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April 8, 2022
300kW Total Output, 0-100km/h in 4.7 Seconds: What's the Drive Like? A Test Drive of Volvo's BEV 'C40' | VOLVO
Volvo C40 Recharge | VOLVO C40 Recharge
Test Drive of Volvo's BEV 'C40'
The C40 Recharge, Volvo's first BEV (fully electric vehicle) introduced in Japan, has begun online sales on January 24. Motor journalist Fumio Ogawa took the model for a test drive.
Text by OGAWA Fumio | Photographs by MOCHIZUKI Hirohiko
A Car Recommended for Many
Swedish automaker Volvo launched its pure EV, the C40 Recharge, in Japan on January 24, 2022. In mid-March, I had the long-awaited opportunity to drive it. This is a car I would recommend not only to Volvo enthusiasts who want to drive an EV, but to many people.
The model I drove this time is the all-wheel-drive version with electric motors front and rear. It boasts a total output of 300kW and a maximum torque of 660Nm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. It's powerful.
The platform is shared with Volvo's compact cars, having first been used in the XC40. It offers high versatility, accommodating gasoline, hybrid, and now the C40 electric models. The gasoline version of the XC40 has the drawback of a small fuel tank due to its chassis design, which seems to be the limit of this versatile platform.
While the XC40 has a typical SUV styling, the C40 Recharge is designed to be more coupe-like for differentiation. With a length of 4,440mm, its height is 1,595mm, which is 65mm lower than the XC40. The cabin appears compact in its design. It might be better described as a crossover between a four-door coupe and an SUV, rather than an off-road-style SUV.
Consequently, it gives a strong impression of agility. It looks like the sportiest model in Volvo's lineup. From another perspective, its youthful styling might be an attempt to capture a new image. In person, the body's contours are more pronounced than in photos, giving it a sense of dynamism.