A Class Act

Volvo have brought the stunning C40 Recharge into India. This is their first coupé SUV model, albeit a compact one, and it extends their advantage in the luxury electric vehicle segment. We drive it in the hills outside Pune

- Jim Gorde

NINETY-SIX YEARS HAVE GONE BY SINCE Volvo began doing what they do best-making safe cars for everyday use in the most challenging of scenarios. Volvo have been everywhere: the sky, the water, and all around the globe. While they have been known for making boxy estates, including the 850 that went racing, their design language took a curvaceous turn towards the breathtakingly stunning and modern circa 2014. The new XC90 SUV led the charge and the XC60 followed, with the smaller XC40 joining the ranks soon thereafter. Their first all-electric car, the XC40 Recharge, marked the keynote that sounded the next wave of their success. Now there's another all-new model, the C40 Recharge.

So, what of the new C model? The C40 is new, yes, but the "C" model-line goes back over 25 years to the C70 coupé and convertible models. The handsome coupé didn't make it to a new generation but the convertible saw a new model, new engines, and a longer life, including a powerful five-cylinder turbo-petrol and even a turbo-diesel with that familiar "D5" badge.

The C30 hatchback was the other model. You'd know it if you happened to watch the Twilight movie franchise. It's the Edward Cullen (or Cedric Diggory, as I know him) drives on screen. It was also the base for the Polestar-worked PCP with a 405-hp, 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. But on to the new 40. This one has 408 hp but doesn't have five cylinders or any cylinders... well, apart from the ones for the brakes.

The C40 Recharge marks a series of firsts for Volvo. It's a new badge. It's the first C model with four doors. It's the company's first coupé-style SUV and, of course, it's the first C model in India; the C70 and C30 were never sold here.