VOLVO XC40 RECHARGE PLUG-IN HYBRID T5 FWD INSCRIPTION PRO by Tony Yates
The car you see before you here is the lovely new Volvo XC40 ‘ Recharge ’ – a car that I have simply fallen in love with . I tested a basic XC40 a while back and it was a lovely machine . But finally , after months of waiting , the new Plug-in Hybrid XC40 is now finally here sitting on my drive – looking even better than I ever imagined . Actually , I would go as far as to say that it ’ s one of those vehicles that looks better now than it did before .
Power and Efficiency : The XC40 Recharge is fitted with a 180hp three-cylinder 1,477cc petrol engine with 265Nm of torque . 0-62 is dealt with in around 7.3sec and it will max out at 112mph . For starters - I like this engine a lot because it ’ s very refined and gets you around brilliantly with minimal effort needed on the loud pedal . The big plus point here though is its torque levels which makes overtaking effortless once that electric motor jumps in . As I just said , the XC40 Recharge is a plug-in hybrid , so you get the addition of an electric motor working alongside the petrol engine to boost you an additional 82hp – which will move you along quite nicely actually . So that ’ s a together figure of ; 258bhp and 425Nm of torque ( petrol engine + electric motor ). Plus if you do fancy driving on pure electric power alone as I did , you will cover around 22miles on one charge if you drive steady . Now , I know you might be disappointed to read this , but remember this is a plug-in Hybrid , so you have to account for this . To be fair , the XC40 ‘ Recharge ’ does a pretty good job of what it does best and to be honest after driving around for many hours , I still feel as fresh as a daisy . For example ; usually , when I return from a long test drive I immediately grab that bottle of 25-year-old scotch I have locked away and then see if I can find the bottom of the bottle - but coming back from driving the XC40 , I ’ m more inclined to have a sip of Bailey ’ s .
On the road : I expected nothing but the best – and I was right . For me , the XC40 ticks all the right boxes . And , it ’ s on-road abilities are brilliant on pretty much any surface , so it ’ s a big well done ! Volvo from me . Volvo has also done a fantastic job of getting the chassis system to work efficiently on all surfaces - while still allowing it to feel like a normal road car , which when you consider the size of the XC40 , that ’ s a pretty hard trick to pull off truth be told . For me , there is nothing more special than driving about in a Volvo – nothing seems to bother you very much once you sit behind that iconic chrome Volvo badge . Driving the XC40 is like sitting watching a theatre production of ‘ Beauty and the Beast ’ – me being the ‘ Beast ’ and the XC40 being the ‘ Beauty ’.
Design & Technology : Volvo ’ s interiors are very similar across all their models now - and all are very ‘ plush ’. Also , everything fits and works well with the driver and nothing is ever fussy or cumbersome , even the touchscreen display is simple to use and not complex . The seating is also very well designed and even after a day driving to Hereford & back , I still felt as fresh as a daisy , and unflustered thanks to how a Volvo makes you feel . Some of the standard equipment in the XC40 Recharge Inscription Pro includes ; Nine-inch centre console touchscreen with voiceactivated control , Volvo On Call with app – available for your smartphone , smartwatch or tablet , this enables you to control various car functions remotely , and also acts as an emergency and tracking service , Sensus Navigation – full European mapping with traffic information and lifetime map updates , Sensus Connect – allows you to access a range of web apps , Data SIM card – provides up to 100GB of data for 12 months , City Safety – includes pedestrian , cyclist and large animal detection , and front collision warning with fully automatic emergency braking , including at junctions .
Oncoming Lane Mitigation – automatically provides steering assistance if you unwittingly drift out of your lane , guiding you back into your lane and out of the path of any oncoming vehicles , Run-off Road Protection – automatically tightens the front seatbelts should the car inadvertently leave the road , while the front seat frames with a collapsible section reduce vertical forces to help prevent spinal injuries , LED headlights with active high beam , Climate control with CleanZone air-quality system , Rear parking sensors , Hill-start assist , Cruise control with speed limiter and a 12.3-inch active TFT crystal driver ’ s information display .
In summary : Driving the new XC40 Recharge is great - like having a brand new friend who ’ s prepared to do just about anything to make you happy . Seriously though , it ’ s a great machine that will also do its utmost to please you every time you push the start button .
So there you have it , the XC40 ‘ Recharge ’ is the perfect plug-in Hybrid . I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year . Price ( from ) £ 42,430
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