wheel arches, with black plastic claddings filled up by 19-inch dual-tone diamond-cut alloy wheels.

The rear end of XC40 Recharge is identical to its IC engine-powered sibling with signature highlights, including vertically stacked L-shaped LED taillamps, and Volvo lettering on the tailgate.

Interiors and features

The inside of the electric crossover’s cabin wears a familiar look to other Volvo models with a minimalist design. The carmaker offers an all-black cabin finished with recycled materials, including seat fabric and carpet upholstery.

The dashboard gets a floating effect with a vertically-oriented 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display taking centre stage.

Like most offerings from luxury carmakers, XC40 Recharge is thick in its equipment including features like an Android-based OS in the infotainment system, a 12-inch fully-digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, tyre pressure monitoring system, a 13-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, and air purifier.

The Android-based infotainment unit comes with ‘Volvo On Call’ in-car connected technology with scheduled Over-the-Air (OTA) updates.

Other creature comforts include a panoramic sunroof, powered front seats with memory function, wireless mobile phone charging, etc.

On the safety front, XC40 Recharge is equipped with features like multiple airbags, a 360-degree camera, and an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) with Level 2 autonomous driving capability. The ADAS suite in the electric SUV comprises features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot detection, and lane mitigation.

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Powertrain specs

Powering the XC40 Recharge is one electric motor mounted on each axle producing a combined peak output of 408 hp and 660 Nm of torque.

The dual motor setup offers all-wheel drive capabilities and derives its energy from a 78kWh lithium-ion battery capable of delivering a claimed range of 418 km on a full charge.

With the help of a 50kW fast charger, the battery could be charged from zero to 100% within 2.5 hours. On using a 150kW DC fast charging, the battery could be juiced up from 10-80% in just 33 minutes.

Volvo also offers an 11kW wall-box charger as standard with a warranty of eight years for the battery. The company offers a three-year warranty on the car.

As for performance, XC40 Recharge claims a 0-100 kmph acceleration time of just 4.9 seconds with a top speed capped at 180 kmph. However, the electric SUV is 400kg heavier than its petrol-powered sibling, weighing 2,188kg.

Unlike other premium electric cars, Volvo isn’t offering multiple drive modes with XC40 Recharge, but it has options to control the steering feedback.