With its launch, the XC40 Recharge revs up Volvo Cars sustainability vision

It’s an unenviable task for a legacy automaker to make the switch to EVs, particularly in a rapidly evolving ecosystem with the potential to upend existing automotive hierarchies. Which makes the XC40 Recharge the most important car of the decade for Volvo Cars, as it foretells just what the brand’s new EV-dominated future will be like.

It’s just been launched at Rs 55.9 lakh, a price tag that exceeds expectations and undercuts the price of every other luxury EV in the market. There’s just one variant, with a reworked front-end, a new air purifier – features that were absent in the test unit. But it effectively throws down the gauntlet for luxury EVs, and at present no luxury carmaker seems equipped to pick it up, not until Mercedes-Benz and the like start locally assembling EVs.

If the specs on the XC40 Recharge are anything to go by, this looks like a very exciting future. Volvo’s compact luxury SUV, which has proven to be particularly popular in India, ditches its ICE powertrain in favour of something more sustainable and future-proof – an electric motor (two in this case).

And the claimed performance figures immediately catapulted the utterly domesticated XC40 into high-performance territory. It does 0-100 in 4.9 seconds, it packs 408hp of peak power and it comes with a range of 418km (WLTP tested) thanks to a fairly sizable 78 kWh lithium-ion battery. This combination of performance and luxury make the XC40 Recharge, the perfect mascot for Volvo’s Recharge subbrand, under which all of its future EVs will be sold.

The new EV powertrain streamlines the act of driving considerably, dispensing with a start-stop button, a clutch and other cumbersome aspects of an ICE powertrain that get in the way of densely-trafficked city driving.

Instead, you just slot its single transmission setup into drive, and whisk away, silently and speedily to your destination. There’s also a fast charge function, which allows you to charge the battery upto 80% in a mere 40 minutes, if you want to make a quick dash.

The eco-friendly attributes of the car don’t simply end with zero emissions. In keeping with Volvo’s pledge towards climate neutrality, the XC40 Recharge’s interior carpeting is made of recycled plastic. Although the Recharge looks nearly identical in form to its ICE and PHEV counterparts, it’s underpinned by Volvo’s own Common Modular Architecture, which was designed keeping in mind EV powertrains. So not only does it benefit from all the utilitarian aspects of a standard XC40 (boot space, ground clearance etc) it also gets added storage space of 31-litres under the bonnet, thanks to the absence of an ICE motor.

The XC40 Recharge’s 78 kWh battery pack is mounted under the floor, and powers to individual electric motors located at each axle. This makes the Recharge a lot quicker than you’d expect, considering the full extent of its 660Nm of super car-shaming torque is unleashed right off the bat. Along with this it packs all-wheel drive capabilities, which always come in handy when tackling Indian terrain. With a heavier base and a lower centre of gravity, the XC40 Recharge is considerably more deft around the corners and is eager to be driven in a manner previously unbeknownst to it.

Things are sufficiently spruced-up on the inside as well. There’s a large 12.3-inch high-resolution digital display above the steering. The centrally-mounted infotainment system is now powered by Google’s Android OS and will continue to be optimised via over-the-air updates. It can also be used to sign-in to your own personal Google account, set up Spotify – the works.

The XC40 Recharge is a step towards true sustainable luxury. It marks a starting point for Volvo’s climate-neutral efforts, one which will see a greater quantity of sustainable materials used in future EVs. It’s ideally suited to exemplify the mix of performance, practicality and safety that form the bedrock of what an electrified Volvo is all about.