Volvo XC40 Recharge To Become First Locally Assembled Luxury EV In India

Volvo XC40 Recharge will be equipped with a 78 kWh battery pack and the twin electric motors produce a combined power output of 408 hp

Volvo India has revealed that it will launch its first electric vehicle in the domestic market next month. The Volvo XC40 Recharge will be locally assembled in India and we can expect competitive pricing as well. The electric SUV will be rolled out of the brand’s Hoskote plant near Bengaluru in Karnataka and it will be the first of its kind to do so.

The deliveries of the Volvo XC40 Recharge will commence from October 2022 onwards. The Swedish luxury carmaker will look to bank on the burgeoning EV space with the upcoming model. Volvo will become the first luxury car producer to assemble an EV in India and it joins a long list of SUVs within the brand’s portfolio. Just over 12 months ago, the XC40 Recharge was displayed locally.

It was expected to be introduced midway through last year but the launch was postponed due to semiconductor issues. It sits on the same CMA (Compact Modular Architecture) platform as the regular XC40 and has its styling as well as most of the features retained. The exterior highlights in the Volvo XC40 Recharge include a shut-off front grille.

The premium features it will boast are a dual-zone climate control system, a large touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto compatibility and other connectivity choices, an all-digital 12-inch instrument console, panoramic sunroof, hands-free tailgate function, steering wheel with mounted controls, upmarket surface finishes, and so on.

As for safety, the Volvo XC40 Recharge will have ADAS based functions like adaptive cruise control, cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, autonomous parking and blind-spot monitoring system along with seven airbags and an around-view camera system. The all-important performance comes from twin electric motors capable of a combined power output of 408 hp and 660 Nm of peak torque.

It is claimed to have a top speed of 180 kmph while the zero to 100 kmph acceleration time is at 4.9 seconds. The 78 kWh battery pack is mounted underneath the floor and is said to have a claimed driving range of 418 km on a single charge in the WLTP cycle. It won’t have any direct competition upon arrival. The brand is committed to launching one new electric vehicle every year from 2022.