[Test Drive] Volvo C40 Recharge: Sporty, fun but pricey

Simple but sporty is how Volvo’s first all-electric SUV Coupe, the C40 Recharge, can be best described.

The first impression of C40 Recharge is that it looks very similar to the brand’s first pure electric compact SUV XC40 Recharge, both from the outside and inside.

But on a closer look, the C40 Recharge design has added a spoonful of sportiness.

Volvo got rid of XC40’s roof and instead, it let the roof line slip toward the back to make it more aerodynamic and energy efficient.

The triangular profile headlamps not only made the design sportier but also made the car look much bigger at the back.

Although the C40 Recharge is a compact SUV, one would hardly consider it small with its 20-inch wheel, the biggest among other compact electric SUVs.

The vehicle-- at 4,440 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,595 mm tall — also looked spacious indoors thanks to its fixed panoramic roof.

There was enough headroom for both the front and backseats and for a 169-cm-tall woman, the legroom in the backseats was quite spacious as well.

But the protruding middle console, due to the T-shaped HV battery, made moving around inside the car quite inconvenient.

During a test drive of Volvo’s C40 Recharge, on a 92-kilometer route from Yeouido in Seoul to Paju, Gyeonggi Province, its infotainment system offered a fun and comfortable driving experience.

With the help of SKT’s AI assistant in the car’s Tmap infotainment system, it was easy to control the temperature, play music, and set destinations.

Having a front 9-inch screen that also displays the navigation system could also be a plus for a newbie driver because it would help them keep their eyes on the road instead of having to refer to the center display.

The car’s dual electric motor boasts a maximum of 408 horsepower and reaches 100 kph from zero in less than five seconds.

The C40 Recharge could effortlessly and quietly gain speed even on bumpy roads and hills, and its balanced weight distributed evenly in the front and back allowed stable and smooth cornering.

Equipped with a 78 kWh battery, the vehicle can drive up to 356 kilometers once fully charged.

At the beginning of the test drive, the car was 90 percent fully charged and by the end of the 92-kilometer drive, the battery was at 75 percent.

The car is available in five different colors in South Korea including fjord blue.

The price starts at 63.91 million won ($51,353), which is the lowest price the car is offered at than in any other country, but more expensive than the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 in the same category.

By Hong Yoo (yoohong@heraldcorp.com)