What is that?
A crossover SUV doesn’t have to have 402 hp, but I’ll be damned if it’s not fun. The Volvo C40, despite its pseudo-coupé sloping roofline, is not meant to be a sports car. Volvo’s Geely Group owner has Polestar and the likely next O2 roadster for it. No, it’s basically an XC40 Coupe.
The big difference with the XC40, apart from its muscular and chunky “coupe-SUV” style, is that it will not be offered with any combustion engine. It rides on the same CMA platform as the XC40 and Polestar 2 and is available with both of those models’ purely electric drivetrains.
As such, it can be used either as a Recharge single, with a single 228hp front motor and 67kWh battery for a total range of 269 miles, or as a Recharge Twin, like our test car, with a 201 hp motor on each axle and a 75 kWh battery for a range of 273 miles.
Since it’s essentially an XC40 coupe, there’s no technical reason why it couldn’t have the XC40’s range of petrols and hybrids, but Volvo has chosen to position the C40 as spearheading its EV transformation, proudly proclaiming it to be the first Volvo in history. intended as purely electric only. That’s not wrong, but it does make the C40 sound a bit more prominent than it is.
How does it look?
With identical motors on the front and rear axles, the driving balance is very neutral. If you push it, the front end will be the first to go, but thanks to our test car’s wide Pirelli P Zero tires, grip is seemingly limitless on the road. The traction is almost unassailable, which makes it feel good fast.
It’s not a sports car, or even a sports SUV, but the pleasingly weighted steering if numb and the relaxed main drive mean it’s quite natural to steer along a twisty, bumpy B-road. Unfortunately, surface imperfections and road noise come through more clearly than you’d expect from a £58,900 Volvo. The smaller wheels that come with lower trim levels might improve things, but even on our “Ultimate” test car’s, it stops short of being jarring.
Where the C40 also feels slightly at odds with its price is the interior. That may be excellent for a £34,100 XC40 T3, but I can’t help but be slightly disappointed with this £58,900 car.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-11 00:01:23
