Volvo XC40 Recharge drive by Steve Rogers
I’ve been driving a car for a week and haven’t touched
the brake pedal. Truth or lie?
You are thinking there has got to be a catch here, but
it is the truth.
The electrically powered XC40 has a system called one
pedal which brakes the car as the driver lifts off the throttle. It is all to
do with capturing energy for the batteries and is the next stage in
regenerative braking.
We see it in hybrids where gentle braking is induced
to harness battery power but this system is full on and will, by feathering the
throttle, bring the car to a stop and hold until you move off. It quickly
becomes second nature and apart from an emergency stop there is no need to use
the brake pedal.
XC40 looks to be leading Volvos charge to electrically
powered cars and has a quite a story to tell. It is the company’s smallest SUV
previously powered by petrol or diesel engines but now it’s just petrol hybrid
and electric.
The only difference in styling is the front grille
which has been replaced by a plastic cover because there is no engine to cool.
I would have stuck with the grille which is way more classier.
Power comes from an electric motor, or, in the case of
the all wheel drive model tested here, two motors, one on each axle doubling
the power to a gobsmacking 408bhp and get this, XC40’s dash to sixty is just
two seconds behind a Ferrari F8 or McLaren 720S.
It goes against the grain when electric cars should be
driven sensibly, but this car’s performance is such a hoot you are tempted to
drive the nuts off it all the time. Honestly, stab the accelerator and you risk
snapping your neck such is the pick up.
Back in Mr Sensible mode XC40 delivered around 220
miles from my Podpoint home wall charger, 36 miles short of Volvo’s prediction.
Not too shabby and puts the Volvo in the middle of its rivals on range.
A full charge from a wall box takes 12 hours and
double that if plugging into a three-pin socket, and remember never to use an
extension lead because it will fry.
XC40 is an SUV so don’t expect handling to match its
sports car performance but it is good to drive in spite of weighing in at a
hefty 2.1 tonnes. The ride was occasionally jittery on B roads in my neck of
the woods but for the majority of driving it has a comfortable ride unless thrashed through bends when you get the
inevitable body roll from a high sided car.
You cannot dispute XC40’s premium car status with high
quality soft finishes and attractive metal inlays around the cabin. I have been
saying for years how Volvo front seats are the most comfortable of any car I
have driven and nothing has changed. It is good in the back, too, with ample
leg and headroom and space for three adults.
The boot loses a few litres of space because of the
positioning of the batteries but there is a decent bolt hole for family
luggage. We easily loaded three golf bags and power trolleys with the back
seats dropped. Surprised there were no levers in the boot wall to lower the
seat backs.
Up front the dashboard has pleasing minimal Swedish
styling and the infamous Volvo touchscreen infotainment system. Will we ever
get used to it? You would if you owned a Volvo but it would still take a while.
This is a spanking new system powered by Android with
Google mapping for navigation and is megga quick. That said it is the same old
story, lots of menus with long lists of functions in small print, not the sort
of thing to be meddling with while driving.
Ironic that a company that has led the world with safety
technology and packs its cars with every safety feature known to man has a
complex feature that can be a distraction for a driver.
I kept out of it as much as possible relying on the
easy to use voice control for heating, radio and navigation commands.
Sixty grand for the all wheel drive XC40 sounds a lot
but is not overpriced compared to its rivals. My guess is the majority will opt
for the less expensive front wheel drive models which are still quick off the
mark. If XC40 is within your budget it is an extremely good buy whichever model
you go for.
How will it stack up against the Audi Q50 etron? Find
out here in a couple of weeks.
What the wife says.
I dreaded having to fiddle with the infotainment
system but was very impressed with the clever braking system. The covered
storage box under the bonnet is a bonus and perfect for storing the hefty
charging cables.
Fast facts
XC40 Recharge Twin Pro Ultimate
£60,300 (Range starts £45,750)
Twin electric motors, 408bhp
0-60mph 4.7secs; 112mph
Range 256 miles
0g/km. Road tax zero
Boot 578-1328 litres
Insurance group 41
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