Ever since its arrival, the Volvo XC40 has been nothing short of a stellar product. Before the arrival of the XC40, its entry-level SUV in the Indian market, Volvo has held strong with the likes of the bigger XC60 and XC90 proving that its vehicles not only are the safest around, but also the most sophisticated ones in the segment.
The Volvo XC40, when it used to come in three variants powered by a diesel engine, used to be the people’s choice in this segment thanks to the long list of electronic aids and safety features second to none in the entry-level luxury SUV space. Of course, the diesel engine, too, used to be very punchy and even enthusiasts were quite delighted by the nature of that engine.
However, as soon as the BS-VI came in force, Volvo cars introduced a relatively affordable but petrol-powered version of the Volvo XC40, which, even though it had cleaner inhabitations, wasn’t as fun from behind the wheel as its diesel derivative. Besides that, the availability of just one mid-spec variant meant there were some features the Volvo XC40 had lost in the transition.
To spruce up the sales of its now petrol-powered SUV, the Swedish carmaker rolled out its ‘Freedom from Hassle’ campaign, which gave XC40 customers a Rs 3 lakh discount on the car, along with free accessories worth Rs 1 lakh back in August.
Well, that sums up about the combustion-powered XC40. In October last year, the Sweden-based manufacturer pulled the wraps off its first-ever fully-electric vehicle, dubbed as the XC40 Recharge P8. It is, as the name rightly suggests, based on the standard Volvo XC40, but it does get a handful of changes to separate itself from its petrol-powered sibling.
But the good news here is that the Sweden-based carmaker has officially confirmed that the Volvo XC40 Recharge EV is coming in India, and that, too, as early as 2021. It is expected to make its way in the Indian market following the introduction of the new-gen S60 sedan.
So, what differentiates this from the standard XC40 we have on sale here? Well, on a first glance, one would definitely mistake this for the standard model as they both look largely the same. However, a second glance brings into notice that there are a few unique aesthetic modifications like the EV gets a new sealed grille instead of the traditional one with ‘Recharge’ badging. However, the charging port of the car seems to have been located in place of the fuel filler from the standard model. It is still based on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which is a given. And apart from the grille change, there’s nothing else new on the exterior front.
Moving to the interiors, here, too, the changes are as subtle as we’ve found on the exteriors. The only big change inside the EV is a new driver’s display with an EV-specific user interface along with the inclusion of a new infotainment system powered by Google’s Android operating system, which comes with certain Google application pre-loaded like Google Assistant, Google Maps & the Google Play Store. On top of that, the new system also gets OTA (Over-The-Air) updates functionality and ‘Volvo On Call’ in-car connected services.
Powering the Volvo XC40 Recharge P8 are two electric motors mounted on each axle, with a combined output of 402bhp and 660Nm of torque. A 78kWh battery is placed under the floor, which, according to the carmaker can be charged up to 80 per cent in about 40 minutes thanks to fast-charging support. Volvo says the XC40 Recharge has a WLTP-certified range of up to 400km. The car can achieve a 0-100km/h time of just 4.9sec, while the top speed is electronically limited to 180km/h.
With the XC40 Recharge and other EVs to follow from the Swedish carmaker, it aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 2025. It is also confident that by the same year, half of its global sales with come from either EVs or hybrids. After all, Volvo already claims to have sold out its 2020 batch of the fully-electric SUV in the international markets. Volvo also says that the gap between the petrol-powered XC40 and the Recharge will be quite insignificant, which we’re also waiting to see. Also, grab the latest info on the upcoming cars, only at autoX.
