Sunday Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: That sweet spot
The Volvo XC40 Recharge may not look flashy, but its performance is addictive. And equally importantly, it’s affordable!
The nascent EV market is growing rapidly, but there are lots of white open spaces lying vacant and waiting to be plugged in. In between the affordable end of the EV market (locked out by the Tata Nexon EV) and the unaffordable end swooped up by luxury brands with prices ranging from ₹1-2 crore, there really isn’t much choice. But that gap is quickly filling up too. Within a week you had Kia launch the EV6 ( Affordable is a relative word and compared to the crore-plus models from Mercedes, Audi and Jaguar, the Volvo is in that sense more accessible. But just how good is it? Command performance You don’t expect Volvos to be fun to drive or exhilarating but that’s just what the XC40 Recharge is in this fully electric guise. If performance is what you’re after, you’ll know you’ve got your money’s worth the minute you tap the right pedal and unleash 408hp and a massive 660Nm of instant torque. Volvo hasn’t held back on the powertrain for the XC40 Recharge. The ‘Twin’, as this version is called, has two electric motors, one each for the front and rear axles, effectively making it a four-wheel-drive. Performance is addictive and you’ll love the way the XC40 Recharge lunges forward, pinning you to your seat with its outright acceleration (0-100kph despatched under five seconds). Besides, the compact dimensions and the confidence you get from the 4x4 hardware will bring out your inner racer and encourage you to drive in a very un-Volvo-like manner. You’ll revel in the way the compact Volvo scythes through traffic and how the light steering makes it so easy to punt around. The low centre of gravity, thanks to the heavy battery floor that sits under your feet, adds to the planted feel and it’s safe to say this the sportiest Volvo you can buy. Spacing out But what about the comfort that Volvos are known for? The interior is similar to the compact petrol powered Volvo XC40 T4 and that means it’s not very spacious. Deft adjustments of the front seat to balance legroom between front and rear passengers can find a happy compromise for tall passengers, but clearly this is not a cabin to lounge in. The all-black theme can feel a bit claustrophobic, especially at the back where you are sitting quite low. The boot is down from the petrol XC40’s 460 litres to just 419 litres but since there’s no engine, you get a useful additional 31 litres of space under the bonnet or ‘frunk’ (for front trunk) where the engine used to reside. The familiar (to Volvo owners) portrait-oriented touchscreen is now easier to operate and benefits from an Android-based infotainment system. An onboard e-SIM gives you direct access to Google Maps and Assistant, and you can download quite a number of apps from the Play Store. A new configurable digital instrument has crisp and sharp graphics which are easy on the eye and you also get a full suite of advanced driver aids like auto braking and lane keep assist, which can be a lifesaver in our chaotic driving conditions. There’s of course the must-have panoramic sunroof (now with new touch controls), wireless mobile phone charging and a brilliant sounding Harman/Kardon audio system. Some kind of perfect Where the XC40 Recharge may stumble is with the looks. It’s not ‘EV’ enough and not too dissimilar from the regular XC40 which isn’t too flashy to begin with. That said, the Recharge lives up to its name and really does recharge you every time you get behind the wheel. Great to drive, easy to live with on an everyday basis—thanks to its compact size and real world range of 350+ km—the XC40 Recharge addresses a small but sweet spot in the market which should find it a small band of ready buyers. The views expressed by the columnist are personal Catch Hormazd Sorabjee’s column every fortnight in HT Brunch. It will next appear on June 25, 2022. From HT Brunch, June 11, 2022 Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
