Volvo XC40 Recharge review: what the car critics say
This new family SUV has consistent breaks and a classy interior
Volvo launched the XC40 family SUV in 2017 in diesel and petrol only, and it won European Car of the Year the following year, said The Daily Telegraph. Now, diesel is no longer an option; the petrol engines are mild hybrids; and there is a plug-in PHEV and this new Pure Electric Version, which comes with a 66kWh battery and single electric motor (235bhp) or 79kWh battery and twin motors front and rear, with a combined 402bhp.
The four-wheel-drive twin motor version packs a big punch: 0-62mph takes just 4.7secs with a WLTP range of 334 miles, What Car? said. The single motor version takes 7.3secs and has a 290-mile range. Unusually for a premium electric SUV, there’s no adaptive suspension, but the XC40 is still comfortable, with a firm but smooth ride. Although it leans a fair bit through corners, it has lots of grip and consistent brakes.
The twin motor gets a faster charge rate of 200kW, so a 10%-80% charge takes just 28 minutes on a powerful charger, said Car Magazine. The interior is generally quite classy, but there are some plasticky materials lower down. The excellent Google-based infotainment system is operated via a 9in touchscreen or voice command. There’s Apple CarPlay, a DAB radio and wireless phone-charging. Price: from £46,505.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In pictures: Volvo XC40 Recharge
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wicked fails to defy gravity
Talking Point Film version of hit stage musical weighed down by 'sense of self-importance'
By Tess Foley-Cox Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 20, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - mountaineering, an even match, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Ed Park's 6 favorite works about self reflection and human connection
Feature The Pulitzer Prize finalist recommends works by Jason Rekulak, Gillian Linden, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 fantastic homes in Columbus, Ohio
Feature Featuring a 1915 redbrick Victorian in German Village and a modern farmhouse in Woodland Park
By The Week Staff Published
-
Drawing the Italian Renaissance: a 'relentlessly impressive' exhibition
The Week Recommends Show at the King's Gallery features an 'enormous cache' of works by the likes of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael
By The Week UK Published
-
Niall Williams shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The Irish novelist chooses works by Charles Dickens, Seamus Heaney and Wendell Berry
By The Week UK Published
-
Patriot: Alexei Navalny's memoir is as 'compelling as it is painful'
The Week Recommends The anti-corruption campaigner's harrowing book was published posthumously after his death in a remote Arctic prison
By The Week UK Published
-
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: a 'magical' show with 'an electrifying emotional charge'
The Week Recommends The 'vivacious' Fitzgerald adaptation has a 'shimmering, soaring' score
By The Week UK Published
-
Bird: Andrea Arnold's 'strange, beguiling and quietly moving' drama
The Week Recommends Barry Keoghan stars in 'fearless' film combining social and magical realism
By The Week UK Published
-
Kate Summerscale's 6 favorite true crime books about real murder cases
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Helen Garner, Gwen Adshead, and more
By The Week US Published