Volvo has announced a series of significant powertrain changes to its electric C40 and XC40 models to make these crossovers more compelling in an increasingly crowded arena. In addition to a new production model with propulsion, these two contenders see their power and their autonomy climb in the exercise.
The 2024 model year will therefore be directly inspired by the revision made to the Polestar 2, a platform cousin offered under the umbrella of the Swedish manufacturer’s performance division. The new entry-level rear-wheel-drive variant will have a 248hp rear motor mated to a new, slightly more energy-dense battery (82kWh), which ensures between 477km and 471km if opting for the C40 or the XC40. The maximum charging power also increases to 200 kW, which reduces the waiting time to 28 minutes to increase the charge from 10% to 80%.
The twin-engine livery receives two new engines whose total power remains at 402 hp. The front motor is now asynchronous, which allows better energy management and thus an increase of 49 km for both models. This is achieved with the same 78 kWh battery of the 2023 version, limited to a charging power of 150 kW.
The C40 and XC40 Recharge will be available on the Canadian market in the fall.