A new age is upon us. Unsuspecting hot hatch humbling cars no longer exist in the form of highly modified models from yesteryear, or grotesquely sized SUVs with monstrous motors under the bonnet – they exist in the form of the silent Volvo C40 Recharge.
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Recently tested in the midst of winter in Johannesburg, it is safe to say the plush and luxurious Volvo C40 Recharge did more than just shuttle family and friends about. Looks like an SUV, drives like an SUV and feels as plush as an SUV – there really isn’t much to write home about when it comes to what is expected from the Swedish automaker. That is until you mash your right foot down onto the accelerator pedal and unleash all 300 kW and 660 N.m onto the tarmac, but quietly and respectfully of course.
Related: Review: Volvo XC60 Beast 2.0
Our Editor, Damian Adams took this unsuspecting assassin for a spin on its launch drive and provides a conclusive feel for the car here. This isn’t a conventional review but rather a story of how surprising the model feels in the hands of someone who expects an experience akin to that of being wafted around in a living room.
I have gotten behind the wheel of electric cars before; Porsche, BMW, Mercedes – the lot of them… The instant torque isn’t new to me. It is delivered in the same manner like all of the rest, a typical trait that is shared by all performance EVs, but what made this particular encounter feel surreal was that it was in a Volvo.
Truth be told, this was my first foray with the Swedish automaker – always exuding my reach in this industry. Despite this, Volvos had always been present through friends and family entrusting their lives with the safety-oriented manufacturer. The stories of their cars were always recounted in a calm and collected manner, much how the cars drove and it is therefore something completely unexpected when this has the ability to humble an unsuspecting hot hatch.
As I mentioned earlier, I was on driving duty ferrying friends on a night out. Once they were all in the confines of their home and tucked into their beds, I had the task of trekking across Johannesburg to get back home. The clock had just struck 2:30 AM and I had Fourways to navigate through.
If you are not from Johannesburg, the locale of Fourways is home to not only Monte Casino but the sounds of modified exhausts and screeching tyres. Crackle and pop maps reverberated through the streets, a modified Volkswagen Golf 7.5R was on the prowl and pulled up alongside the Volvo C40 Recharge. A wolf in sheep’s clothing is one way of describing it.
Once the robot had turned green, a short and spirited sprint within the speed limit demonstrated what the Volvo was capable of – the hot hatch left in its wake. The next robot, red. Lining up, the adversary engaged launch control and began building up boost, better prepared this time, there was still no chance for combustion-powered propulsion. The initial pull away from the instant EV torque had the Volvo a bus length ahead before merging onto the highway onramp. Golf owner, perplexed by the silent defeat and contemplating listing the worked hatch for sale in the morning.
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The theme will continue as long as you will let it; Mustangs and 2 Series are unable to match the initial pickup which gives the Swede a healthy advantage. The victories will keep rolling in if pursued, electrification at R1 324 000 from Sweden unbeaten in a night of brawling. The downside to this is the range which took a bit of a beating and required more sedate driving to make it back. Ludicrous performance aside, this is where it feels best – trending around at slower speeds. Complimented by plush Fjord blue interior fabric and vegan-finished seats, the C40 Recharge leaves nothing to be desired. As incredible as it all is, the C40 begs the question of whether it is all necessary…
Still in my 20s, this sedate cruise left me knowing that as good as it all is, I would still rather be a loser in a fossil-fuel-powered hot hatch than a victor in one of the most impressive and surprising creations from Volvo.
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