Following the addition of the all-electric Volvo XC40 Recharge to the South African market, the Swedish brand has now expanded its EV offering with the swanky C40 Recharge. It's a niche crossover with swooping four-door coupé styling that maintains all the familiar character one would expect from a Volvo product.
This P8 Ultimate variant (the only iteration available in SA) is powered by a twin-motor, all wheel-drive set-up, and it's one of the fastest-accelerating Volvo products ever built.
Price: R1 285 000
Electric motor type: permanent magnet synchronous, front & rear
Transmission: single-speed auto
Power: 300 kW
Torque: 660 N.m
0–100 km/h: 4,7 seconds*
Top speed: 180 km/h*
Energy consumption: 21,1 kWh/100 km (combined WLTP)*
Rivals: BMW iX1, Mercedes-Benz EQA
Powered by a claimed 78 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the C40 produces a combined 300 kW and 660 N.m. With such stupendous performance figures, the sprint to 100 km/h is completed in 4,7 seconds. This makes it effectively as fast as an Audi RS Q3 Sportback. At the Volvo's rain-soaked launch event in Franschhoek, the C40 performed effortlessly, offering heaps of traction and confidence in the wet, as well as more than enough grunt for overtaking lumbering trucks.
This story is from the CAR August 2023 edition of CAR South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the CAR August 2023 edition of CAR South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Toyota Fortuner
Considered by many as the quintessential adventure SUV, the Fortuner is about as strong a used buying proposition as you can get in this segment. We take you through the things to look out for and list two rivals for comparison.
MIND THE HURDLE
With a repaired car and a point to prove, Alex Shahini returned for Round 3 of the Toyota GR Cup at Zwartkops Raceway to achieve a career-best finish
KING OF KILLARNEY
For four decades, Denis Joubert was directly involved with the creation, development and ongoing success of Cape Town's international motorsport venue, Killarney. Having just celebrated his 90th birthday, we talk to the man whose contribution to South Africa's motor-racing heritage is priceless....
Selecting the 4WD SYSTEM for your needs
As 4WD SUVS and double cabs grow in popularity, more first-time buyers face the challenge of selecting a vehicle with a drivetrain that best meets their requirements. We explain the key differences between the all-wheel drivetrains available
Kia Picanto 1.0 LX MT
Kia's ever-popular budget hatch has recently received a range of exterior and interior updates - we test the entry-level variant to see if it remains a force to be reckoned with in this highly competitive segment
Super C
The fastest and most technologically advanced flagship C-Class to date, AMG's C63 S has evolved into an electrified uber-sedan. Has this mighty model forsaken some character in pursuing this status? We strapped our test equipment to the new shooting star.
Bentley's Brutes
A break in proceedings during an exclusive preview of the fourth-generation Bentley Continental GT afforded us an opportunity to sample the stately yet hair-raising Bentayga S
RUNNING UP THAT HILL
Now in its 14th year, the Simola Hillclimb continues to combine adrenaline-fuelled competition with showcasing some of the most appealing classics out there in a heady mix that keeps local petrolheads coming...
BAND OF BROTHERS
Complete with rugged bakkie-based underpinnings that encourage off-the-beaten-track venturing, largely proven powertrains that afford maximum range and towing capability, and brand names with enviable respective reputations for reliability, adventure SUVs remain the favourite of thousands of South Africans.
TWELVE OF THE BEST
Ferrari keeps things suitably old-school with its V12-engined 12Cilindri GT
