Auto123 reviews the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge.
In the eye of the beholder
Looks-wise, thus, the C40 is basically the butchier sibling of the XC40, the coupe-style equivalent to that rectangular small SUV. Think BMW’s X1 and X2 duo. The front ends of the two Volvos are pretty much the same – look at the two side by side from the front and you’re looking at two electric peas in a pod – but the C40’s roofline is lower to the ground and drops as you track back towards the rear. The floating roof back there and the sharper LED taillights give the C a more aggressive demeanour than the X.
Photo: D.Boshouwers 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge, profile
The styling differences do affect visibility out the back for drivers, as well as the head space available to rear-seat passengers. I’m also torn regarding the overall look of the thing. Yes, its cut is more aggressive than the XC40’s, but even with the sloping roofline there’s still something stumpy about the body of the C40; it’s as if it could use a little stretching horizontally to make it perfectly proportioned. I also get when looking at its profile the same vaguely mushroom-like vibe I get from the bigger BMW and Mercedes coupe-crossover-SUVs. You like it or you don’t, I guess.
Personal tastes aside, though, this C40 is a welcome addition to the roster of all-electric crossovers out there on the market, and for that matter, it’s central to the plan laid out by the Swedish (but Chinese-owned) automaker to attain 50-percent all-electric sales by 2025, and sell nothing but BEVs by 2030.
Photo: D.Boshouwers 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge, front
On the road
What else the C40 is, is a strong performer, thanks first of all to its butchy powertrain, which features two 150-kW electric motors, one per axle and thus AWD, with maximum output pegged at a very healthy 450 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque. Yes, this thing weighs an also healthy 2,100 kg or more, but it shoots off the line like a lightweight bat fleeing hell. 0-100 km/h acceleration takes but 4.7 seconds, and the 60-100 km/h part is just as quick as the first part so highway on-ramping and passing are a dream. A very quiet dream as well, given the absence of an ICE. Power is not something this compact crossover is short of.
However, that stumpy frame does mean that sometimes it doesn’t feel as road-sticky as you’d like, so be aware before you start careening to and fro on winding country roads. Still though, handling is impressive, the steering precise (if light) and the braking solid.
The latter can even be done using essentially one pedal if you so choose (via the regenerative braking function). Unlike in some other recent EVs, there’s no gradation, meaning you can’t choose your level of braking supplied by the powertrain, it’s on or it’s off. And when on, it can be a bit much for some folks, especially passengers. Your choice.
Photo: D.Boshouwers 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge, interior
In the interior
Volvo makes much of avoiding leather for the interior of the C40 and the prioritization of sustainable materials makes perfect sense in a BEV. It all looks good as well, particularly the nifty Fjord Blue carpeting and accents found on the floor, the doors and elsewhere.
The two screens, meanwhile, get a thumbs up and mitigated thumbs down. The 12.3-inch data screen looks great and is highly configurable without too much trouble. The 9.3-inch multimedia screen also looks great, but while its interface is less annoying to use than Volvo’s previous-generation system, it’s still needlessly complicated and non-intuitive for our taste. Work remains to be done here.
Otherwise, the seating is comfortable and the space feels roomy in both rows, this even with the more-sloping roofline of the C40 in comparison with the XC40.
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Photo: D.Boshouwers 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge, at the charging station
At the station
Supplying the electric motors with sustenance is a 78-kWh lithium-ion high-voltage battery and 11 kW onboard charger. The battery will support DC fast-charging up to 150 kW; with that you can charge the battery from 10 to 80 percent in around 33 minutes at large-capacity stations (that bypass the onboard charger).
We had occasion to charge the vehicle at a 350-kW station (of which there are only two or three in all Quebec at present), and while it never reached that 150-kW capacity (it never got higher than 96 kW), it still charged very quickly in comparison with a Level 2. Now all we need is more of those mega-fast charging stations…
Most of the time, of course, owners will be charging their C40 at home, and according to Volvo a 220-volt Level 2 home charger will take about eight hours to charge an empty battery from to 100 percent in about eight hours.
Photo: D.Boshouwers 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge, multimedia screen
Safety
The C40 has Volvo’s new Advanced Driver Assist System suite, which encompasses a small army of functions designed to make every occupant’s life safer. Among them are collision mitigation with braking and steering assistance at low and high speeds, and automatic braking in the case of an imminent collision.
The last word
Whether you like the looks of the C40 is a question of taste, but less debatable is the performance capability of this sportier sibling to the XC40 Recharge. Range is on par with most similar models on the market, handling is great and most of all, there’s so much power and pace delivered by the two electric motors and single-speed transmission that you don’t feel at all the heaviness of the vehicle.
There are hiccups like the imperfect multimedia interface and the cargo space in bac, which is massive, but overall, if you’re in the market for an upscale small EV (price is just over $72,000, FYI), you can do worse than the C40 Recharge. If on the other hand, you’re asking yourself why you should pay $20,000 more for this than for a perfectly good – nay, great – Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6, well, that’s a legitimate question.
Photo: D.Boshouwers 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge, front grille
We like
Lots o’ powerComfortable, upscale interior
Decent range and quick charging capacity
We like less
Still a frustrating multimedia experience (and the screen is almost small by today’s standards)Exterior looks a bit quirky
Rear visibility
The competition
Genesis GV60Volvo XC40 RechargePolestar 1
Tesla Model Y
Photo: D.Boshouwers 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge, wheel Photo: D.Boshouwers 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge, rear
Keyword: 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge Review: Style Matters (But So Does Substance)