Today’s competition is not messing around, though. That silent soundtrack only enhances the in-cabin experience, too, with the XC40 Recharge sharing its gas counterpart’s smooth, isolated ride and limited wind noise.įive years ago, the XC40 Recharge would have been a triumph. The accelerator is predictable and easy to modulate, and unless you call on max thrust, the XC40 is all too happy silently puttering around town. Yeah, the Recharge is dramatically quicker – its 408 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque is a huge improvement on the 247 hp and 258 lb-ft in the XC40 B5 – but if you never bury the pedal, that’s not obvious. In the cabin, you look out on the same digital instrument cluster and the same portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment and enjoy the same high-quality materials in a restrained, tasteful Scandinavian aesthetic. Volvo could have gone hog wild modifying the XC40 for EV duty, but aside from closing off the grille, it’s almost impossible to distinguish the electric model from the effortlessly handsome gas crossover. A showstopper like the PS1 is neat, but sometimes a simple, well-executed tool is its own reward.
The XC40 works because it eschews histrionics in favor of quiet confidence when executing its mission.
Within five minutes, I regretted the exchange. The highest praise I can muster for the Volvo XC40 Recharge is this: I traded with Seyth Miersma, giving him my XC40 for the Polestar 1 he was driving.