2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Review New C40 Recharge EV SUV Models CarBuzz

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Review New C40 Recharge EV SUV Models CarBuzz

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Review New C40 Recharge EV SUV Models CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home Cars Volvo 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge

C40 RechargeC40 Recharge 20232023 $55,300 - $60,100 Price Range (MSRP) Build and Price 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge For Sale Best Small Electric Cars Best Subcompact SUVs Volvo Electric Cars Volvo SUVs Volvo Small Cars Review Exterior Interior Trims & Specs Performance Safety & Reliability 55 Photos Compare insurance prices: Save an average of $440 Free Quote

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Test Drive Review Step Into The Future

by Ian Wright Whether the soaring gas prices will prove to be the tipping point for electric-powered cars or not, Volvo has timed its first dedicated all-electric vehicle well and aimed it carefully at its higher-end demographic. The timing couldn't be better for the Volvo C40 Recharge to hit the market. Effectively a spin-off of the XC40 Recharge, the C40 is EV only and eschews a traditional roofline for a coupe-styled one. The compact luxury crossover has one trim with all the bells and whistles included. The drivetrain creates 402 horsepower from a 78-kWh battery and two drive motors, achieving an EPA estimated range of 226 miles, some way off its Tesla Model Y rival. However, the Volvo feels more special from behind the wheel. Because the C40 Recharge is a premium Volvo, it comes with a full suite of safety features, a premium leather-free interior, and a Bowers & Wilkins sound system. What's interested us as much as the drivetrain and ride quality is the thought and detail that's gone into this important EV for the Swedish brand.

Read in this review

Exterior Design 10 /10 Performance 8 /10 Fuel Economy 8 /10 Interior & Cargo 9 /10 Infotainment & Features 9 /10 Reliability 8 /10 Safety 10 /10 Value For Money 7 /10 8.6 What is BuzzScore?

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Changes What s the difference vs 2021 C40 Recharge

The latest addition to Volvo's Pure Electric range, the C40 recharge is all-new for 2022. Although it shares a few important things with the XC40, namely the powertrain and some of the interior styling, it has a sloping roofline and stands out a little more for its sleeker profile. The Swedish automaker proudly notes the C40 Recharge is 100% leather-free and yet still manages to fit into the luxury small EV SUV category. It comes in only one trim with a new name: the Recharge Twin Ultimate.

Best Deals on C40 Recharge

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin Plus P8 eAWD $58,640 4 miles Fair Deal Average price 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin Ultimate P8 eAWD $62,710 10 miles Fair Deal Average price 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin Ultimate P8 eAWD $61,195 4 miles Fair Deal Average price 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Pure Electric Twin Ultimate P8 eAWD $61,890 5 miles Fair Deal Average price See All C40 Recharge For Sale

Pros and Cons

Alluring exterior designLeather-free interior still looks awesomeImpressive performanceComprehensive safety suite250 kWh of free charging on Electrify America network High starting priceNot much on the options listLess than ideal cargo capacity

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Trims

See trim levels and configurations: Trim Engine Transmission Drivetrain Price (MSRP) Pure Electric Twin Core P8 eAWD Electric Single Speed Automatic All-Wheel Drive $55,300 Pure Electric Twin Plus P8 eAWD Electric Single Speed Automatic All-Wheel Drive $56,850 Pure Electric Twin Ultimate P8 eAWD Electric Single Speed Automatic All-Wheel Drive $60,100 See All 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Trims and Specs

Handling and Driving Impressions

A good driving instructor will teach students to drive in a calm and business-like manner, and this is an excellent vehicle for doing just that. Volvo's cars tend to inspire calm and efficient driving, and with a quiet drivetrain and great noise, vibration, and harshness control, the C40 is one of the best. However, as with most heavy vehicles (despite being a compact crossover, the C40 with its batteries weighs 4,817 pounds), the suspension has to be tightly sprung to counter the weight. The ride is still compliant and isn't sports car stiff, but we can't describe it as super-smooth either. However, the benefit comes on a twisty road where that low-slung weight keeps things planted and helps make sure tire contact is maximized for all four wheels in a corner. Again, it's no sports car, but fun can be had with the C40 and the power on offer. The C40 shines the brightest with the regenerative braking set properly and driving with one pedal - particularly around town. With the brakes coming on automatically when coming off-throttle and Volvo's excellent implementation of the one-pedal system, it's a breeze to get used to. It makes stop-start traffic easier to deal with while using the kinetic energy of electric braking to feed some charge back into the battery. In a whole day's driving into the countryside and around town, we only touched the brake pedal three or four times. Another nice touch is also taken from the Polestar 2. There's no start/stop button in the C40, so you just unlock the car, get inside, put your foot on the brake, and select drive to go. When you select park, leave the car, and lock the door, the C40 shuts itself down. It doesn't take long to get used to and takes one seemingly small step out of the chain to add convenience to the car.

Verdict Is the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge a good SUV

Volvo doesn't acknowledge it, but the comparison is too strong not to mention - the C40 is, essentially, the compact crossover version of the Polestar 2 sedan. And, that's a great thing as we love the Polestar 2. The ride is great, if a little firm, there's a lot of power there when you need or want it, the tech is top-notch, and Volvo has thought through the details. The interior is excellent and challenges other premium automakers to raise their game with more eco-friendly materials while maintaining quality. There's little to fault, and even the price seems about right for a top-trim Volvo, which is exactly what the C40 currently is. There's little to compare it to in premium terms right now other than the Tesla Model Y, and Volvo beats it out on build quality, materials, and interior design all day long. Tesla may have the lead in battery technology right now, but Volvo is doing the math while ignoring the pointless range wars. The best advice anyone can give is to buy a car with the amount of range needed for your lifestyle. Now Buzzing Electric Vehicles Tesla Cybertruck Spotted With Production-Ready Rear End Crash Watch A Seventh-Gen Toyota Hilux Truck Launch Into The Air After Losing Control Auctions One-Off Plymouth Barracuda Four-Door Is A Muscle Car Unicorn First Drive 2023 Toyota Crown First Drive Review: A Tale Of Two Hybrids Sports Cars 2023 BMW M2 Coming With Optional Center-Lock Wheels Tuning 700-Horsepower 2023 Nissan Z By AMS Performance Hits Nine-Second Quarter Mile

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Comparisons

Volvo CarBuzz

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge vs Volvo XC40 Recharge

The differences between the C40 and its XC40 Recharge sibling are not just limited to an 'x' in the name, although it's true that these models share quite a few things. This includes the powertrain in the XC40 Recharge, and thus also outputs. Both vehicles also share the same towing capacity of 2,000 lbs. Where the squarer XC40 Recharge does have the edge is in cargo capacity. In the cabin, the design and layout is very similar and the features list is pretty much the same, too. The C40 has rear seat heating as standard, though, and has the unique, sustainably-sourced materials to make it stand out. EPA figures are similar but the new Volvo C40 Recharge manages around 2 MPGe more and has a slightly better range, too. Naturally, you also have the option of getting the XC40 as a gas model, in which case there is much more variety to choose from - and a lower price tag. Comparing apples with apples, though, the XC40 is around $7,000 cheaper.
See Volvo XC40 Recharge Review

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge vs Volkswagen ID 4

The VW ID.4 starts at almost $18k cheaper, although a top-end ID.4 can cost around $50k, all-in. The VW was launched with three trims to choose from, and power outputs of 201 hp and 228 lb-ft of torque. Sure, this is half of what the C40 offers, and the ID.4 ships with standard rear-wheel drive, although AWD is available. Performance isn't much to write home about in the ID.4 but what it does well is provide more range; VW claims up to 280 miles for the RWD ID.4 Pro. Towing capacity is higher than what the C40 manages, and cargo space is almost twice as good in the ID.4 - there's over 30 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, and almost 65 cubes when those seats get folded down. And in the cabin, the ID.4's simplistic layout is just as pleasing as the spartan Scandinavian. We're partial to the understated elegance and humble luxury of the Volvo, though the reasonably-priced ID.4 also offers massaging front seats over and above what the C40 has. To be honest, this isn't genuinely a fair comparison - the C40 competes in the luxury segment and is just a step above the ID.4 in this regard. But that being said, the ID.4 provides a lot of value for what it costs. See Volkswagen ID.4 Review

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Popular Comparisons

The most popular competitors of 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge: Hyundai Kona Electric $34,000 - $42,500 Price (MSRP) Compare Kia EV6 GT TBC Price (MSRP) Kia Niro EV TBC Price (MSRP) Compare Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid TBC Price (MSRP) Compare Volkswagen ID.4 $41,230 - $49,410 Price (MSRP) Compare See All 5 Comparisons

Volvo C40 Recharge News

Electric Vehicles 5 Here Are The Names Of Every New Electric Volvo The names of Volvo's full future EV lineup have been leaked. Technology 20 New Study Proves Touchscreens Are Distracting And Unsafe When it comes to safety, old cars are ahead of new ones in a key area. Car Culture 21 7 Best Current Infotainment Systems Ranked We're embracing the science of connectivity. LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top
Share:
0 comments

Comments (0)

Leave a Comment

Minimum 10 characters required

* All fields are required. Comments are moderated before appearing.

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!