Volvo announced the C40 Recharge for the U.S. market back in March this year. It is essentially a crossover version of the XC40. The U.S. market is known to welcome crossover coupes with arms wide open and Volvo accepted the invitation. For the 2022 XC40, Volvo introduced two new trims – Plus and Ultimate. But, the C40 will be offered only in the top-spec Ultimate spec. Aside from the looks, it comes with a premium cabin and a ton of creature comforts. The downside, however, is the range. The C40 Recharge is offered with a range of 210 miles, which isn’t too impressive for a vehicle that costs close to $60,000.

Volvo C40 Recharge Exterior and Interior

The C40 Recharge shares a lot of stuff with the XC40 Recharge. Unless viewed from the side, a non-enthusiast might mistake it for an XC40. The sloping roof is the one thing that distinguishes it the most. Despite the steep rake, the ‘Christmas’ lights are retained, similar to the XC40 for those strong Scandinavian vibes. Volvo hasn’t mentioned the dimensions yet, so we’ll wait for that to see how it compares with the SC40 Recharge.

The cabin, as expected, is similar to the XC40’s otherwise. As mentioned earlier, it will be available in the top Ultimate spec only. This means the C40 will come with a whole lot of features inside-out. These include:

-* Pixel LED Lighting

-* Unique 20-inch Wheels

-* Panoramic Moonroof

-* Google Android-based infotainment system

-* 360-degree Surround View Camera

-* Harman Kardon Premium Sound

-* Pilot Assist

You can choose to have Fjord Blue Carpet for no extra cost if it floats your boat. Volvo will also let you pick four out of the seven exterior shades for no additional moolah.

Volvo C40 Recharge Powertrain and Battery

This makes the EV an all-wheel-drive model by default. It’s the same setup seen on the XC40 Recharge and the Polestar 2 EV. Combined, they churn out 402 horses. Here, it takes just 4.7 seconds from 0-60 mph.

The crossover comes with a 75 kWh battery pack under the floor which is good for about 210 miles. This is the C40 Recharge’s Achilles heel. Its chief rivals, the Ford Mustang Mach-e and the Tesla Model Y deliver a lot more in their best iterations. The Mach-E is rated between 211- and 305 miles, whereas the Model Y is rated between 303- and 326 miles on a full charge. The C40 Recharge, unfortunately, doesn’t come with a bigger battery pack.

How Much Does The Volvo C40 Recharge Cost?

Volvo had opened the booking for the C40 Recharge back in March, but the prices weren’t revealed. Now, the automaker has announced that the C40 Recharge starts at $58,750. This is most likely without the destination charges. However, it doesn’t include the federal and state tax credits and rebates either.

To put things into perspective, the Mustang Mach-e starts at $42,895 and tops out at and tops out at around $65,000 before federal tax credits. As for the Model Y, it starts at $52,990 and ends at $60,990. You can count the Audi Q4 e-Tron Sportback as its rival too, and it is expected to start at under $50,000.

If you compare it with the XC40 Recharge, it is almost $5,000 more expensive.

Final Thoughts

The C40 Recharge’s looks will draw polarizing opinions. If you can get past it, you’ll be welcomed to a sweet-looking cabin. We’re not sure to what extent the sloping roofline at the rear impacts the second-row headroom and the cargo space. The dimensions, when out, will clear that. The biggest flaw is the 210-mile range battery pack. Had this been the base offering, we wouldn’t mind it. But, there is no other battery pack option available at the moment. Its American rivals offer over 300 miles of range in their best avatars and it’s not an insignificant difference.

Volvo has collaborated with Electrify America to offer 250 kWh of complimentary charging that needs to be used within the first three years. This applies to all 2022 EV models. The automaker offers standard wear coverage of 4 years/40,000 miles.

The bookings for the C40 Recharge are open since March 2021 and can be booked by paying a refundable deposit of $500. The only option is to order it online and it will not make it to the dealerships anytime soon. The production of the C40 Recharge will begin in Ghent, Belgium this fall, and the customer deliveries Stateside will begin in the fourth quarter of 2021.