Rear-wheel drive, more range, faster loading
First of all, the Volvo XC40 received a major facelift. Subsequently, the electric powertrain was thoroughly revised. But that wasn’t all: the technology of the popular electric SUV from Sweden is now undergoing a second update, resulting in a larger range and faster charging times.
Wasn’t the Volvo XC40 already facelifted last year?
That’s right, and there are hardly any external differences with the latest update. After all, the stitches from the facelift that the Volvo XC40 underwent at the beginning of last year have only just been removed. Although the SUV has been around for almost six years, aging seems to have a hard time getting to grips with its Tonka-esque design. Now Volvos usually have (much) longer shelf life than the designs of competing brands, but without floating on the current streamlining trend, the XC40 still looks fresh and cheerful. Once you get behind the wheel, however, the true age of the XC40 is easier to guess. Not that there is anything wrong with the build quality or the materials used, because everything has been put together with great care and packaged with attention to sustainability. Each panel feels pleasant to the touch and makes an extremely solid impression. Volvo was one of the first brands to put its infotainment screens upright. In that sense, the XC40 is still cutting-edge.
Is there nothing that can be improved?
Oh yes, with its diameter of 9 inches, the screen now looks very dated. The operation of some functions is hopelessly cumbersome: to activate ‘one pedal drive’, in which a strong recuperation is built up when the accelerator pedal is released, you first have to perform three actions to get to the correct adjustment slider. To then have to swipe, press and tap three times to return to the original screen. While ‘one pedal drive’ in busy city traffic is a useful feature that you would prefer to engage mindlessly with a single action – only to switch it off again in a single movement as soon as you turn onto the motorway. With many younger competitors you simply pull the transmission lever from ‘D’ to ‘B’. There are aspects with which the XC40 is now losing connection to the competition. But Volvo prefers to invest its money and energy in other areas for improvement.
So what are the major technical changes?
Volvo announced a completely new powertrain in November 2022: front-wheel drive gave way to rear-wheel drive. A radical change, although such a switch is of course a much easier operation with an electric powertrain than with cars with a combustion engine (remembering the Triumph Dolomite and MG ZT with V8 engine). After all, Volvo already had a two-engine XC40 with four-wheel drive in the program. For the less powerful and cheaper versions, the front engine has now been omitted, and the e-motor for the primary drive has been placed between the rear wheels. Volvo recognizes the important advantages of rear-wheel drive: it ensures a high-traction power transmission and drive reactions in the steering are a thing of the past.
Is only the placement of the electric motor different?
No, the electric motor is also new. It has a permanent magnet, it is an electric motor that Volvo has developed in-house and also produces itself – and which could be optimally adjusted to the control software written by Volvo. The new electric motor is available in two power levels. In the XC40 Single Motor it delivers 175 kW (238 hp), an increase of 5 kW (7 hp) over the old entry-level front-wheel drive version.
Are there more versions?
Yes, it was before and XC40 with one electric motor or two now there is the XC40 Single Motor Extended Range, which unleashes 185 kW (252 hp) on the rear wheels and has a larger battery pack. The two-engine Twin Motor with AWD received a new asynchronous electric motor (110 kW) to drive the front wheels. It only comes into action when strictly necessary. The Twin Motor has a combined output of 300 kW (408 hp). Volvo also promises an efficiency boost, partly thanks to a newly developed inverter. It gets less hot and works with a higher voltage density.
Does the electric XC40 now have a larger battery pack?
The battery pack of the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric now has a slightly larger capacity: the least powerful entry-level model went from a usable 67 kWh to 69 kWh. The XC40 Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor both use a battery with a net capacity of 79 kWh. With the previous twin-engine version, that was still 75 kWh.
Will the Volvo XC40 Recharge now continue on a charge?
Sure, all adjustments result in extra mileage. According to WLTP standards, the entry-level model gets 461 kilometers from a full battery. That is a gain of 36 kilometers. Incidentally, the basic version with its consumer price from €45,995 is just eligible for a SEPP subsidy. For the Single Motor Extended Range (from €51,495), Volvo specifies a range of 573 kilometers, the 408 hp XC40 Twin Motor (from €59,995) must reach 528 kilometers – 100 kilometers more than before.
What about fast charging?
Both variants with a 79 kWh battery reach a peak output of 205 kW on the fast charger. The old XC40 Twin Motor did not exceed 150 kW.
Does the XC40 drive differently now?
After a shorter charging break, you can happily get behind the wheel again. We drove our first test kilometers with the 252 hp strong XC40 Single Motor Extended Range. An extensive range of driving programs is missing; to set the degree of power steering, you have to venture a deep dive into the depths of the infotainment system. There you can choose between ‘light’ and ‘less light’. Regardless of your preference, the XC40 is very easy and predictable to change direction, even if the feedback is lacking. Tributes and flowers go out to the technicians who have worked on the (refined) tuning of the chassis. You hardly notice the empty weight of almost 2,000 kilos on a bumpy road. While many other EVs would now imitate a rodeo bull, the Volvo keeps calm. When you floor the power pedal, the car responds extremely smoothly. Even on a rain-soaked roundabout, you really have to make a lot of effort to fool the ESC system purely on electrical power.
Will the Volvo XC40 remain a good offer?
The radically renewed Volvo XC40 shows that it is still not outdated despite its older age, and can tell many a younger electric SUV how the world actually works. For the time being, Volvo need not fear losing the strong market position of the XC40.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl