by Frank A. Aukofer

“Volvo” is Latin for “I roll,” and the Swedish manufacturer rolls into what it believes is its future with the 2021 XC40 Recharge P8, a purely electric small crossover sport utility vehicle.

But it’s more than the company’s first foray into what it calls “a new era of electrification.” There are quite a few all-electric cars already on the market from Nissan, Porsche, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Tesla, Audi, Honda, BMW, Kia, Jaguar, MINI and Volkswagen.

To Volvo, however, the new XC40 Recharge is its future. Moreover, it is more than just an economical, non-polluting conveyance like some of the others, it is a genuine high-performance luxury machine with a price tag to match. It starts at $54,985.

At the time of this writing, the XC40 Recharge had not yet been introduced. But Volvo made a few of them available for brief drives by automotive journalists who are members of the North American Car of the Year jury, including this one. There are 50 members and they drive and vote for car, utility and truck of the year awards. The Recharge was nominated for utility of the year.

From a size standpoint, the XC40 Recharge is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency, which handles fuel economy ratings, as a small SUV. Except for its electric motors, it is almost identical to the gasoline-fueled XC40, a substantial luxury crossover. However, its electric power earns it an EPA miles per gallon equivalent rating of 85/72/79 MPGe, compared to the city/highway/combined rating of 23/31/26 mpg for the gasser.

Though it doesn’t look the part, the Recharge also is a sneaky stoplight performer with the stuff to embarrass some snooty European marques. Volvo rates the zero-to-60 mph acceleration at 4.7 seconds with a top speed of 112 mph. 

With only an hour and about 35 miles of driving, there wasn’t enough time or distance to fully evaluate the XC40 electric’s bona fides. But it certainly left a solid impression.

Looking to the future, this cookie doesn’t even have an ignition keyhole or a pushbutton to get underway. The pressure of the driver’s tush on the seat and a touch of the loud pedal switches the motors on. There’s no feel to it; just a notation on the instruments that it’s ready. But it is disconcerting; the guess here is that most drivers will want the  sensation of touching a button to start.

After that, a push on the pedal activates two electric motors—one for each axle — the XC40 Recharge has all-wheel drive. The motors deliver 402 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque, or twisting force. There’s no need for a conventional automatic transmission because electric motors deliver maximum torque as soon as they are activated.        

On the road, the Recharge conjures a comparison to the celebrated Muhammad Ali, a heavyweight and one of the greatest boxing champions of all time. The steering feel is heavy, as befits a luxury car, but this XC40 is light on its tires and changes direction with a twitch of the steering wheel. Its suspension system also soaks up road irregularities without upsetting forward motion.

Like any electric, it cruises quietly, abetted by extra insulation for the compartment where the battery lives low in the chassis to enhance handling. It delivers 78 kilowatt hours of power, 75 of which is rated as usable. Unusually, the front electric motor leaves some space for a tiny trunk of about one cubic foot under the hood — a good place to stash valuables. Behind the rear seat, there’s cargo space of 16 cubic feet, expandable to 47 cubic feet if you fold the rear seatbacks.

The range on a fully charged battery is advertised as 208 miles, not in the high range for electric cars. It could have been better but for the high performance orientation. Fully recharging from empty takes about eight hours with a 240-volt charger. On a commercial so-called fast charger, the XC40 Recharge can top up to 80% in about 40 minutes.

On the center screen resides Volvo’s new UX infotainment system, which makes use of an Android Automotive operating system with Google Maps and Google Assistant. As with other luxury cars, this one takes more than a bit of casual learning, especially figuring out how to pre-set radio stations and fine-tune climate controls. 

Specifications

  • Model: 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge P8 four-door crossover sport utility vehicle.
  • Motors: Electric, on front and rear axles; 402 hp, 486 lb-ft torque.
  • Transmission: Single speed automatic.
  • Overall length: 14 feet 6 inches.
  • Height: 4 feet 5 inches.
  • EPA/SAE passenger/cargo volume: 95/17 cubic feet. (one cubic foot in front trunk). 
  • Weight: 4,824 pounds.
  • Towing capability: 2,000 pounds.
  • Range: 208 miles.
  • Charging time (240-volt charger): 8 hours.
  • Miles per gallon equivalent: 85/72/79 MPGe.
  • Base price, including destination charge: $54,985.
  • Price as tested: N/A.

Disclaimer: The manufacturer provided the vehicle used to conduct this test drive and review.

Photos (c) Volvo

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