
Will low-built SUVs become a new trend for electric cars? We have spent an autumn day on a trip in Volvo's crossover C40 Recharge.
SUV as packing seal?
The battery pack in "our" Volvo C40 weighs 500 kg and probably requires an SUV platform due to its weight and volume. Do customers who want an electric car with a large battery pack have to involuntarily buy an SUV? In that case, the coupé variant can be a good alternative for those who prioritize skjønnhet rather than space. They make the SUV's undercarriage carry the battery pack, but a lower, more rounded and elegant glass housing. Coupé-like SUVs have been made in the past without much success. Would cars like the Volvo C40 have the right to life if the batteries could be placed in ordinary passenger cars?
Marks the weight well
Already after a few meters I felt the weight of the car. Undoubtedly heavier than the XC40 with a diesel engine that I have driven in the past. According to the vehicle license, the electric car also weighs 450 kg more. In traffic, you notice that you are driving a towering vehicle. When I close in behind other cars at traffic lights, they almost disappear under the front. You only notice the coupe shape when you use the side mirror. The field of vision through the rear window is extremely narrow and the blind spots large. I appreciate the blind spot warnings in the side mirrors. Reversing is also a breeze with the 360-degree reversing screen where you can see the car from above.
Can be driven with one pedal
You can choose whether you want to drive in one-pedal mode or as a normal car. I used one pedal all the time and was comfortable with it. But in the instruction manual, Volvo recommends using one pedal only in city driving. The one-pedal solution requires getting used to when you switch between the point where the car accelerates or brakes - i.e. where it can roll freely. The engine brake kicks in quite strongly, so that you can easily end up in a brake-gas-brake situation. Taking advantage of the fact that the car rolls freely can be profitable and easier to achieve if you switch off the one-pedal mode. Volvo has a point there.

If you drive with one pedal, the car slows down and recovers energy when you let off the gas pedal - only weakly if you let off careful, and stronger if you let go suddenly. The handbrake automatically engages when the car stops. It is also switched on when the car is put into "Park" with the "P" button. I couldn't find a separate handbrake. I couldn't find a start button either. When the key - or perhaps the owner's mobile phone - is nearby, just put the car in "Drive" and drive away. This is modern user interface.
Google is involved
On my way to pick up my wife, I tuned into her radio channel, P5 Hits, and familiarized myself with the infotainment system. I noted that there is Google software on board and that the navigation system is based on Google Maps - the world's best map system. I realize that I am not made to fiddle with small computer screens. With my big fists, I often hit several buttons at the same time and swipe so everything disappears. But on the C40 it worked quite well. This was thanks to Google, right?
My critical wife
I admit that I like Volvo better than many other cars. They are made for tall northerners like me. This also applies to the C40. And by the way - I find that fellow road users are extra considerate and positive when I drive a Volvo. My wife is more objective than I am. I was anxious to hear her verdict.

Volvo advertises with "sustainable" - that parts of the interior in the C40 use recyclable plastic and are free of animal skin. "Our" car had fabric with something similar to alcantara in the seating surfaces. The seats were quite hard, but provided good support all the way for me. My wife completely agreed. She liked the fabrics and the seating comfort. Her only critical remark concerned the interior soundscape. Well, I mean, this might be nitpicking, but it seemed like the car's interior acoustics killed the sound from the music system. "Our" car had a sound system from Harman/Kardon with a bunch of speakers scattered around which will automatically adjust the sound image according to who is sitting in the car and according to the speed conditions. The interior noise in the C40 is not bothersome. The frequency is quite low and monotonous. If we compare it to the Tesla 3, the tires there give a much more marked and sharper sound image, but that does not come into conflict with the sound system.
On the road
I don't think all the 408 horses are constantly with you when you drive, but they are quickly on the spot when you need them. The car certainly drives like an SUV. You sit high, have large wheels with long suspension travel and a chassis that swallows most things without being too soft. The steering is speed-sensitive – not super sharp, but not bad for an SUV either. But it could be the soft tires. The steering resistance can be set to soft or hard. I set it to hard and was happy with it.
The good torque means that the car can effortlessly maintain a steady speed, but the monotonous sound makes it easy to forget the speed if you drive alone on the road without cruise control. I also got to test the 4-wheel drive once when I had to drive off after reversing down a steep and rocky tractor road. It would have been embarrassing to get stuck. The 4 wheel drive can truly save your day!
Tire selection
"Our" car was on 19 inch all-season tires with a 50 profile. When configuring the car online, the same all-season tires come up as default choices with a subtitle that winter tires may be necessary if driving in extreme conditions. All-season tires have softer rubber than summer tires and do not emit as much noise. Could noise be the reason why Volvo recommends all-season tires on the C40? Anyway, this fine car deserves separate summer tires.
Range
According to information on Vegvesen.no range is stated to be 441 km. As you know, real range can vary a lot with weather and driving conditions. My own experiences are that real range often ends up at 4/5 of the stated range measured according to WLTP combined driving. That is approximately 350 km for the C40. Based on our trip, I came up with an estimated range of 388 km. It is based on a driving distance of 186 km - half on the 80-110 motorway and the rest on country roads and in the city in the middle of the "rush". If we exclude city driving, the range would end up at 397 km over dry roads in 18-20 degrees with the air conditioning set to 22 degrees.
consumption
Stated consumption based on WLTP combined driving is 20 kwh/100 km. Our consumption based on the trip computer was 18,7 kwh/100 km when rush hour driving is excluded, - 19.1 kwh/100 km including traffic jams. This is favorable compared to the fact that the car weighs almost 2,3 tonnes with two people on board. It also strengthens the theory that the car engages engine number 2 only when needed.

Place
On paper, there is not much that separates the C40 from the more square XC40. The roof height at the back has been reduced by 6 cm, but is sufficient for the vast majority of people. The panoramic roof helps to give an extra sense of space in the compartment. The luggage volume is only 6 liters less with the seats up and 123 liters less with the seats down. In practice, the biggest miss will be that you cannot load as much over the hat shelf in the C40 as you can in the square XC40. Being able to load at height means that, among other things, you can transport suitcases standing up. The Volvo C40 still offers a decent luggage volume of 413 litres, which is divided into two parts with a plate. In front, there is a "frunk" with 31 liters of cargo space - big enough for a shopping bag.
Security
Volvo C40 model year 2022 was tested by Euro NCAP with very good results. With one small exception, all the dolls came out with a green result and 5/5 stars. The total score was 92% for adults and 89% for children. The car has an automatic emergency call in the event of a collision and the brakes are then automatically applied to prevent consequential damage.
The American IIHS - The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - has awarded the Volvo C2022 the title in 40 Top Safety Pick+. Also in their tests, the C40 came out very well. One of the tests where electric cars can often come out worse than fossil cars is side collision. This passed the C40 fine.
Ordering online?
Volvo advertises that you can order your C40 online. You can not. You can do a lot, but you can not execute the order to the factory. It must be done by a Volvo dealer. The waiting time at the moment is stated to be 5-6 months before you can have the car delivered. The cars are produced at Volvo's factories in Ghent. The electric drive comes from Polestar in China. The batteries are either delivered from LG Chem in South Korea or CATL in China.
Conclusion
Did we find the charm of low-built SUVs?
If we compare the Volvo C40 Recharge Twin with the corresponding XC40, there are only marginal differences. C40 gear a bit better range, but offers a bit smaller luggage space and costs a bit more.
Is the C40 more beautiful than the XC40? - And does that make up for the loss of the ability to load over the hat shelf?
Taste and comfort. I think the C40 was nicer than I had imagined beforehand. It has a drivetrain from Polestar and oozes premium class through and through. For me, "good looks" count more than "more space", although I predict that the car type may disappear from the market when the less space- and weight-demanding "solid-state" batteries become more available.

Facts Volvo C40 Recharge Twin
Weights and Measures
External dimensions - L, W, H: 444 x 187 x 159 cm
Wheelbase: 270 cm
Net weight: 2110 kg (without driver)
Payload: 435 kg
Number of seats: 5
Max trailer weight w/brakes: 1800
– without brakes: 750
Roof load: Not stated in the vehicle registration card
Drivetrain
Engine: Two engines from Polestar, one located in the front and one located in the rear axle.
Power: 204 HP x 2 with a total boosted power of 408 HP
Torque: 330 Nm x 2 - with a total output of 660 Nm
Gearbox: 1-speed automatic
Electronically controlled four-wheel drive
Performances
Top speed: 180 km/h
0-100: 4,7 seconds
Battery pack
Manufacturer: The factory receives batteries from both LG Chem and CATL
Type: Li-ion
Position: Centered below, pulled in well from both sides
Total capacity: 78 Kwh
Available capacity: 75 Kwh
Range and consumption
Range WLTP combined: 441 km
Consumption WLTP combined: 20,0 kwh/100 km
Conditions during own measurement: Dry road, outside temperature 18-20 degrees, aircon, half on motorway, the rest on country roads and town.
Estimated range: 388 km
Measured average consumption: 19,1 kwh/100 km
charging
Contacts: Type2 and CSS
Charging time 11Kw onboard charger, 0-80%: 8 hours
Charging time CSS, 130Kw, 10-80%: 28 min.
Luggage compartment
As a five-seater: 413 litres
As a two-seater: 1205 litres
Trunk space: 31 litres
Tires
Dimension: 235/50R19
Type: All-season tire
Brand: Michelin CrossClimate 2
Prices
Twin Plus: NOK 568
Twin Ultimate: NOK 588
Metallic paint supplement: NOK 7
Towbar: NOK 9 (recommended)
About the car
Place of manufacture: Ghent, Belgium
Colour: Fjord blue/Black
Equipment grade: Ultimate
Leased by Hertz Car sharing
Owner: Hertz Car sharing
Model: 2022
Mileage: 5100
Km driven: 186
Sources: vegvesen.no, volvocars.com


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I like the R-Design package – both the visual impression with the all-black grill, black-painted exterior mirrors, interior decor and black headliner. I would also like to highlight the sports chassis.


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