Volvo has confirmed the C40 Recharge small SUV will arrive in Australia between July and September with a starting price of $74,990 before on-road costs.
Serving as a coupe-shaped alternative to the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, the C40 sits on the same Compact Modular Architecture but offers a broader selection of pure electric drivetrain options.
Volvo will offer the C40 with a single-motor variant paired with a 69kWh battery pack for the aforementioned $74,990 before on-roads. The single-motor variant will have a range of 434km (WLTP).
The Volvo C40 Recharge dons a swept back Sportback look
A dual-motor option will also be available which will start from $82,490. This variant will be powered by a larger 78kWh lithium-ion battery pack that also provides 420km of range.
The flagship dual-motor C40 Recharge with all-wheel drive has combined outputs of 300kW/660Nm which is the exact same outputs as the dual-motor variant of the related Polestar 2 sedan which we are running as a long-termer for six months here at Chasing Cars.
Outputs for the single-motor variant have not been confirmed however they are likely to be somewhere around 170kW/330Nm – similar to the single-motor Polestar 2.
The C40 Recharge alongside the classic Volvo P1800
The C40 Recharge is the second pure-electric car to be released in Australia following behind the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric.
Order books will open soon at Volvo for this new C40 Recharge model.
What does the C40 Recharge compete against?
The Volvo C40 Recharge competes against a growing market of electric SUVs with its coupe-like shape and price naturally pitting it against the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 midsize SUV.
With a price of $82,490 before on-road for the dual-motor variant, the C40 Recharge is some $5500 more expensive than the equivalent XC40.
A 9.0-inch touchscreen features Google’s operating system
The markup associated with the coupe-style body is typical for the Australian market and seen with other models including the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 when compared to their Q3 Sportback and X2 coupe derivatives.
Despite being an EV dual-motor C40 Recharge actually undercuts sports SUVs of similar outputs such as the 294kW Audi RS Q3 by almost $10,000 and offers slightly better performance.
Specification of the C40 Recharge
The Volvo C40 Recharge comes with several standard features for the single-motor variant that includes a 9.0-inch centre touchscreen, Google connected services, keyless entry, hands-free tailgate, panoramic roof, ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED lights, dual-zone climate control, heated front and rear seats along with power-folding rear headrests.
The C40 will be available with single and all-wheel drive variants
Buyers who opt for the dual motor variant receive larger 20-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree camera, a Harman Kardon sound system and a microtech and textile interior as standard.
Both variants will come with Volvo’s five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty along with eight years of roadside assist, an eight-year battery warranty and two-year interval servicing.
Is the C40 Recharge a safe car?
You will get more than 400km of range per charge in the C40 Recharge
The C40 Recharge comes standard with an array of safety features including collision warning and mitigation for the front and rear, blind spot monitoring with cross traffic alert, parking assistant for the front and rear, hill start assist and hill descent control.
Australian safety authority ANCAP has not yet tested the C40 Recharge but this will likely take place closer to the car’s on-sale date.
Volvo C40 Recharge 2022: prices in Australia
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
- C40 Recharge single motor: $74,990
- C40 Recharge dual motor: $82,490