Volvo XC40 Recharge Review 2022

The standard Volvo XC40 bought the brand a new, younger audience. It also helps that it’s a brilliant car that’s one been one of the top small SUVs in the past couple of years.

With Volvo’s move to electric, we’ve seen the arrival of both a plug-in hybrid and an electric variant. Rather confusingly both have been badged XC40 Recharge, but we’re going to be focusing our attention on the electric version for our Volvo XC40 Recharge review. You can also check out our review of the petrol and diesel-powered XC40. 

Rather than play with the design too much of the standard car, Volvo’s kept the same sharp design for the XC40 Recharge electric SUV. The only tell-tale difference is the concave grille of the standard car has been replaced by a body-coloured panel that, if we're honest, cheapens the look of the car. You can see why they’ve done it though as there’s no need for one.

The electric Volvo XC40 Recharge has a range of 259 miles and power comes from a 78kWh battery located beneath the car's floor and capable of being charged to 80 per cent in around 40 minutes. The four-wheel-drive XC40 Recharge will have a total output of 408PS and 660Nm of torque that sees the electric XC40 cover 0-62mph in a rapid 4.9 seconds, while top speed is limited to 112mph. 

You can’t not be impressed by that level of performance, but it feels a little at odds with the rest of the car that exudes a relaxed and calm approach, both in the way it handles and looks. Slightly less emphasis on a headline-grabbing 0-62mph time and a little more range would really benefit the car. 

Inside, the XC40 Recharge has a cabin broadly the same as the standard car, which means plenty of premium finishes and comfortable seating, though there is a new Android-powered infotainment system.

The electric XC40 offers 413 litres of boot space, which is less than the 460 litres of the regular model. Although, due to the space saved by the absence of an engine, it gains a 31-litre ‘frunk’ storage area underneath the bonnet.

There are three models to choose from - Twin, Twin Plus and Twin Pro and prices start at a hefty £49,950. They are well specified though with our choice being the Twin Plus as it gets the balance of features pretty spot on. 

The XC40 Recharge is a very good electric car that’s hampered by the price. The twin motor model is expensive, and while some rivals like the Skoda Enyaq iV might not have the same brand appeal, the range is better and it costs less. Happily, a single motor option is now available which is more affordable. 

Looking for a second opinon? Read heycar's Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric review.

The XC40 Recharge uses the same design as the standard XC40, making it a little smaller than both the BMW iX3 and Audi Q4 e-tron. Step inside the XC40 Recharge and you certainly don’t feel squeezed in, with plenty of space up front and in the rear. 

As you’d expect, there’s a high driving position, while the front seats are incredibly comfortable and ideal for long journeys. There’s also plenty of storage solutions dotted around the front of the cabin, including a wide centre console. 

In the back and even tall adults shouldn’t feel hemmed in, though we’d recommend no more than two adults in the back as the big hump in the centre of the rear bench seats will make things pretty uncomfortable for the person sitting in the middle. Kids though will be fine, and there’s two ISOFIX fittings on the out seats. The only downside is that there might be some complaints they can’t see out that easily thanks to the exterior lines of the XC40 Recharge that lifts at the rear. 

The XC40’s 413 litres of boot space might be less than the standard car’s 460 litres, but the front gains a 31-litre ‘frunk’ storage area where the engine would normally sit.

As we’ve come to expect from Volvo, the quality of the XC40 Recharge’s interior is one of the best we’ve seen in a small SUV, rivalling the best in the business. 

The sophisticated and fuss-free design of the XC40 Recharge’s interior is complemented by an array of quality materials, while all key touch points are nicely engineered. There’s also some nice attention to detail as well. Rather than opting for plastic trim from the footwell to the centre console, the XC40 Recharge benefits from carpet being extended up the sides, while the door panels also have carpet trim.

The XC40 Recharge enjoys a 9.0-inch portrait-format infotainment system, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the same in-house Senus system that’s found in all other modern Volvos. However, for the XC40 Recharge, Volvo’s decided to change things up a bit and use Google Android Automotive to drive the infotainment system. 

This system provides access to navigation (Google Maps), music, phone and most of the settings on the XC40 Recharge. It’s more advanced than Android Auto as well, with the system responding to voice commands to change some of the car’s settings. For example, you can say: ‘Hey Google, set the temperature to 21 degrees.’ and the cabin temperature will automatically be adjusted. 

There’s no smartphone mirroring just yet (we’re promised this will come via an over-the-air update in the near future), while music aficionados will want to put a tick next to the 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system from the options list. The addition of a subwoofer, more watts and Dolby Pro Logic TT surround sound is a nice upgrade over the standard 8-speaker set up.

Prices start at £49,950 for the XC40 Recharge, and that’s a considerable chunk more than the standard XC40 that starts at just over £34,000. It also doesn’t qualify for the £3000 UK plug-in car grant following changes made in the Government's budget in March 2020.

To be fair though, it comes in about £10,000 less than a BMW iX3. The Audi Q4 e-tron starts at just over £44,000 (though it’s stripped of options compared to the XC40 Recharge), while the excellent Skoda Enyaq iV starts at around £32,000 (with the top-spec Enyaq iV 80 SportLine starting at around £43,000).

Whether you’re looking at the XC40 Recharge or another electric car, we’d definitely advise installing a 7kW wallbox charger. Otherwise you’ll be waiting days not hours for your car to charge. Depending on your tariff, you can expect to pay on average around £13 to fully charge the Volvo XC40 Recharge, with charge times taking around 11 hours. Stop off to charge at a 150kW DC fast charger and you’ll have to wait around 33 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%, though expect to pay considerably more for the privilege. 

Once fully charged, expect a maximum range of up to 259 miles from the XC40 Recharge according to WLTP. In the real world, that drops down to just over 200 miles, though it does depend on the conditions. 

What about running costs? The Volvo XC40 Recharge comes with a 3 year/60,000 warranty, while the battery has an 8 year/100,000 warranty. It’s too early to say how reliable the XC40 Recharge will be, but the standard XC40 has proven to be a dependable SUV to date and we don’t expect anything different with the electric version.

The good news is that the refined handling and ride quality of the standard car has transferred over to the XC40 recharge. 

There’s no getting away from the fact that it’s a bit heavier than the standard car thanks to the extra weight of batteries running along the bottom of the car, but the XC40 Recharge is a nice and relaxed drive overall. 

Expect the XC40 Recharge to cruise quietly at speeds and while it’s very refined overall, tyre roar can be an issue if you opt for the large alloys. Round town and it’s smooth and settled, and while there isn’t the option to spec the XC40 Recharge with adaptive suspension, it’s certainly one of the more comfortable electric SUVs available. 

There’s no questioning how quick the XC40 Recharge is off the line, but don’t think you’re buying an electric SUV that can replace a hot hatch. This is a car that’s more suited to a more flowing, relaxed driving style, with the steering not as sharp as some rivals. It’s also pretty tall, so expect some body roll, especially if you throw it into a corner with some enthusiasm.

While some rivals have tended to offer different battery powers and drivetrains, Volvo’s kept things nice and simple with the Volvo XC40 Recharge. There’s only one 78kWh battery to choose from that drives dual motors, providing the XC40 Recharge with four-wheel drive. 

This translates to 408PS and 660Nm of torque that’ll whisk the Volvo XC40 Recharge from 0-62mph in as little as 4.9 seconds. The range is perhaps a little disappointing, with a claimed 259 miles under WLTP conditions, though expect this to be less when used in the real world. You can’t help but feel that most potential XC40 Recharge buyers would have sacrificed outright pace for a little more range…

That said, there’s plenty of grunt when you need to overtake a lorry or caravan in the crawler lane and though the top speed is capped at 112mph, the XC40 Recharge certainly doesn’t feel like it's struggling at motorway speeds. 

Euro NCAP has elected to test the electric version of the five-star rated Volvo XC40 as they’re two similar, Volvo claims the XC40 Recharge will be just as safe as the standard car. 

With the standard car scoring highly for both adult and child occupant safety, the XC40 Recharge also enjoys a number of standard safety tech. This includes automatic emergency braking (known as AEB and referred to by Volvo as City Safety autonomous emergency braking) and Oncoming Lane Mitigation that helps stop the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric driving over the road's centre line and into danger. Blind-spot monitoring is also available as an option, while Volvo’s latest Pilot Assist tech provides a moderate level of autonomous driving on motorways, responsible for steering, acceleration and braking inputs (though you’ll still need to have your hands on the wheel).

While Volvo initially launched the XC40 Recharge with a range of trims familiar to the Volvo range, including the ever-popular R Design trim, Volvo’s streamlined it since then and introduced three new trim levels: Twin, Twin Plus and Twin Pro.

The entry-level Twin trim for the XC40 is still pretty impressively spec’d (you’d hope for the price), with large 19-inch alloy wheels, active LED headlamps, rear parking sensors and an electrically operated tailgate all as standard. 

Next up is the Twin Plus at £52,950 and as you’d expect, it gets the balance about right for features, with the addition of front parking sensors and a rear parking camera. There’s also a few more luxury items inside, including electric seat adjustment, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. 

Costing from £56,700 is the top-of-the-range XC40 Recharge Twin Pro. There’s a bump up to 20-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, auto-dimming door mirrors and a useful 360-degree parking camera. That’s not forgetting plenty of semi-autonomous driving tech as standard that’s a very nice addition to have.