LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_volvoc40recharge_2022

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 100

Volvo knows it needs more SUVs. It seeks a more youthful audience. And it has to have more electric models. Back in 2022, this C40 Recharge delivered all three in one package and showed clearly the direction the brand was heading in the future. There's a base front-driven model. And a state-of-the-art fully-electric all-wheel-drive powertrain that offers a WLTP-rated range of 274 miles on a single charge and an output of 408hp. The drawback either way from new was premium pricing but otherwise, a lot of boxes seem to have been ticked here. It could make a decent used buy.

Modelsword count: 3

5dr SUV (EV)

Historyword count: 312

Given that Volvo's been making overt noises about full electrification for what seems like decades, it's something of a surprise to realise that this C40 Recharge EV in 2022 introduced the company's very first exclusively electric model line. The C40 borrowed everything that matters from Volvo's very first all-electric model, the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric. But clothed that powertrain with more unique styling and a swept-back coupe-style silhouette. Think of the two models as something akin to what Audi offered in this segment with its Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron SUVs and you'll be somewhere close to what the Swedish maker was trying to do here. Like the XC40 Recharge, the C40 was sold primarily online. And, as with that car (and the last design of this sort that Volvo made, the C30 sold between 2006 and 2013), it rolled down the production lines of Volvo's Belgium factory in Ghent, which by 2021 was gradually transitioning away from producing combustion models. This C40 was itself a transitional car, its CMA platform inevitably slightly compromised by the need to take the combustion engines its cousin the XC40 still offered. But it was an important stepping stone into the bespoke-designed all-electric future that Volvo had planned. And it offered some interesting touches of design that aimed to set it apart in the increasingly over-crowded premium mid-sized EV crossover segment. In Spring 2023, the C40 was fundamentally re-engineered as part of an update that saw some really far-reaching changes; a switch from front to rear-wheel drive for the base 'Single Motor' version; and different front and rear e-motors for the 'Twin Motor' version. Plus faster charging times and higher EV driving range figures across the line-up. The C40 Recharge continued in this form until Spring 2024, when it was re-badged as the 'EC40'. It's the 2022-2023-era C40 Recharge models that we look at here.

What You Getword count: 638

Sometimes it's refreshing to upset an ordered plan. Volvo's route to full-electrification was supposed to be based on full-electric versions of the XC40 combustion models, paving the way to the all-new SPA2-platform EVs that will complete the company's switch to a full-battery range by 2030. But then, one day, a young stylist in T. Jon Mayer's Exterior Design team, Yury Zamkavenka, spontaneously jotted down a sketch of a shape that might widen the XC40 Pure Electric model's appeal. And the C40 Recharge was born. As the 'C'-designated model badge suggests, it's coupe-like, but Volvo prefers to suggest that this letter stands for 'crossover'. Which is probably accurate, this model's squat muscularity emphasised by its tall rear deck and big wheels that sit in black plastic-clad arches. Obviously the major way this car differs from the XC40 is with its roof line, which here slopes 69mm lower. Total length is 6mm shorter than that car too, but the width and wheelbase dimensions are identical. The cabin design was carried over without much revision from the XC40, which inevitably means that on a car potentially costing well over 50% more than the entry-level combustion version of one of those, there are trim elements that feel somewhat out of place at this price point. Volvo did its best to lift things - notably with the striated plastic trimming panels you get with top-level trim, which illuminate translucently at night. The decor that surrounds you is vegan-based - and sustainably-sourced wherever possible, notably in terms of the upholstery and the carpeting. What wasn't sustainable for a modern day EV Volvo was the brand's old Sensus infotainment system for the 9-inch Centre Console Portrait Touch Screen, so that was replaced with a much improved Android infotainment set-up, which includes worldwide navigation to Google Maps, advanced voice recognition by Google Assistant and access to the Google Play Store for a range of in-car apps. The other screen you'll be using is the 12.3-inch 'Progressive Driver Display' you view through the pleasingly chunky three-spoke wheel; you view a speed meter on the left and an EV drive meter on the right. What else? Well over-the-shoulder vision is slightly restricted, but that's alleviated by a rear camera and all-round sensors. As for cabin practicality, well there are plenty of stowage receptacles, plus some nice touches like a lift-out centre bin - and a hook that folds out of the glovebox for handbags or take-aways. In the rear, it's not too bad once you're in, though taller folk will inevitably find their heads brushing the ceiling. Ah yes, the ceiling. It's mainly glass. Which is just as well because otherwise this rear part of the cabin really would feel dark and pokey thanks to that huge D-pillar blind spot we mentioned. It's disappointing that an Electric vehicle with no need for a transmission tunnel nevertheless has one that's so big that it's almost impossible for an adult to sit in the centre at the back. The standard powered tailgate rises to reveal 413-litres of luggage space. That's 39-litres less than you'd get in a comparable XC40 Pure Electric from this period, but 49-litres more than you'd get from a comparable (and near-identically-engineered) Polestar 2. You can fit 853-litres of luggage into a C40 if you load to the roof. If you need more room, then a ski-hatch is provided for longer items. Which is some compensation for the fact that you can't have the useful 40:20:40 rear seatback split that some rivals offer. Fold the rear bench forward and up to 853-litres of total capacity is revealed - or up to 1,205-litres if you load to the roof. Because no engine is needed beneath the clamshell bonnet, Volvo has used the space to create a 'frunk', a 31-litre space that's perfect for the two provided charge leads.

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