Volvo XC40 Recharge

[cometguy]

If the Recharge price starts above $55k, it will be as rare on the road as the XC-90 T8 currently is. And they will be on huge discounts in about a year.
There's a reason we got our XC-90 T8 at more than $13k below MSRP (plus another $11k in fed/state tax credits).

I think that the XC40 BEV will sell well -- way better than the T8 Volvos, which are crappy engineering (their battery packs are too small, they get horrendous all-electric range, and they scrimped on the drive train to have a much-weaker all-electric rear axle vs. all-ICE-powered front axle for a big variation on power, front-to-back). In fact, when I bought my 4 E-Hybrid (which has both electric power and ICE power going to all 4 wheels), Volvo PHEVs were the primate competition for me vs. the Porsche PHEVs.

By the way, how do you like your S E-Hybrid?

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[eager2own]

I think that the XC40 BEV will sell well -- way better than the T8 Volvos, which are crappy engineering (their battery packs are too small, they get horrendous all-electric range, and they scrimped on the drive train to have a much-weaker all-electric rear axle vs. all-ICE-powered front axle for a big variation on power, front-to-back). In fact, when I bought my 4 E-Hybrid (which has both electric power and ICE power going to all 4 wheels), Volvo PHEVs were the primate competition for me vs. the Porsche PHEVs.

By the way, how do you like your S E-Hybrid?

We actually love the T8. My wife constantly comments on how much she loves her car. Yes, the all electric range isn't great, but it's enough for most of the driving she does within just miles of our home. And even when that's used up, she still gets close to 10 mpg better in hybrid mode than she would in an ICE-only XC-90.
The problem with the T8 is that Volvo overpriced that additional capability over a T6, and I'd never have considered it at anything even remotely approaching MSRP.
Don't get me wrong, I think the XC-40 looks like a great car and could sell -- but just not at a starting price above $55k.

The S E-Hybrid is a great car, and I still smile whenever I drive it. Having said that (and I'll never admit it to my wife), the PHEV integration in her 2016 Volvo is 5-6 years ahead of my 2015 Porsche. Volvo's PHEV specific displays are much better (more comprehensive and more intuitive -- with the same info on one display as my Porsche has only after I scroll through three different displays). More importantly the PHEV drivetrain also has much better integration in the Volvo -- regen and physical braking are much more seamless as are also the transitions with the ICE and electrical motors.
Oh, and as bad as the all-electric range is on the T8, it's worse on my Panamera.
But of course, this is all about the 2015 Panamera, whereas I believe Prosche made great strides with the 2018s.

 

[cometguy]

We actually love the T8. My wife constantly comments on how much she loves her car. Yes, the all electric range isn't great, but it's enough for most of the driving she does within just miles of our home. And even when that's used up, she still gets close to 10 mpg better in hybrid mode than she would in an ICE-only XC-90.
The problem with the T8 is that Volvo overpriced that additional capability over a T6, and I'd never have considered it at anything even remotely approaching MSRP.
Don't get me wrong, I think the XC-40 looks like a great car and could sell -- but just not at a starting price above $55k.

The S E-Hybrid is a great car, and I still smile whenever I drive it. Having said that (and I'll never admit it to my wife), the PHEV integration in her 2016 Volvo is 5-6 years ahead of my 2015 Porsche. Volvo's PHEV specific displays are much better (more comprehensive and more intuitive -- with the same info on one display as my Porsche has only after I scroll through three different displays). More importantly the PHEV drivetrain also has much better integration in the Volvo -- regen and physical braking are much more seamless as are also the transitions with the ICE and electrical motors.
Oh, and as bad as the all-electric range is on the T8, it's worse on my Panamera.
But of course, this is all about the 2015 Panamera, whereas I believe Prosche made great strides with the 2018s.

Yes, the new-gen E-Hybrid is much better, and AWD makes a difference.. I find the instrument panel on my 2018 E-Hybrid to be light-years ahead of the T8 instrument panels (which I find confusing); I like having the tachometer always displayed, and in my Panamera the change between ICE and electric motor is seemless and often hard to notice without looking at the tach.

Back to this thread: I think that the XC40 BEV and the forthcoming Macan BEV will give the Mach-E a run for its money. If the Taycan is any indication (I test-drove a Turbo S just before the pandemic shutdown), the Macan BEV is going to blow most everything else away in this small-SUV/crossover category.

 

[eager2own]

I think that the XC40 BEV and the forthcoming Macan BEV will give the Mach-E a run for its money. If the Taycan is any indication (I test-drove a Turbo S just before the pandemic shutdown), the Macan BEV is going to blow most everything else away in this small-SUV/crossover category.

Again, I think the XC40 can't be priced above $55k to give the MME a run for its money.
As to the Macan, I have been giving some serious thought (especially now that the MME GT won't be available until late next summer) to just waiting one more year for that Macan now that they are talking production in 2022. It's not as if I'm in a rush to replace my current car and, after having driven Macans in S, GTS, and Turbo forms (although not yet the Turbo S), I agree that they're great vehicles.

 

[dbsb3233]

Again, I think the XC40 can't be priced above $55k to give the MME a run for its money.

Yeah, if it's really coming in at $65k+ as the UK pricing suggests, that's gonna put it in the next higher price bracket and price a lot of people out (that are also considering the Mach-e). That's the boat I'm in. At present, I'm planning for an AWD SR Premium Mach-e ($53k), which is pretty similar to the XC40 Recharge config (~210 mile range and AWD). $12k higher is just too much difference.

 

[macchiaz-o]

$12k higher is just too much difference.

Even if the purchase price were the same, I shy away from luxury brands and especially German ones because I perceive maintenance and repair costs to be significantly higher.

 

[dbsb3233]

Even if the purchase price were the same, I shy away from luxury brands and especially German ones because I perceive maintenance and repair costs to be significantly higher.

My general preference would certainly be for Ford. 30 years of happy experience with them, American company, much better coverage of dealers/service, and as you say, likely better service pricing too.

But at the same time, new vehicles these days (above entry-level) tend to hold up pretty well. And BEVs are supposed to hold up even better. So I'm not too worried about service. It still mostly comes down to the vehicle itself (style, size, features, price, etc). There's things I love about the Mach-e (front half especially), and there's things I love about the XC40 (SUV shape on the back end, a few inches taller). It's kind of a toss-up on the vehicle itself (from what we know so far). But a $65,000 price tag would veto the XC40 for me, unfortunately.

 

[FredT]

The XC40 is still at the top of the list for me, but I'm getting impatient so I wrote Volvo to see if they could give me any kind of information. They wrote back:

I apologize for the lack of information we have. The information we do have is that these vehicles are expected to arrive at the end of this year/ early 2021. And the vehicle configurator should be available within the next few months but we do not have a specific date yet.

I didn't really expect much more, but "vehicle configurator available in the next few months" is really disappointing.

 

[Mchaelme]

The XC40 is still at the top of the list for me, but I'm getting impatient so I wrote Volvo to see if they could give me any kind of information. They wrote back:

I apologize for the lack of information we have. The information we do have is that these vehicles are expected to arrive at the end of this year/ early 2021. And the vehicle configurator should be available within the next few months but we do not have a specific date yet.

I didn't really expect much more, but "vehicle configurator available in the next few months" is really disappointing.

Well that’s another option off my list as the xc40 first edition is £60k with only a 200 mile range

 

[Njia]

Somehow I didn't know this is a thing until today, coming out around the same time as Mach E in the US... 2021 model available fall 2020

0-60: 4.7 sec
233mi range (wltp, so less for epa rating)
402 hp
AWD
78 kWH battery
Cargo: 14.5 to 48.5 cf
Can do towing and roof rails
~55K pre tax rebate

Does have a couple of nice specs, like the 0-60 and I think the charge rate is faster than Ford. The towing and rails doesn't matter to me, but to some that is important... The low cargo space with the seats up and to a lesser extent the lower range are enough for me to prefer the Mach E over it.

That range is not terribly competitive these days. What a place to decide to "go cheap." Looks good, and I like the ground clearance, but unless someone just wanted to drive what everyone else wasn't, I don't see them winning many sales.

 

[FredT]

Well that’s another option off my list as the xc40 first edition is £60k with only a 200 mile range

But they're saying 250 miles on the Volvo UK web site.

 

[dbsb3233]

But they're saying 250 miles on the Volvo UK web site.

That's likely the overly generous WLTP number rather than EPA.

By comparison, target WLTP for the longest Mach-e is 370 miles, vs 300 EPA.

 

[Mchaelme]

But they're saying 250 miles on the Volvo UK web site.

 

[FredT]

I think that's old, like from right after the reveal. This is what you get from the first page on web site:

https://www.volvocars.com/uk/v/cars/xc40-electric

 

[jlauro]

I think that's old, like from right after the reveal. This is what you get from the first page on web site:

https://www.volvocars.com/uk/v/cars/xc40-electric

Either it's old, or they are expecting a lot less range in the US version, it doesn't look good for US any time soon. My guess is it's not coming until late next year at the earliest for the US, despite the mentioned email that state "...end of this year/ early 2021 ".

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