With a top-down approach, this is a more affordable, less powerful, smaller battery and a single-motor version of the XC40 Recharge. Priced at Rs 54.95 lakh, it is available in a new Pure variant which is also aptly called “Single”. With a reduced battery size, the claimed range is also slightly down while the power is almost half of the P8 AWD trim. But was there a need for this XC40 Recharge Single, when the price difference between this and the bigger, faster version isn’t significant? Let’s find out. Although the Thor hammer headlamps are present with the new facelifted design, it does miss out on the Pixel LED headlamps. It also rides on simple-looking 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli tyres. We are also a fan of this rather smartly finished ‘bright dusk’ paint job on our test car. Otherwise, there’s no way of visually differentiating this RWD XC40 from the P8 AWD version. the Pure variant does miss out on a few feel-good features to keep the cost down. These missing features include the aforementioned Pixel LED headlamps apart from a 360-degree camera, park assist, powered child safety lock, and Harman Kardon music system with a sub-woofer. You do get two choices for the cabin theme – black on black or a very typical Volvo style of black with Fjord Blue. It uses the same suede/Microtech upholstery which is recycled yet feels very premium. Being an all-black cabin does make the electric XC40 feel more cramped than it is. This being an EV, we have come to expect more space inside the cabin and some contemporary design elements like an empty centre console. For instance, the direct rival BMW iX1 has a floating centre console which makes the cabin feel more spacious and futuristic. However, Volvo has decided to stick to its simple setup for the dashboard which continues to have an integrated nine-inch vertically stacked touchscreen flanked by air-con vents. The only contemporary elements inside are those topography inlays running across the dash and doors which look and feel quite fantastic. Even the bootspace at 419 litres is significantly less than what you get in the direct rival, the BMW iX1 (490 litres). However, both the iX1 and this XC40 Recharge have their bootspace eaten up by a spare wheel placed in the boot. But where the iX1 doesn’t offer any, the XC40 electric gives you 31 litres of frunk space which is large enough for a weekend duffle bag. This Pure variant now has a smaller 69kWh battery pack compared to the 78kWh unit available in the P8 trim. With a motor eliminated, the power output is also down to 236bhp and 420Nm as compared to 401bhp and 660Nm. As a result, the 0-100kmph time has gone up from 4.9 seconds to 7.3 seconds now. However, 7.3 seconds is no slouch by any standard. There are no significant changes done to the steering setup as well as the suspension for this RWD version. It rides on 235/50 section Pirelli tyres wrapped around 19-inch alloy wheels and has an underlying firmness to the way it takes our cemented roads. Those sharp road joints and creases are felt prominently inside the cabin. But on the upside, it feels equally planted at highway speeds. It even manages to flat out some of the ungainly irregularities when carrying higher speeds. Moreover, the steering remains light and quick. It’s very direct as well which makes maneuvering the XC40 around town a very comfortable affair. You can make the steering feel a tad bit heavy by finding a control deep inside the touchscreen. Since the power is sent to the rear wheels, the front sometimes feels too light when accelerating hard. And if you try to go hard on the throttle while being way into a corner, it will tend to oversteer. But since there’s not a lot of horsepower to play around with a rather heavy car, it won’t be as scary an experience. Now this lower-spec Single trim of the Volvo XC40 Recharge is not significantly more affordable than the powerful and outrageous P8 trim. It’s around 3 lakh rupees less expensive, for which the only upside is that you get a car which won’t give you a heart attack every time you go hard on the accelerator pedal. Sure, the elimination of some important and feel-good features was unnecessary as this price difference between the two variants only justifies the elimination of the second motor. And for someone looking to invest around Rs 60 lakh rupees (on-road, Mumbai), the difference of a couple of lakh won’t be a big deal breaker. But the Single in itself makes for a more sensible buy. It’s well suited for everyday usability and still has the same ‘seal’ of approval that every Volvo comes with.

Volvo Cars plans on going carbon neutral by 2040 and having an all-electric car portfolio by 2030. As they say, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and XC40 Recharge is that step for Volvo Cars. It is the first-ever pure-electric offering from the Swedish carmaker in our country and will go on sale later this year. While internationally the XC40 Recharge comes in two versions — a single-motor 230bhp front-wheel-drive and a 400bhp dual-motor all-wheel-drive, the India-spec model is the latter one, which holds back nothing and offers remarkable straight-line performance. We have driven it to find all about it. The electric XC40 makes use of a 75kWh battery pack sending power to two motors - one on each axle making it AWD. The combined output from both the motors is equal to 300kW (around 402bhp) and 660Nm that’s capable of sending the XC40 from a standstill to a 100kmph in just 4.9 seconds. Now these numbers tell you only half the story of the XC40’s calibre. But before that, we’ll talk about its quirky startup procedure – or rather the lack of it. Tipping the scale at 2188 kilograms, the XC40 isn’t a light car, but it does a good job of masking all its weight. Riding on 235/50 section Pirelli tyres wrapped around 19-inch alloy wheels, the XC40 has a compliant ride that absorbs bumps and creases quite well. But you hear the suspension more than you feel the irregularities in the cabin. Apart from an all-digital instrument cluster, there are no noticeable changes inside the cabin of the XC40 Recharge. With Volvo going sustainable, there’s no leather inside the cabin, but they have used good quality upholstery with a hint of Alcantara. It also makes use of recycled materials on the inside for stuff like carpets, headliners, and more. For the XC40 Recharge, Volvo will be opening bookings three months from now in July. And deliveries are slated to commence not before October 2022. With this long game, the Swedish carmaker wants to showcase the XC40 Recharge to prospective buyers and familiarise them with the EV nature of their baby crossover. And when it will hit the streets, the XC40 Recharge will be a straight alternative to the Mercedes-Benz EQC, Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace and BMW iX. But all these rivals are expensive with starting price north of Rs 1 crore and yet they are less powerful than the XC40. A recent leak on the website hints at an aggressive pricing proposition for the XC40 electric, and if Volvo manages to come through with that starting price, the giggle-inducing XC40 Recharge might hit the nail right on the head.