My Volvo C40 Recharge showed up in a striking white color they call Cloud Blue (it features way more white than blue), and I admired how clean it looked. It also flaunts an environmentally clean Polestar-engineered powertrain. The interior has a large LCD instrument cluster with a portrait-mounted infotainment screen, but with just enough buttons and dials to make everything easy to operate. Sometimes the learning curve for an electric vehicle can be daunting. But the C40 Recharge is easy to operate in a dare I say sexy package. Combined with Volvo’s superlative safety record, the C40 Recharge should be on your list if you’re shopping for an electric car.
Pretty Design
As a cross between a CUV and a car, the C40 Recharge is reminiscent of one of the Mercedes or BMW crossover coupes.
Robin Page, head of design at Volvo, notes, “The C40 is a car that symbolizes electrification and delivers on it. It has the personality of the XC40, which proved to be attractive to many, but it’s dialed up even more through its dynamic expression and sleek profile. It’s an attractive product for people who are looking for the easy-to-live-with aspects of an SUV with more of a modern statement.” By the way, the color shown in these images is called Fjord Blue.
One Volvo designer says, “One of my favorite views of the car is the rear seven-eighths, which gives you a view of the side and the coupe line profile. You see the SUV elements as it sits on these really big wheels, and it’s this tough little character but with a very sleek approach to the roof. It’s built upon the solidity of the XC40, but in a more dynamic way. These combinations give it a totally different expression, while still carrying on our [Volvo] DNA.”
About the only drawback to the design is that the hatch area is not immense. But you do get a frunk for storing odds and ends. My tester’s interior featured tailored wool blend seating surfaces that are a refreshing change from vegan leathers, and thick carpeting up the door panels that looked like it could belong on a subwoofer enclosure. Instead of wood inlays, there are inserts that look like mountains. During the day it looks a little plasticky, but at night the mountain range illuminates! It’s a replication of Sweden’s Abisko National Park!
To generate that image, Rekha Meena, Volvo senior design manager of color and material, says, “We traced the topography of the park and used the contours to create an abstract digitalized design with a layered pattern. When the light from LED lamps comes through across the surface, it creates this really nice, atmospheric three-dimensional effect.”
Google It!
Even though I’m an avid iPhone user, I prefer Google Maps and Google Assistant to get where I’m going and make things happen. Perhaps that’s why I liked the C40’s infotainment system so much. The C40 Recharge comes with one of the best infotainment systems on the market, jointly developed with Google and based on the Android operating system. Drivers get Google apps and services built-in, such as Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play Store. The deal with Google gives the vehicle a WiFi hotspot, and the unlimited data plan enables superior connectivity. This also will help the C40 Recharge to receive software updates over the air. That means it will continue to improve over time after it has left the factory.
One Motor Simplicity
Usually, my test vehicles will be fully loaded with the biggest powertrain option. My C40 tester used the single-motor unit, as opposed to the dual-motor model that adds all-wheel drive. During my summer-month test, the deletion of the other drive unit didn’t affect drivability. Flooring the accelerator made the Volvo take off with all the thrust necessary for having a blast without lighting up the rear tires. Theoretically, this should also add to the range. I consistently saw 300 miles on the display after topping off, and after some long trips, that seems reasonable. Volvo says the 78kWh battery pack can be fast-charged to 80 percent in about 40 minutes.
Harman Sounds
The C40 sound system from Harman Kardon features 600 watts of power, with 12 speakers and a dedicated subwoofer. The system is pretty good but starts to break apart at higher volume levels. That usually means the engineers were looking to save energy. An aftermarket audio specialist can help deliver some extra power without sacrificing much battery reserve.
Overall, the C40 Recharge is a great-looking, great-handling, futuristic yet uncomplicated electric vehicle. It looks good on both the exterior and interior. With around 300 miles of range from my rear-wheel-drive model, it will fit the needs of most consumers. Those in snowy climates can look to a dual-motor setup. Uncomplicated and uncluttered — it fits the definition of clean!
