2023 Volvo C40 Recharge review

It’s been quite a turnaround for Volvo, hasn’t it? Once derided as the maker of safe but dull boxes on wheels, the Swedish brand is now a style-driven and desirable alternative to the established Germans. Dare we say it, but has Volvo become cool?

And now there’s another stylish model to add to the Aussie line-up. It’s dubbed the C40 and it’s essentially a coupe-ified version of the XC40 small SUV. Think of it as Volvo’s answer to a BMW X2, Audi Q2 and Mercedes GLA and you’re most of the way there.

Unlike the XC40, however, which can be had with petrol, hybrid or electric powertrains, the C40 is EV only. And the numbers are punchy.

In twin motor guise, the C40 turns out 300kW/660Nm and can hit 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds. A svelte crossover that’s surprisingly practical and has enough snot to destroy most hot hatches? Colour us intrigued.

The trade-off is that the C40 isn’t exactly cheap… Prices start at $74,990 but if you want the full-fat twin motor version, be prepared to hand over the better part of $83K (both before on-road costs). Question is, is it worth it?

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JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it and what do you get?
• How do rivals compare on value?
• Interior comfort and storage
• How does it drive?
• Warranty and running costs
• VERDICT
• Specifications

How much is it and what do you get?

There are two versions of the C40 to choose from: the C40 Recharge or the C40 Recharge Twin.

Both share the same CMA underpinnings and basic dimensions as the regular XC40 but the key difference between the two C40 variants is how many electric motors they have.

The cheaper Recharge, which starts at $74,990 before on-road costs, has a single motor on the front axle that produces 170kW/330Nm. It’s fed by a reasonably large 67kWh battery (that’s useable capacity), can hit 0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds and has a respectable claimed WLTP range of 434km.

2023 Volvo C40 Recharge specs: the basics

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The Recharge Twin ups the ante by adding a second e-motor on the rear axle. Outputs jump to 300kW/660Nm and the battery is also a touch larger at 75kWh. Again, that’s useable capacity.

Range dips slightly to 420km but the 0-100 sprint tumbles significantly to 4.7 seconds. Naturally, its additional hardware and performance command a price premium over the single-motor version and it will set you back $82,490 before on-road costs.

As you’d expect at this price point, both models are nicely equipped. A 9.0-inch touchscreen featuring an operating system jointly developed with Google, digital instruments, wireless charging pad, panoramic roof, heated electrically adjustable seats, electric tailgate and dual-zone climate control are all standard, as is a full suite of active safety tech.

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Safety equipment as standard

Volvo also takes great pride in the fact that both cabins are completely leather-free and use recycled materials. Apparently, 71 reused plastic bottles go into each C40 cabin.

Twin motor versions add larger 20-inch wheels and feel a step above for interior presentation thanks to a more powerful Harman Kardon sound system, a 360-degree camera and seats finished in a premium-feeling mix of a wool-blend fabric and ‘Microtech’, which is a suede-like material made from recycled polyester. Worried that going leather free makes the C40 feel less luxurious? Don’t be.

A final word on value: line the C40 up against the existing XC40 Recharge and it’s between $2000-3000 more expensive model for model. But as we’ll discover, that price premium buys you more than just a jauntier rear end…

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How do rivals compare on value?

The C40 is playing in a rapidly expanding segment.

Existing rivals include the Tesla Model Y, Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 and Lexus UX300e and all three are in the same ballpark as the Volvo when it comes to purchase price (although Lexus has announced an updated UX300e with more battery range but no word on pricing as yet).

Each offers a two-wheel drive version in the $70K bracket and the Volvo falls in the middle of the group for battery range.

The C40’s claimed range of around 420km is higher than the Mercedes EQA 250 (400km) but slightly lower than the revised Lexus UX300e (450km) and Tesla Model Y RWD (455km).

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Where the Volvo represents excellent value against its rivals is in twin motor guise. For similar performance from two e-motors, you’ll need to spend around $100K for a Mercedes EQB 350 or Tesla Model Y Performance, which makes the $82,490 C40 Recharge Twin look a relative bargain.

But there are a host of other newcomers to consider that are waiting in the wings. BMW has just revealed pricing for its forthcoming iX1, which develops 230kW/494Nm from two electric motors and will start at $82,990 before on-road costs when it arrives here early next year.

And Volkswagen Group is preparing to launch the VW ID.4, ID.5 and Skoda Enyaq Coupe, plus the Audi Q4 e-Tron is also expected to head our way sometime in 2023.

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Interior comfort and storage

Naturally, given its more stylish bottom, the C40 isn’t quite as practical as its boxier XC40 sibling. Boot space drops by 80L from 578L in the XC40 to 498L and when you lower the folding second row that difference grows to 123L (1328L vs 1205L).

Still, although there is a loss in outright load-lugging ability and rear visibility thanks to a shallower rear window, the C40 remains impressively practical. The boot itself is nigh-on identical to the XC40’s (aside from the sloping tailgate that eats into luggage room) and that means you score a wide and low opening with a floor that’s divided into three equal sections, each of which can be flipped up individually to stop small items sliding about.

There’s useful storage below the boot floor, too, and in the nose there’s a small frunk that offers an additional 21L of storage where you can store the charging cables.

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The rest of the cabin is pure XC40 with a few unique touches. The inlays in the dash and doors, for example, are a nice textural addition and feature either a graphic of Gothenburg in the single motor version or a design inspired by the Abisko National Park in the Recharge Twin.

Elsewhere the mix of materials and premium touch points feel every bit the C40’s circa-$80K asking price.

There are some cheaper-feeling plastics below the belt line but most of the touchpoints are of high quality and there’s ample cabin storage, including huge carpet-lined door pockets and a small rubbish bin that slips into the large centre console.

Connectivity and functionality are also impressive. The large portrait-style centre screen is quick to respond and features an Android-based operating system jointly developed with Google. An e-SIM offers internet access without having to pair a phone and Volvo throws in four years of unlimited data.

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The system, which includes inbuilt Google functions like Google Maps and Google Assistant, can also receive over-the-air updates to ensure your C40’s functionality is always the latest and greatest.

A wireless charging pad is found ahead of the stubby gear selector and there are two USB-C outlets plus a 12V socket for each row of passengers to charge other devices. Apple CarPlay is also included, although you’ll need to plug your phone in to access it.

How you actually interact with the C40 is interesting. Plonk yourself behind the wheel and you’ll find there’s no starter button. Instead, the car wakes up as soon as you land in the seat and to get moving you simply engage Drive and prod the accelerator. Coming to a stop and clambering out also takes a bit of adjustment.

At the end of your journey, all you do is engage Park and get out. It can feel odd not to turn the car off by pressing a start/stop button, especially as the dash and other accessories remain on, but you soon get used to it.

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Seat comfort is another highlight. The front pews are exceptionally supportive and offer loads of adjustment, while the back seat is deceptively roomy. Tall adults will find they have ample toe- and knee-room in the back and strangely, given the C40’s swooped coupe-like profile, rear seat vision is actually better than an XC40’s.

Where the XC40’s rear window line tapers up aggressively and impedes vision out next to your shoulder, the C40 has a more relaxed kink and a slightly larger glasshouse. The rear bench is also heated, you score a central armrest with two cup holders and there are twin air vents at the back of the centre console.

Given the C40 is built on an ICE-first platform, there is a raised transmission tunnel to contend with but it’s not too intrusive.

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How does it drive?

It’s a tidy handler, the C40. Both models are swift, grippy and surprisingly supple on bumpy Aussie back roads but there’s a huge difference in the level of performance on offer. Single motor versions are lively off the line but offer more leisurely roll-on acceleration whereas the 300kW/660Nm Recharge Twin is significantly more potent.

Step-off is sharp and with the throttle buried we’d suggest Volvo’s claim of 4.7 seconds to 100km/h is on the conservative side. This is a quick little SUV.

It’s decent to hustle, too. The C40 rides slightly higher than the XC40 Recharge and because Volvo’s chassis engineers have opted to skew the ride and handling balance more towards comfort than dynamics, there is some body roll to contend with.

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Get the C40 settled into a corner, however, and it’s a surprising amount of fun. Grip levels are high courtesy of staggered Pirelli P Zeros (235/45 R20 up front, 255/40 R20 out back), and because there’s so much thrust available it’s addictive to flatten the throttle at the apex and feel the axles squirm as the twin motors juggle torque and traction. Who said EVs can’t be fun?

The steering, while not dripping in feel, is unwaveringly accurate and you can adjust the weight through two settings: Normal or a more natural-feeling Firm. Throttle response is razor sharp, as you’d expect in an EV, but it can also be used to trim the C40’s line during hard cornering. Unlike a lot of rivals that offer multiple stages of braking regen, the C40 only has two: off or One Pedal Driving.

Happily, the one-pedal system is one of the most intuitive we’ve ever encountered. It’s speed-dependent and is easy to judge to both help tuck in the nose with a slight lift on the open road or bring it to a complete stop in the cut and thrust of city traffic.

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The bump compliance is also nicely judged. Our drive route took in some truly terrible roads outside of Adelaide and more than once I winced as a 20-inch alloy dipped into a nasty-looking pothole. But rather than crashing through, the C40 – despite not being fitted with adaptive dampers – absorbs hits remarkably well.

It seems to ride more comfortably than an XC40 Recharge, too, which may be down to its extra ride height. There’s not much difference in ride comfort between the two C40 models either, even though the single motor scores smaller 19-inch alloys, which only further bolsters the flagship C40 as the one to buy.

As for recharging, the C40 is built around a 400-volt architecture so feeding the battery takes a little longer than some 800V rivals but it will still accept a charge rate of 155kW.

On a DC fast charger, the single motor C40 will go from 10-80 per cent charge in 32 minutes while the twin motor’s larger battery pack pushes that time out to about 40 minutes. Plugging the C40 into a wall box at home will see you achieve a full charge in around six and a half hours.

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Warranty and running costs

Like all Volvos, the C40 comes with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The battery is also guaranteed for eight years or 160,000km and Volvo says it will have at least 70 per cent of its capacity left by that time.

Service intervals are every two years or 30,000km and Volvo includes the first three years or 100,000km of servicing free of charge with every C40 purchase. Also included is eight years of roadside assistance.

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VERDICT

It’s easy to be a touch cynical of the C40. It’s costlier than an XC40 Recharge, has a smaller boot and is trickier to see out of. And at circa-$80K, it’s not exactly cheap…

But this is a rare case where a small SUV is actually more than the sum of its parts.

The restyled rear end delivers a nice point of difference, the cabin is quiet, well-equipped and feels nicely screwed together. There’s also more room in the back than you might expect.

Of the two C40s to choose from, the more expensive Recharge Twin is worth the additional outlay. Its cabin feels brighter and more luxurious and it’s in a completely different league for performance, so it’s no surprise Volvo says it’ll make up 90 per cent of sales.

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Whichever version you choose, though, the C40 trumps its key competitors for chassis cohesion and cabin presentation so it more than deserves to be on your consideration list.

Scandi cool in a car that’s thoughtfully designed, beautifully made and excellent to drive? That’s the Volvo schtick in 2022.

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2023 Volvo C40 Recharge specifications

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