2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge EV First Drive Review: Pure Electric P8wer

[Colorado Native]

Volvo service and parts is definitely a concern. There are a few dealerships in Denver, and McDonald represents both Volvo and Polestar. Feels OK, at least.

Volvo actually has an issue with their Volvo On Call app, and their are holding all XC40's at the port until it is resolved, so... at least they are trying to deliver a working product? Additionally, they are pushing out an OTA this week to all Polestar 2's and XC40's, which includes 'incremental range improvements', better charging profile and Android 10.

Sponsored

 

[jksu]

i definitely highly considered the xc40. coming from volvo and loving their design and comfortable seats. and may get one after the 3year ford options is over on my premium rwd std.

the volvo was just too much $ for what i wanted to spend on a car right now. and i have to admit, i like the more aggressive and unique styling of the mach-e (xc40 ev looks pretty much like ice xc40). do miss those seats and don’t doubt the better software and generally higher grade fit and finish.

congrats and enjoy

 

[ARK]

My local Volvo dealer has had an XC40 Recharge P8 on the lot for over a month, and I've had two extended test drives in it.

On Wednesday I got the call from my Ford dealer that my First Edition was ready to be picked up. My wife and I took its out for a 50 mile test drive, and I was finally able to develop an actual impression of the Mach-e.

In the end I handed the key back to the salesman and declined delivery.

SYNC 4A is a mess compared to Android Automotive. I found the XC40's 10-way bolstered seats to be much more comfortable and supportive. The XC40's instrument cluster is laid out better and more useful. The XC40's blended brakes are smooth and precise compared to the grabby Mach-e's brakes. The Mach-e is quick, but the XC40 is bat-out-a-hell fast.

Yes, the XC40 is expensive, but not that much more than a First Edition, and both are eligible for the tax credits.

Yes, the Mach-e has about 62 more miles of range, however I'm not buying an EV for road tripping. 200 miles will easily meet my needs.

The XC40 will also come with a trailer hitch, roof racks and a heat pump.

I still have an AWD Premium on order for June delivery, so we'll see what happens with OTAs and the like, but I think I've made my decision.

I haven’t been inside an XC40 to compare to the Mach-E one way or the other, but the biggest problem with the XC40 is that it just doesn’t seem to be a particularly interesting EV. I think this might be because there is an ICE and hybrid version, but it’s also a pretty conservative looking vehicle, especially compared to the Mach-E and anything from Tesla.

It’s like the current generation Camaro and Mustang. By many measures, today’s Camaro is actually the better performance car, at least outside of the Shelbys, but the Mustang dominates it in sales because I think, at the end of the day, far more people would rather spend time in the Mustang, it’s a more exciting car and I think people get attached to it.

Have you looked at a Polestar 2?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

My local Volvo dealer has had an XC40 Recharge P8 on the lot for over a month, and I've had two extended test drives in it.

On Wednesday I got the call from my Ford dealer that my First Edition was ready to be picked up. My wife and I took its out for a 50 mile test drive, and I was finally able to develop an actual impression of the Mach-e.

In the end I handed the key back to the salesman and declined delivery.

SYNC 4A is a mess compared to Android Automotive. I found the XC40's 10-way bolstered seats to be much more comfortable and supportive. The XC40's instrument cluster is laid out better and more useful. The XC40's blended brakes are smooth and precise compared to the grabby Mach-e's brakes. The Mach-e is quick, but the XC40 is bat-out-a-hell fast.

Yes, the XC40 is expensive, but not that much more than a First Edition, and both are eligible for the tax credits.

Yes, the Mach-e has about 62 more miles of range, however I'm not buying an EV for road tripping. 200 miles will easily meet my needs.

The XC40 will also come with a trailer hitch, roof racks and a heat pump.

I still have an AWD Premium on order for June delivery, so we'll see what happens with OTAs and the like, but I think I've made my decision.

Bye.

 

[Colorado Native]

Have you looked at a Polestar 2?

I have. They brought one to my house for a test drive. It has the same powertrain as the XC40, but in a performance sedan configuration. The instrument cluster and infotainment system have a slightly different skin, but are fundamentally the same as the XC40. I have a hard time with the center console being about the size of a foot locker and the limited visibility out the back window. The upright SUV configuration of the XC40 suites me a bit better.

Bye.

I'm not gone yet. It'll be months before my Bursting Blue XC40 arrives, and if Ford can pull out a hat trick, I may still end up with an Infinite Blue Premium AWD.

 

[dbsb3233]

My local Volvo dealer has had an XC40 Recharge P8 on the lot for over a month, and I've had two extended test drives in it.

On Wednesday I got the call from my Ford dealer that my First Edition was ready to be picked up. My wife and I took its out for a 50 mile test drive, and I was finally able to develop an actual impression of the Mach-e.

In the end I handed the key back to the salesman and declined delivery.

SYNC 4A is a mess compared to Android Automotive. I found the XC40's 10-way bolstered seats to be much more comfortable and supportive. The XC40's instrument cluster is laid out better and more useful. The XC40's blended brakes are smooth and precise compared to the grabby Mach-e's brakes. The Mach-e is quick, but the XC40 is bat-out-a-hell fast.

Yes, the XC40 is expensive, but not that much more than a First Edition, and both are eligible for the tax credits.

Yes, the Mach-e has about 62 more miles of range, however I'm not buying an EV for road tripping. 200 miles will easily meet my needs.

The XC40 will also come with a trailer hitch, roof racks and a heat pump.

I still have an AWD Premium on order for June delivery, so we'll see what happens with OTAs and the like, but I think I've made my decision.

The XC40 Recharge was tempting to me too. I like that it's functionally more SUV-like. But I also like the styling of the Mach-E better. (Yes, I know those are in direct conflict.) If the range were much better on the XC40 I'd have been more tempted. And the price closer. But to spec the Volvo up to the Premium MME looked like it would make it somewhere between $10k-$20 more, and I just couldn't justify that.

Curious how you found the ride of the Volvo in relation to the MME? The MME is a bit rougher at non-highway speeds than I was hoping for.

 

[Billyk24]

The XC40 Recharge was tempting to me too. I like that it's functionally more SUV-like. But I also like the styling of the Mach-E better. (Yes, I know those are in direct conflict.) If the range were much better on the XC40 I'd have been more tempted. And the price closer. But to spec the Volvo up to the Premium MME looked like it would make it somewhere between $10k-$20 more, and I just couldn't justify that.

Curious how you found the ride of the Volvo in relation to the MME? The MME is a bit rougher at non-highway speeds than I was hoping for.

The ReCharge is only 174 inches long--think Ford CMax Energi length. May not be "large" enough to handle your supplies/equipment/cargo if you want a true multipurpose vehicle.

 

[Colorado Native]

Curious how you found the ride of the Volvo in relation to the MME? The MME is a bit rougher at non-highway speeds than I was hoping for.

The XC40 ride was exceptional at all speeds - comfortable, well planted, and in control. It absorbed the typical Colorado road damage somewhat better than MME. Maybe Ford did this intentionally to make it ride more like a Mustang. BTW - I did the XC40 and Mach-e test drives over the same roads, a day apart, so it was easy to detect the differences in the ride. And did I mention how quick it is? Those 408 HP and 486 lb-ft of torque are really impressive. Really darts around quite well.

The ReCharge is only 174 inches long--think Ford CMax Energi length. May not be "large" enough to handle your supplies/equipment/cargo if you want a true multipurpose vehicle.

The XC40 is 12" shorter, and 2" taller than a MME. That 12" difference is partially recovered by the more upright and box-ish back end of the XC40. It seems plenty space for anything I'd want to do in town or in the Foothills outside Denver - I could even sleep in it. I did order the tow hitch on the XC40, which can pull 1600 lbs un-braked. Thought I'd try pulling my raft trailer with a stripped down boat up into the mountains for some whitewater day trips on the Arkansas and the Upper Colorado. Yes, there are charging stations along those routes - I'm sure I'm going to need them

Anyway, I'm not trying to sell anyone on the XC40, or trying to dissuade any one from purchasing the Mach-E. For me it will provide a good counter-balance to the V8 4Runner I use for heavy lifting such as towing my raft trailer and all the gear to Idaho or out to Utah. Only problem - 17 mpg. ;(

 

[silverelan]

Volvo service and parts is definitely a concern. There are a few dealerships in Denver, and McDonald represents both Volvo and Polestar. Feels OK, at least.

Volvo actually has an issue with their Volvo On Call app, and their are holding all XC40's at the port until it is resolved, so... at least they are trying to deliver a working product? Additionally, they are pushing out an OTA this week to all Polestar 2's and XC40's, which includes 'incremental range improvements', better charging profile and Android 10.

The conventional XC40 is a good looking compact SUV. The BEV model is super quick but man, that range stinks. Glad to hear you've got another car that serves you well for road trips. The Mach-E will be my only car so range is definitely a consideration.

The OTA for Polestar 2 is coming out and the initial impressions are that it's quite an improvement over the old charging profile. A Norwegian is posting a 10% to 80% YouTube analysis on Wednesday of it but the teaser was that it already went over 150kW before settling down into the 130kW range. I really hope Ford does something similar to narrow down the charging time.

 

[trutolife27]

The XC40 ride was exceptional at all speeds - comfortable, well planted, and in control. It absorbed the typical Colorado road damage somewhat better than MME. Maybe Ford did this intentionally to make it ride more like a Mustang. BTW - I did the XC40 and Mach-e test drives over the same roads, a day apart, so it was easy to detect the differences in the ride. And did I mention how quick it is? Those 408 HP and 486 lb-ft of torque are really impressive. Really darts around quite well.



The XC40 is 12" shorter, and 2" taller than a MME. That 12" difference is partially recovered by the more upright and box-ish back end of the XC40. It seems plenty space for anything I'd want to do in town or in the Foothills outside Denver - I could even sleep in it. I did order the tow hitch on the XC40, which can pull 1600 lbs un-braked. Thought I'd try pulling my raft trailer with a stripped down boat up into the mountains for some whitewater day trips on the Arkansas and the Upper Colorado. Yes, there are charging stations along those routes - I'm sure I'm going to need them

Anyway, I'm not trying to sell anyone on the XC40, or trying to dissuade any one from purchasing the Mach-E. For me it will provide a good counter-balance to the V8 4Runner I use for heavy lifting such as towing my raft trailer and all the gear to Idaho or out to Utah. Only problem - 17 mpg. ;(

When it's cold and that little of range. When towing with the xc40 you are lucky to get 100 miles.

 

[Colorado Native]

When it's cold and that little of range. When towing with the xc40 you are lucky to get 100 miles.

Whitewater day-tripping is a Summer activity - should be able to get optimum range and optimum charging, at least in regards to the temperature.

 

[agoldman]

They had one at my Volvo dealer yesterday. 208 rated range on the sticker probably means more like 140-150 in deep winter. Just not enough range for anything but a city dweller car. These companies need to get with reality and up the battery sizes and also the charge speed. Otherwise it is a very limited market.

 

[Colorado Native]

These companies need to get with reality and up the battery sizes...

It's a classic cost/benefit tradeoff. As it is, these cars are too heavy. It's not going to improve appreciably until a new battery technology arrives that gives 2 or more times the kilowatts per kilogram... and charges faster. Appears to be at least four years out.

 

[Billyk24]

It's a classic cost/benefit tradeoff. As it is, these cars are too heavy. It's not going to improve appreciably until a new battery technology arrives that gives 2 or more times the kilowatts per kilogram... and charges faster. Appears to be at least four years out.

800V system will allow faster charger speeds. At what cost?

 

[Colorado Native]

800V system will allow faster charger speeds. At what cost?

Maybe someday, but the industry seems to have standardized on 400 volts for now. I suspect most off-the-shelf EV battery and power train components are 400 volts. That's important to a mass market company like Ford.

Sponsored