Double Apex recently got opportunity to drive the Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor. This model is another arrow of Volvo’s electrified arsenal in South Africa.

Remember when Volvo was known for its boxy stationwagons with turbocharged engines? Well, those days are long gone. Under its new (Chinese) parent company and more flamboyant design team, the brand has shifted focus to a new era of electrification. Just about every model available in SA right now has some form of electrified component to its driveline. There are a few hybrids and many all-electric options to choose from. The Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor we had on review is the latter. It is a pure EV or a BEV, that is to say a battery electric vehicle. As a result it needs to be charged, much like a mobile phone, to operate.

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Handsome Prospect

The C40 shares its basic architecture with the XC40, a model that left a very good impression on us during previous encounters. The C40 also shares much of its appearance with its XC sibling. Viewed from head on, it’s just the enclosed grille that gives away the game. Matters change when viewed side on. In silhouette the C40 has a bowed roofline, much like that of other popular SUVs such as the BMW X4 and co. The profile also shows off the striking 20-inch wide spoke alloys. From behind onlookers get to enjoy the highly detailed LED clusters with unique design aesthetic. All in all the C40 comes across as a handsome and athletic package.

Ageing Gracefully

As mentioned, the C40 and XC are quite closely aligned. This holds true of the interior as well. The  XC40 made its debut about seven years ago and, it must be said, the interior has aged particularly well. It manages to remain fresh and up-to-date all these years later, kudos to the original design team. Highlights in the cabin include a digital instrument cluster that can be tailored to suit the driver’s preference. There is also a portrait orientated touchscreen interface for the infotainment system. This unit is Google enabled and can be control through voice commands – neat. All other controls need one to dive into the system, and some of them are a little fiddly, such as the tiny buttons for the temp control.

Click here to read our twin review of the BMW iX3 and Mercedes-EQ EQB.

The seats are particularly comfortable, a Volvo trait that flows across all models. Although, we kept reaching for the electric switch to lower them, even though they were at their lowest point. This high-up seating sensation makes the C40 feel a bit larger than it really is. This could well be a side effect of the battery pack sited below the cabin. The battery pack seems to impinge on boot volume as well. As a result the loading area is quite high up. However, there is also a storage area or ‘frunk’ (for front trunk) that can hold luggage as well. Volvo claims 404 litres of combined storage.

AWD EV

The Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor has the same drive-off procedure as other products in the Volvo EV line-up. Once you are inside the car with the key, you simply select ‘drive’ on the spring-loaded selector and tickle the go pedal. When your trip is over you press the ‘P’ (for park) button on the console and that’s it. There is no start/stop button, there isn’t even a parking brake to engage. Volvo’s ‘one-pedal’ driving mode allows one to use just the accelerator for daily driving. The high levels of retardation take a little getting used to but become second nature a few days in.

The Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor is, as the name says, powered by two motors, one per axle. This is the only variant available in the SA market. The two motors deliver 300 kW of combined power and 670 N.m of torque. The instantaneous power delivery of an EV with all-wheel-drive is always impressive. As a result of those outputs the C40 Recharge can sprint from rest to 100 km/h in 4,7 seconds even though it weighs just over two tons. Its top speed is limited to 180 km/h

Thanks to its high up stance and mass, the C40 is not a car that really enjoys being driven enthusiastically. An aspect of the ride quality that isn’t ideal are the low-speed thuds that permeate the cabin. Those lovely alloys are probably to blame, but the ride quality is well judged for the open road and over larger road undulations. It is, a relaxing driving experience behind the wheel of the C40, both in traffic and on a motor way.

Fully Charged

The Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor has an 82 kWh battery pack. This is somewhat larger than its smaller sibling, the EX30 Ultra Twin Motor Performance. Volvo’s press material starts that the C40 has a range of up to 510 km on a full charge. We managed a more reasonable and more achievable 370 km. Unfortunately, we don’t have a wall charger at home, which made us aware of unnecessary travel. We did, however, take a drive into the Winelands without any anxiety about the range.

Summary

The Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor is an interesting prospect. It is not quite as ‘new-age’ in terms of interior or exterior design as the EX30, but it is still a good-looking SUV. The larger battery pack makes it more user-friendly than the EX30 as well. The additional range provides a very workable level of usage in to the equation. Provided you have a wall charger, which any owner will, then the C40 will be able to handle just about any usage pattern. However, there is the matter of the price. At just over R1,3m the C40 has to contend with the likes of the Mercedes-EQ EQB. With the demise of the old-gen X3 the iX3 is no longer on sale locally. If we had to choose, the Volvo wuold be at the top of our list, but then there is the EX30 that is lurking with intent, and that newer car may just get the nod.

Model: Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor
Price: R1 324 000
Engine: twin electric motors
Transmission: single-speed, AWD
Max power: 300 kW
Max torque: 670 N.m
0-100 km/h: 4,7 sec
Top speed: 180 km/h
Range: 510 km