Volvo excels in offering comfort and craftsmanship that bats far above the average for many premium vehicles. Combine that with an all-electric powertrain that is calibrated for smooth sailing and you have a fastback SUV that works for its targeted customer on nearly every level.
The 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge is a couple-style take on the Volvo XC40 Recharge. It has four doors like the XC40 Recharge, but a fastback-style roofline. It gains Thor's Hammer headlights that have new pixel LEDs that are designed to automatically adjust to light conditions. The typical Volvo vertical taillights have been segmented on the C40 Recharge.
Its stance is comfortable but muscular, not too aggressive. The C40 Recharge rides two inches lower than the XC40 Recharge.
Quick maneuvers at speed aren't the SUV's forte but getting up to speed is. The model's 402-horsepower (300 kilowatt) twin-motor powertrain delivers 487 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to really get the electric model moving in a jiffy. Push the accelerator hard and it takes off in a manner that would make Usain Bolt jealous.
It comes standard with all-wheel drive and a 78-kilowatt-hour battery (75 kilowatt-hours of usable energy).
There will never be a plug-in hybrid, hybrid, or internal combustion engine version of the C40 Recharge. Volvo estimates that the car can go 225 miles on a single charge.
The throttle of the C40 Recharge is responsive and one-pedal driving is a far better experience in the model than in the Polestar 2. One-pedal driving is an easy and natural experience in the Volvo like it is in the BMW iX, which is larger than the Swedish model.
Steering is pointed and accurate, but not at all sporty. This is a comfortable cruiser, after all.
Where Volvo wins is in its ride quality, which upholds the elements that made its vehicles so beloved. The traditionally quiet cabin is made even more quiet without an engine up front. Its suspension allows for smooth gliding over the road without feeling a disconnect from the pavement or gravel in the case of the back roads of Belgium where the model was tested.
The car's interior, only available in all-black in the U.S., was influenced by traditional Volvo design and it has all the hallmarks potential buyers are looking for. There's soft, supple Microtech upholstery and sleek seat design that blends modern expectations with the comfort of days gone by completed by the engineered support that Volvo took years to hone to perfection.
The SUV feels plenty spacious for passengers despite its sloping roofline. Average-sized adults can still properly fit in the second row thanks to no-compromise headroom in the small SUV.
Ingress and egress is easy enough and the interior is more spacious than it seems from the outside, especially in the front row.
This isn't the perfect vehicle for an American road trip thanks to a distinct lack of cargo space (significantly less than a Honda HR-V and half what you'll find in a CR-V), but it pulls off daily driver duties just fine.
The car's Android infotainment system technology is budding at best and frustrating at times. The simplistic design of the interface is deceiving. While the Stellantis UConnect 5 system's engineers pride themselves on keeping most functions within two touches of the home screen, Volvo's appear to have prided themselves in the opposite, keeping driver's eyes off the road as they try to read the screen's options and dive deep into menus while on the go.
There's no Apple CarPlay support, which is likely to frustrate many iPhone users.
The fully digital driver information display doesn't have as many configuration options as what can be found in other premium and luxury vehicles, but its layout is pleasing to the eye and the route mapping functionality is extremely helpful while using navigation.
Pricing for the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge starts at $58,750 in the U.S., before any tax credits or incentives are taken into account. That's thousands more than the similar Volvo XC40 Recharge, which also offers equal power and more cargo space.
The C40 Recharge felt right at home being test driven in Belgium where limited speed highway driving, tight city streets, traffic circles and yielding rather than stopping is the norm.
For America's big city drivers, the C40 Recharge makes sense (as long as you don't need to use the rear window to parallel park and have proper charging capabilities near home). For rural Americans, the 225-mile range might not be enough to sell them on the model.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull leads the Autos team at Newsweek. She has written extensively about the auto industry for U.S. News & ... Read more
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