Used 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge

In its simplest description, the new 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge is a Volvo XC40 Recharge with a coupe-like roofline. Volvo describes it a bit differently, calling it an urban vehicle with all the benefits of an SUV, but a lower and sleeker design.

Either way, the new C40 Recharge is the first solely all-electric Volvo, an all-wheel-drive (AWD) car that will be available exclusively online. Order it online, and then go pick it up at a Volvo dealer.

The new C40 Recharge is about the same size as an XC40 Recharge. It even shares that model’s powertrain, which features front and rear electric motors and an 78-kWh lithium-ion battery mounted low in the vehicle’s floorboard. Unlike with the XC40, there are no plans for a C40 with a gasoline engine — it has been built ground-up as an electric vehicle.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge has a range of 226 miles before needing a recharge. This means the C40 Recharge comes up short against the Hyundai Kona Electric (258 miles) and the new Chevrolet Bolt EUV (250 miles) but is a bit better than the Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD (211 miles).

The new Volvo C40 has a combined 402 horsepower, and its battery pack can be brought up to 80-percent capacity in about 40 minutes using a 220-volt DC fast charger.

This is just the beginning of a big electric push for Volvo, which sees tremendous growth potential in the premium EV market. The new C40 Recharge is just that, a premium EV, and it’s a vital part of a grand plan for Volvo to build nothing but EVs by 2030.

KBB’s Matt Degen had the opportunity to be among the first media to drive the 2022 Volvo C40. The test drive took place in Belgium, where the C40 is built, and though this was a European test model, the specs will carry over to the U.S. production version.

The specialness of the new Volvo C40 is apparent before you even drive off. As with a Tesla, there is no traditional start button in this electric Volvo. The closest thing to it is your posterior in the seat. Once the C40 senses the weight of a driver, it knows someone is behind the wheel. This makes the traditional way of putting a key in a slot and turning it seem suddenly archaic. After seating yourself, it’s simply a matter of putting the C40 in drive and getting on.

And it gets on very well. Our initial test of this vehicle took us from Brussels to Ghent, driving over everything from modern high-speed expressways to narrow cobblestone streets whose history predates the automobile by centuries. The Volvo C40 handled all with poise and purpose.

On highways, the C40 is silent and surprisingly swift. Punch the accelerator pedal, and it will literally push you back in the seat. This quickly reminds that you are driving an all-wheel-drive EV with over 400 horsepower and 487 lb-ft torque that comes on with the immediacy of a light switch. The Volvo C40’s 0-60 mph time of just 4.5 seconds is no joke.

Yet Volvo has also aimed to make the driving experience simple and easy. Unlike other vehicles – electric or otherwise – there aren’t a half dozen drive modes to decide between. Your main choices are an off-road setting and another that stiffens steering feel, a trait some driving enthusiasts enjoy on twisty roads.

When not digging your foot into the right pedal and enjoying gleeful bursts of acceleration, the C40 is impressively smooth and comfortable. Both are attributes that come thanks to an electric powertrain. And it’s very quiet – another EV trait. With none of the explosions occurring under the hood as with one of those old-fashioned combustion engines, the only sounds you’re likely to hear are the whir of electrons doing their thing and perhaps some tire noise. If you like quiet conversation while blissfully crossing the countryside or skipping around town in style and efficiency, here’s your ride.

Another trait the C40 has executed well is one-pedal driving. Don’t worry – there is still a pedal for the brake in addition to the accelerator. But when one-pedal driving is engaged, as soon as you lift off the accelerator, the C40 begins to slow. It can do so down to a stop, and feels linear and smooth all the way. It’s funny how quickly I adapted to it. After toggling it off and having the C40 mimic a traditional car’s coasting, I quickly put it back on. It really makes driving easier and less complicated, all the while regenerating juice for the battery.

The C40 Recharge’s range of 226 miles is hardly best in class, but it’s also hardly worst. It’s shy of the standard Tesla Model Y (244 miles) and new Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback (241 miles), not to mention a potential mainstream rival, the Volkswagen ID.4 (260 miles). It would be higher than a Ford Mustang Mach-E, which has 211 miles of range when similarly equipped with all-wheel drive.

We really like the driver’s seat and driving position of the C40 Recharge. As with its more traditionally SUV-styled sibling, the XC40 Recharge, you get a commanding outward view — at least in the front. The rear suffers from a small back window and thick side pillars.

Volvo’s seats are known to conform well to one’s body, and the C40’s are no different. Rear-seat space is also better than expected and feels airy thanks to a giant panoramic moonroof. But if you’re a desert dweller or live in a hot and sunny climate, note that there is no shade available for that big glass roof.

In a more recent drive of a Volvo C40 Recharge in California, KBB’s Andy Bornhop agreed with Degen’s findings. And as a 6-foot, 4-inch driver, Bornhop says he fits well inside this compact electric Volvo SUV, which has a comfortable but slightly firmer ride than he had expected.

What’s more, like Degen, he also came to enjoy using the one-pedal driving technique That stated, he wishes Volvo would equip the C40 Recharge with paddles that would allow the driver to adjust the amount of electrical regeneration for the situation at hand. On long downhills, for instance, the C40 will slow to a complete stop in one-pedal mode, which means the driver occasionally has to press the accelerator to maintain speed while headed downhill.

While that’s a bit odd, drivers will adapt — or they may simply switch out of the one-pedal mode. Driven this way, the C40 Recharge feels like it doesn’t slow at all when you lift off the accelerator pedal, which may be a factor of this Volvo’s not-insubstantial curb weight of 4,710 pounds.

On the other hand, notes Bornhop, when you climb a hill in the C40 Recharge, the abundant torque (487 lb-ft of torque) of this new electric Volvo makes it seem as if the grade isn’t even there. He also enjoyed how the C40 Recharge’s nav system indicates the charging stations along the way to your destination, while also accurately predicting the state of charge and range you will have remaining when you reach your destination.

The new C40 Recharge has the same high seating position of the XC40 Recharge, and it’s the first Volvo that’s completely leather-free. Its carpet is made from recycled plastic bottles, and the trim panels on the dash and doors feature actual topography from Abisko national park in Sweden.

It’s a 5-seat interior with front buckets and a better rear headroom than you might expect, thanks in part to special hatch hinges under the black roof spoiler. In addition to a split-folding rear bench and a digital instrument panel, the other main element of the C40 Recharge interior is its prominent 9-inch multifunction touchscreen controller.

As in the XC40 Recharge, the infotainment system was developed in conjunction with Google and uses the Android operating system. The C40 Recharge can integrate apps like Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play Store. It’s also compatible with Apple CarPlay. You can ask a variety of questions or do things like changing the climate control settings using the audible “Hey, Google” prompt.

The uncluttered and well organized interior of the C40 takes inspiration from nature and sustainability. This is underscored by the translucent graphics on the dashboard and front door panels that are a nod to Sweden’s dramatic mountain scenery.

The leather-free interior also can be ordered with naturally renewable wool upholstery or a synthetic suede made of recycled plastic.

With 14.5 cubic feet of rear cargo space, the C40 Recharge is nearly as roomy in the back as the boxier XC40 Recharge, which has 14.6 cubic feet.

To go with its sloping black roof, the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge gets a new grille-less nose that will be seen on future EVs from the Swedish brand. In addition to the “Thor’s hammer” headlights (featuring what Volvo calls “pixel technology”), the C40 Recharge has a forward-facing camera mounted in the large Volvo badge on the nose of the vehicle.

The C40’s electric charging port is located on the driver’s side rear fender. LED taillights illuminate sequentially whenever this electric Volvo is unlocked.

One of the best colors for the new Volvo C40 Recharge is Fjord Blue. This metallic finish is complemented by synthetic carpet of the same hue that also appears in the interior door panels. Volvo says Fjord Blue was inspired by the deep inlets of the Scandinavian west coast.

FRONT TRUNK
Because the new C40 Recharge electric Volvo doesn’t have a gasoline engine or a radiator up front, it has enough room for a front trunk, what some people call a “frunk.” While it holds only 1 cubic foot of gear, that’s enough for a small duffel bag. And that capacity is in addition to the 14.5 cubic feet already found inside the C40 Recharge’s power rear hatch.

UNLIMITED DATA
The new C40 Recharge has an advanced Android-based operating system with unlimited data, so this Volvo will be able to receive regular over-the-air (OTA) software updates. Volvo says this will help improve the performance of the C40 Recharge over the course of its life.

In addition to its two-motor AWD electric drivetrain, the Volvo C40 Recharge is equipped much like the XC40 Recharge, which is built on the same production line in Ghent, Belgium.

The new C40 Recharge includes the Android operating system (with embedded Google), panoramic moonroof, active LED lighting, Pilot Assist, Harman Kardon audio system, 360-degree camera system, and unique 20-inch wheels. If you want the Fjord Blue carpet, it’s available for no additional charge, but only with four of the C40’s seven exterior paint colors.

There are not many options for the C40 Recharge beyond exterior and interior colors, making the purchase of this luxury electric crossover all the more simple. A few extras that are available include accessories such as a booster cushion for children, load bars for the roof, trailer hitch, retractable ski holder, and a dog harness.

The 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge shares its 2-motor drivetrain and 87-kWh battery pack with the XC40 Recharge and the Polestar 2. There’s an electric motor at each end, plus a lithium-ion battery pack mounted low in the chassis between the front and rear axles.

The combined output of the two electric motors is 402 horsepower, backed by a substantial 487 lb-ft of torque. The EPA rates the C40 Recharge at 94 MPGe in the city and 80 MPGe on the highway. Its EPA range is 226 miles.

Volvo recommends using a Level 2 charger at home, which should be good for a 100-percent charge in about eight hours. When charging at fast-charging DC stations on, say, a road trip, you can charge the battery from zero to around 80 percent in approximately 40 minutes. Put another way, you can get about 50 to 60 miles of range in 10 minutes.

All pure-electric 2022 Volvos in the U.S. come with 250 kWh of complimentary charging on the Electrify America network, to be used within three years. Once this free charging has been exhausted within the first three years, customers are eligible for Electrify America’s Pass+, with membership dues covered by Volvo Car USA for one year. This enables C40 Recharge drivers to charge their vehicles at discounted rates.

The maximum towing capacity of the new C40 Recharge is 2,000 pounds.

Two permanent-magnet synchronous motors
78-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
402 horsepower
487 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 94/80 MPGe
Range: 226 miles