Volvo’s C40 Recharge electric SUV has a new Single Motor rear-wheel-drive model for 2024. It joins the existing Twin Motor all-wheel-drive models and takes over the entry-level position in the group.
The 248-horsepower single-motor powertrain has an 82-kWh battery pack capable of providing an estimated driving range of 297 miles.
There are three trim levels of the C40 Recharge Single Motor model: Core, Plus, and Ultimate. Pricing starts at $54,795 including a $1,195 destination charge. I drove the Ultimate trim, base-priced at $59,995.
I don’t have a reliable real-world experience to give you regarding this SUV’s driving range, because I have the metabolism of a reptile and cannot go from outdoor biting cold into a car without having to run the heater at blast-furnace levels for several miles. That takes an unfair toll on a battery pack, as you can imagine.
The EPA substantiates the 297-mile range and gives the C40 Recharge with a single motor and rear-wheel drive an MPGe fuel economy rating of 118 city, 96 highway, and 107 combined.
Acceleration is less dramatic for the C40 Single Motor compared to the 402-horsepower Twin Motor version, but it still has scads of power. More than enough, really, and not the least bit disappointing. Handling is admirable. The ride is dignified but tends to tremble a bit when traversing sketchy pavement surfaces.
The C40 Recharge has seating for five. Front seat riders have it best, as usual. The sloping roof that helps make the car look so good robs room from the back seat. Tall adult passengers assigned those seats might be heard grousing.
Cargo space is impacted by the sloping roof, too. It’s 15 cubic feet when back seats are in upright position. Some extra space, about 2 more cubic feet, is available beneath the
cargo floor. Elsewhere, stowage spaces for smaller items are handy, inventive, and abundant.
One final shaming of the sloping roof: It creates a too-small rear window negatively impacting visibility.
A panoramic fixed glass roof is standard. It’s UV-treated, but there’s no sunshade to block light from a blazing sun.
Interior styling is classic Volvo: tidy, minimalist, and well-made with quality materials. Volvo proudly proclaims the C40 Recharge interior as completely leather-free, as part of the company’s stated commitment against animal cruelty and environmental degradation.
2024 VOLVO C40 RECHARGE SINGLE MOTOR ULTIMATE
Base price, including destination charge: $59,995
Price as driven: $59,995
Mary Lowry is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. She lives in Snohomish County. Vehicles are provided by automotive manufacturers as a one-week loan for evaluation purposes only. Manufacturers do not control content of the reviews.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
