If it weren’t for the closed grille up front and RECHARGE lettering next to the C-pillars and on the trunk badge, most people could mistake this e-crossover for just another XC40. The P8 AWD Recharge, however, promises more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) of all-electric range from a 78-kWh battery sandwiched into the floor.
As the name implies, P8 is as high as the plug-in lineup goes while AWD stands for a dual-motor setup. Recharge doesn’t need any explanation, but the detail that might capture your attention the most is the output. How do 408 PS (402 horsepower) and 660 Nm (487 pound-feet) sound to you in a compact luxury crossover?
The Polestar 2 shares the CMA platform with the XC40, and as expected, the performance brand’s sedan has a similar output to the P8 AWD Recharge because the e-motors are also shared. Plugged into a fast-charging station, the 78-kWh battery pack with a usable capacity of 75 kilowatt hours can be recharged to 80 percent in 40 minutes.
Venturing into the interior reveals identical styling to the ICE-only and plug-in hybrid XC40, and that’s exactly how an electric vehicle should be. The Toyota Prius and Honda e, for example, have been criticized by some people for being a bit too quirky.
What the P8 AWD Recharge also brings new to the XC40 family is Sage Green, a new color that can be matched to a gloss-black roof, side mirrors, and machine-finish alloy wheels. All-LED lighting and a charging port on the left rear quarter panel are also worthy of mention, along with a vertical touchscreen running Android OS and digital instrument cluster.
Recharge is Volvo’s branding for EVs and plug-in hybrids going forward, and the Swedish automaker has big plans for the future. More to the point, Volvo expects all-electric vehicles to account for 50 percent of global sales while the remaining half will be hybrids.
“We have said this several times before: for Volvo Cars, the future is electric,” declared chief executive officer said HakanSamuelsson. “Today we take a major new step in that direction with the launch of our fully electric XC40 and the Recharge line.”
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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