Rear-drive Volvos return with new Recharge lineup
Electric XC40 and C40 get more range, better charging - and a completely different axle doing the driving
The mid-life facelift used to be exactly that - a renose of an existing model to entice buyers in before a new one. Perhaps with some fresh paint options and trim levels as well, to look good in the brochure. In the fast-paced world of the EV, however, such piecemeal changes aren’t going to cut it, as proven by the latest Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge.
Not only do they get more range, more power and faster charging (more on which in a sec), the single-motor cars are now rear-wheel drive - where they used to be front-wheel drive. Such is the way of the world now. If that weren't drastic enough (at least to those of us more familiar with combustion engines - it must require less work with an EV), the new cars are the first rear-drive Volvos in 25 years. Everything since the 900 Series departed in 1998 has been front-drive or all-wheel drive, so welcome back to the RWD Volvo. Probably won’t be seeing crazy drift builds of these in 20 years’ time, but it’s an interesting swap nonetheless.
That Volvo makes no mention of any significant dynamic difference in the switch from front- to rear-wheel drive says a lot about how the C40 and XC40 were in the first place. These aren’t going to transform from torque-steering monsters into beautifully balanced driver’s cars, though early adopters to the single-motor models might still feel a bit short-changed. Especially with the rest of the alterations added in.
The e-motor is now of Volvo’s own design, and in the base model that means 238hp instead of 231hp. Which isn’t a huge gain, granted, though more range from the 69kWh battery - through better cooling - will certainly be worthwhile: the single-motor XC40 Recharge now does 286 miles WLTP, where it was 264, and the C40 equivalent can now reach 296 miles (previously 272).
Things improve further with the long-range single-motor option. For both models, an 82kWh battery pack takes the place of the 69kWh, taking range to 320 for the XC40 and 331 for the C. Charging is better, too, with 200kW now possible rather than 150 before. The biggest gains, interestingly, come from the all-wheel drive, twin-motor variants. Where those models used to have a pair of 203hp motors, they now also make use of the in-house tech, with a 249hp motor at the back and 159hp one upfront; combined with the long-range battery pack, an XC40 Recharge AWD can now do 311 miles on a charge, up from 273 before. Or not far off 15 per cent, which is noticeable. The C40 version will now do 315 miles, an increase of 35 miles. They’ll both get to 62mph in less than five seconds, too.
“These updates are another big step in our work towards becoming a fully electric car maker by 2030,” said Javier Varela, Volvo COO deputy chief exec. “Range and charging times are new key factors for more and more of our customers, and these improvements make our fully electric models even more attractive than they already were.” Great news for new Recharge customers; those who bought one of the first might not be best pleased, though…
The range/efficiency of my current one isn't very good, but I mainly use it for local-ish stuff so it doesn't really affect me. It's displaying around 180 miles from a full charge in the current cold weather, and at best in normal temperatures with motorway use it will do around 210, so it's a fair way off its claimed WLTP range. I'm hoping the new one, with its claimed 311 miles, should get to around 250 or so which brings a return trip down south on a single charge into play for me.
FWD is fairly poor, it just can't cope with the instant torque. Pulling out of junctions often causes it to spin the wheels, even when trying to be careful, and I'm sure it's hopeless in the snow (not really worth trying when I have a 4WD petrol to use). The demo car I borrowed from Volvo before leasing mine was a 4WD and much better in this regard, so I'm looking forward to the replacement arriving.
Forums seem to suggest the Long Range Single Motor is going to be 220kwh or circa 300bhp and RWD which might be fun if it happens.
The dual motors will be 310kwh or 350kwh respectively so similar to before but with a lot more of a RWD bias as per the C40.
I wouldn't be surprised if a 500bhp+ version comes out in the future given the new RWD motor sounds like it is capable of 300bhp and the front used to do 200bhp anyway.
Driving in the snow & ice is more to do with driver ability, or lack of it. Driving my rear wheel drive BEV in those conditions was a piece of piss in comparison to any ICE vehicle.
I tested one while considering a company car and hated every second
The ICE Volvos are elegant looking cars, I wonder why the EVs generally look relatively ungainly.
Would much prefer RWD, extra range and power but alas I will probably have to stick to my order
Driving in the snow & ice is more to do with driver ability, or lack of it. Driving my rear wheel drive BEV in those conditions was a piece of piss in comparison to any ICE vehicle.
When I was returning from the Sunday Service at Thruxton, as we came back into the Cotswolds - all wheel drive BEV’s were completely out of control descending into the M5 area from the air balloon roundabout, packed snow - continuous down hill
Due to the anti skid - anti lock brakes, regen braking and heavy mass with little or no calibration for driving on compacted snow, these 2.5 ton sledges couldn’t stop or steer, they were out of control!
I saw it with my own eyes, my M4 x drive was just about able to stop, that was also pretty terrifying tbh, and I am what 700kgs lighter than the BEV’s surrounding me
One chap in an i4 BEV thingy was so out of control his wife was in the passenger seat, window down, screaming that they couldn’t stop and that panic and gravity had completely ‘taken over’… they were crapping themselves - as was I, as their vehicle slithered towards my M4 - OOC…!
They only missed me as I had just enough grip with a second gear launch - everything ‘off’ DSC etc to move 1/2 a metre to the left - they later collected the back of a lorry - further down the hill…
I can imagine for regular rwd - with snow tyres on middle snowed roads - maybe that’s ok - especially for driving gods like yourself
But driving on compacted snow with rwd only under these conditions would have been even more impossible than for the awd BEV’s…
There was another guy in a 520d suffering much the same fate as the i4 driver, he managed to stop the car though, BEV counterpart did not - same stretch of road - almost the same time
This has little to do with ‘driver’ skill and much more to do with the vehicle and the laws of physics - save for snow tyres - which are by far the biggest differentiator in wintry conditions
So why am I a knob in your opinion? Interested to hear…
Driving in the snow & ice is more to do with driver ability, or lack of it. Driving my rear wheel drive BEV in those conditions was a piece of piss in comparison to any ICE vehicle.
Forums seem to suggest the Long Range Single Motor is going to be 220kwh or circa 300bhp and RWD which might be fun if it happens.
The dual motors will be 310kwh or 350kwh respectively so similar to before but with a lot more of a RWD bias as per the C40.
I wouldn't be surprised if a 500bhp+ version comes out in the future given the new RWD motor sounds like it is capable of 300bhp and the front used to do 200bhp anyway.
king over customers who have the front wheel drive version on order!It's going to kill the residuals on that version overnight!
Driving in the snow & ice is more to do with driver ability, or lack of it. Driving my rear wheel drive BEV in those conditions was a piece of piss in comparison to any ICE vehicle.
When I was returning from the Sunday Service at Thruxton, as we came back into the Cotswolds - all wheel drive BEV’s were completely out of control descending into the M5 area from the air balloon roundabout, packed snow - continuous down hill
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