The Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric is a sleeper EV and still competitive against German rivals.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric was the first electric vehicle to be assembled right here in Malaysia. Today, it finds itself outgunned by cheaper imports from China wearing trendier designs and badges.
People want the most range for the least amount of money. And as long as the car is well built and powerful enough, some customers are prepared to try out new and untested brands if it means saving some money.
Switching to electric is also often seen as a way to virtue signal, and so some customers gravitate towards brands that are very obviously electric. Tesla comes to mind as the one brand that started this whole movement towards zero emissions driving. But there’s something very Volvo-esque about offering the XC40 as an electric vehicle with the most subtle of design cues indicating its electric nature.
One of the fondest memories I had growing up was being picked up from the bus station in KL by my uncle in his friend’s Volvo 850 Turbo wagon. It was the quintessential “sleeper” – practical enough to load the entire family’s luggage, but completely capable of taking on the BMW M3 of that era. It existed at a time where car buyers wanted to be seen in fast cars.
The Volvo 850 was a fast car, but it just didn’t look like one. Today, car buyers want to be seen in electric cars. This XC40 is pure electric, but it just doesn’t like it is.
Range Anxiety? Not In The City
While I had a pretty tiring time taking the Volvo C40 cross-country earlier this year, my experience with the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric within the Klang Valley was actually anxiety-free. I picked the car up on a Friday with a full charge and 380km of range. I then picked my parents up from Subang Jaya, drove them to Bukit Jalil, drove again to Subang the next day, then to Shah Alam on Sunday, then to Klang on Monday before finally sending them to KL city centre on Monday. By the end of all this, the battery was at 30% and I hadn’t even charged it once.
The way I see it, the typical EV buyer will have an AC charger installed at home and will have either a petrol or a hybrid to carry out long-distance travel. In this scenario, about 400km of range is actually more than you need. With the amount of driving I did, it would equate to charging the car up at home about 2-3 times a week at most. There’s no real need to charge the thing up daily.
Consider how much more range would be “enough” to be truly a worry-free experience for a single-car household. An additional 100km of range per full charge still wouldn’t make interstate travel worry-free. In my experience 600km of range was enough for a worry-free 300km drive to JB, and even then, about 2 hours were spent DC Fast Charging for that trip. Long distance EV trips are just not worth it unless you have convenient home charging at arrival and destination. I would definitely stick to having one PHEV/HEV or ICE vehicle if you’re getting an EV and in fact most EV buyers in Malaysia are sticking with this strategy, so a 400km EV like the XC40 still works out alright.
Practical And Powerful
One thing that Volvo has an enormous leg up on is is the Android Automotive OS for its infotainment which has Google Built-in to the vehicle’s system. This means that Google Maps and your XC40 talk to each other and calculate your battery percentage upon arrival and return to a set destination. It can also find charging stations for you along your route.
The integration here is miles ahead of what we’ve seen from both BMW Malaysia and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, who both use proprietary navigation systems that aren’t quite as good as Google Maps. This feature is really what made the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric an anxiety-free EV for me and it seems improved in terms of stability versus how it used to be earlier this year.
Volvo Car Malaysia only offers this model with the full blown 300kW twin motor setup and this is essentially all the power you’ll ever need. 402 hp and 660Nm of torque is about as much power that the average driver can take advantage of on public roads and boy is it fun. 0-100km/h takes under 5 seconds. There’s no drama, but the instant acceleration is second to none as the throttle response just can’t be matched by any ICE or hybrid vehicle at this price.
But it’s not just a fast EV, it’s also practical with a large boot with flexible storage options and a frunk too. You get the high driving position of an SUV too, which many are looking for. In terms of charging speed, it’s about as fast as its peers are offering with 11kW AC charging (7.5 hours to fully charge) and 150kW DC fast charging (0-80% in 28 minutes).
Half A Decade Old But Looks Current
While the C40 is undoubtably a more eye-catching vehicle with its sloped rear, I think the XC40 is a more practical design. Visibility out the rear glass is so much better here – I genuinely had issues on the C40 while driving cross country. The panoramic sunroof is also the more conventional style that can be opened up or completely covered, which wasn’t the case on the C40. I don’t have the means to test this, but in Malaysian weather the C40’s aerodynamic gains are probably offset by the fact that there’s constantly heat and light transmission through the glass roof.
The XC40 Recharge Pure Electric gets handsome looking 19″ 5 twin spoke black diamond cut wheels, “Charcoal Connect” suede textile upholstery and the same backlit Topography trim for the interior. Our unit was finished in Fjor Blue, but it’s also available in Black Stone, Thunder Grey, Crystal White and Sage Green.
Value And Pricing In The Volatile EV Environment
With a price tag of RM283,408, the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric isn’t the last word on value, but it’s not that far off from the Mercedes-Benz EQA’s RM278K asking price and the BMW iX1’s RM286K price tag. Mind you, the Volvo has more power, faster charging and in some aspects better equipment than either of those EVs. Plus, if you go to the official Online Store right now, you’ll get a MASSIVE RM25,000 cash rebate without even haggling. We’re sure visiting a showroom and sweet talking a sales advisor might even push that number further.
Equipment is indeed quite respectable. Besides the 12″ infotainment system with Google built-in, you also get a sweet sounding 600W Harman Kardon sound system with 13 speakers, Qi wireless charging, USB-C ports, a hands-free powered tailgate, and the City Safety ADAS suite with one of the best semi-autonomous driving modes in the business.
Overall, the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric is probably the best compact premium EV buy in its class. It loses in terms of specs to the new Tesla and BYD models, but you get a more robust and proven aftersales network and the build quality and tech of a company that has been in Malaysia for 6 decades and in the automotive business for nearly a century.
Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric Specifications
Motors: Dual Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (AWD)
Range: 418km (78kWh battery)
Charging Speed: 150kWh DC (0-80% in 28 minutes), 11kW AC (7.5 hours full)
Max power: 402hp
Max torque: 660Nm
Top Speed: 180 km/h
0-100 km/h: 4.9 seconds
Price: RM283,408
