Volvo hikes price of C40 Recharge by Rs 1.7 lakh, XC40 goes all electric

The C40 Recharge is part of Volvo’s plan to increase its EV sales to 35 percent by next year. The brand claims that the XC40 Recharge contributed 25 percent to its total sales in the first half of 2023.

The C40 Recharge features a coupe-like design with a sloping roofline and a two-part spoiler. It comes with Pixel LED headlights and split LED tail lights. The interior is identical to the XC40 Recharge, boasting a 9.0-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and wood inlays on the dashboard. The C40 Recharge also features an Android-based infotainment system with an onboard e-SIM.

The C40 Recharge offers less boot space than the XC40 Recharge, with 413 litres compared to 452 litres. The frunk space remains the same at 31 litres. Volvo claims that the C40 Recharge has a completely leather-free interior, aligning with its goal to eliminate leather from all its electric cars by 2025 to reduce animal harm and carbon emissions.

The C40 Recharge shares the same platform and powertrain as the XC40 Recharge. It is based on the Compact Modular Architecture platform and has a dual-motor set-up – one on each axle – with a 78kWh battery pack. The C40 Recharge claims to have a range of 530km on a single charge on the WLTP cycle or 683km as per ICAT.

The two electric motors produce 408hp and 660Nm of torque, giving the C40 Recharge all-wheel-drive capability. Volvo claims that the C40 Recharge can accelerate from 0-100kph in 4.7 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than the XC40 Recharge. The C40 Recharge can also fast charge with a 150kW DC charger that can charge its batteries from 0 to 100 percent in just 27 minutes.

The C40 Recharge and  XC40 are only sold online directly by Volvo Car India. Customers can place orders online directly on Volvo Car India’s website with a refundable deposit of Rs 1,00,000.

The company also announced that the exclusive “Tre Kronor Experience” program which was rolled out for XC40 Recharge customers will be extended to C40 Recharge customers as well. Tre-Kronor denotes the three crowns of Swedish luxury and will offer a host of unique luxury and personalized experiences.

Volvo’s new C40 Recharge will compete against the likes of Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Moreover, while there aren’t any electric coupe-SUVs in this price range, internal combustion engine (ICE) SUVs like Audi Q3 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe also fall in the same segment.