Test Volvo C40 Recharge Twin: zero complexity

Mental health must be cared for as much as physical. And between the great technological offer that there is in the current market, the low emission zones and the daily hustle and bustle, it is too easy to fall into a state of constant anguish for not being able to attend to the obligations that are accumulating every day.

Looks familiar to you, right? Well, to make this car that you see here, Volvo has wanted to reduce stress to a minimum, so that its customers just have to sit down and drive, without even pressing the start button or selecting anything else (as long as it is unplugged, of course). ). Is it that simple?

In reality, achieving this has not been easy at all and the investment to electrify its entire range in the coming years with machines like this is very complex, although it sounds paradoxical.

For this reason, the sophisticated Volvo C40 Recharge aims to be a compact crossover and coupé (which is usually referred to more as a CUV than an SUV), beautiful, premium, pleasant to look at and drive… but that serves to move with zero emissions with the more natural.

Of course: its price is not low because it is a premium brand for all purposes and part (Core finish) of the 48,884 euros, with a single 231 hp electric motor, 330 Nm of torque, 433 km of autonomy and front-wheel drive.

From there, there is a clear attempt by the Swedish manufacturer for the customer to find a product that suits their mobility needs, only, curiously, in those 10,000 euros of margin that you have to equip and customize it, no you will find things that for some are essential in a pure electric.

We are talking about driving modes or energy regeneration, which according to what the brand told us a few months ago, its customers do not use them! (?).

On the other hand, in the Plus finishes (2,376 euros more expensive, with a little more equipment) and Ultimate (the top of the range that we tested here, for 5,804 extras) you can now opt for a second twin electric motor, located on the rear axle, or what is more than to habitually get into the field.

And I think that’s exactly what would justify the premium you mentioned.

‘Keep calm and’…

…Relaxing electromobility. My body is still trembling after thoroughly testing the last supercar that has passed through the AUTO garage and now I am the one who has to make a great mental effort to forget about high displacement, turbos, monstrous roars… and put on the chip of the most calm, comfortable and efficient electrification.

“Ooohmm…” I open my eyes again and contemplate what for me is one of the most beautiful and balanced SUV coupes of the moment. It has its merit that it retains features with which you immediately identify it with the most recent aesthetic language of the brand, while presenting cutting-edge shapes and materials.

It is also appreciated that the descending lines from the B-pillar do not penalize too much the height of the ceiling for a person of 1.90 m like me, nor the trunk, whose minimum capacity is 413 liters.

At the wheel, the sporty features give way to a certain bourgeois and refined touch, more sustainable-looking materials and a very pleasant quality touch that invites you to practice relaxed driving, although with the dynamism -in case of need- that the 204 ensures. CV of each axis, for a powerful acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 s.

Everything works flawlessly; it is a pleasure not to take care of anything other than going down to the garage and going out; slide around the city without caring about its low emission zones; parking with the advantages of a car with a Zero label -in many places, without paying-; gently walk away with the peace of mind that comes from knowing you have a range of more than 440 kilometers…

The car responds very well in all these situations, it is true, only that a chassis and a softer suspension are missing due to the many imperfections of the urban asphalt. Nor is it understood that in a country like this, no matter how much air conditioning is on board, there is a car with a fixed panoramic sunroof… without a sunshade to mitigate the summer heat or the subsequent cold.

But what really breaks my zen moment is not having driving modes that allow me to save battery power, go sailing without stepping on the accelerator or, on the contrary, get the most out of this Volvo C40.

For the rest, it is a car that, despite its cold Swedish pretensions of sobriety and practicality, falls in love with its look, its style and the peace it transmits when driving it.

My opinion

I do like to play with driving modes! And in an EV, too, it can be essential to whether or not you get to the next plug. All in all, although it is not cheap, the C40 Recharge surprises in every way and the extra ‘grip’ of the Twin (all-wheel drive) can pay a lot.