Volvo is giving its electric XC40 and C40 Recharge models a major update for the 2023 model year, but you'd be hard-pressed to spot it from the outside. In fact the only major exterior change for the two models is a new set of aero-friendly 19-inch alloy wheels.
Range now above 500km
Far bigger changes have gone on under the skin. There's a bigger battery for a start, which now comes with an 82kWh capacity, an increase on the old 78kWh unit. That's enough to give the single-motor version of the XC40, which uses a 185kW electric motor (that's a healthy 251hp) an official range of up to 515km on a single charge.
The slightly more aerodynamic C40 does even better, with a 533km one-charge range. You'll be able to charge the batteries more quickly now too, with a maximum 200kW charging speed (assuming you can find a DC charger that can actually deliver that much charge), up from 150kW before. At those speeds, a 10-80 per cent charge takes around 28 minutes.
Switch to rear-wheel drive
There's an even bigger change when it comes to the electric motor. It's a new second-generation permanent magnet electric motor, but this time it's driving the rear wheels, not the front wheels as on the outgoing XC40 and C40. It means that the XC40 and C40 are now the first rear-wheel-drive Volvos in more than 25 years, and as far as we can work out, the first cars to switch from front- to rear-wheel drive since the Triumph 1500 back in the early 1970s.
"These updates are another big step in our work towards becoming a fully electric car maker by 2030," said Javier Varela, Volvo's chief operating officer and deputy chief executive. "Range and charging times are new key factors for more and more of our customers, and these improvements make our fully electric models even more attractive than they already were."
Twin-motor four-wheel-drive models
The four-wheel-drive twin-motor versions have been updated too. The XC40 Recharge Twin bins the old twin 150kW electric motors in favour of a 185kW motor for the rear wheels, and a 117kW motor for the fronts, which means it keeps the same 407hp maximum power output. Range is increased though, to 500km for the XC40 Recharge Twin, and 507km for the C40 Recharge Twin.
Irish prices for the revised models start from €61,715 for the XC40 Recharge single motor, or €62,515 for the C40 Recharge single motor. An XC40 Recharge Twin will cost you €66,715, while the C40 Recharge Twin retails at €67,515. You can order both models in Ireland now, with deliveries starting shortly.