Volvo XC40 Recharge EV Will Be Locally Assembled In India: Features

Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has announced that it will start the local assembly of its Volvo XC40 Recharge electric SUV in India. Taking the CKD (Completely Knocked Down) route would enable the company to escape the heavy import taxes of India and price the product competitively. The brand will be launching the XC40 Recharge in India in July 2022 and deliveries will begin by October 2022. 

Volvo is reportedly the first luxury car manufacturer to locally assemble its electric vehicles in India. Volvo XC40 Recharge’s arch-rivals, the Kia EV6 and the BMW i4 electric cars are brought to India as CBUs (Completely Built Units). The Volvo XC40 Recharge, on the other hand, will be assembled at Volvo’s Hosakote plant near Bengaluru, Karnataka. This may allow Volvo to undercut the prices by some margin. Moreover, it creates employment opportunities in India. 

Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India, commented at the launch, “The future of mobility is electric and as a company, we have already stated that we will be an all-electric car company by 2030. Our focus on local assembly is a step in this direction”. 

Volvo XC40 Recharge: Highlights

The Volvo XC40 Recharge is built on the same Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform as its ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) version. Aesthetically, it is identical to the ICE version with a few design tweaks. The electric vehicle is powered by two electric motors, producing a combined 402PS of power and 660Nm of torque, which propels the car from 0-100 in under five seconds. The top-speed is electronically limited to 180kmph though, as safety is of paramount importance with the Volvo brand, and they think that it will reduce road accidents. 

The EV packs in a 78kWh battery pack and is reported to deliver a driving range of 418km. Its rivals, the Kia EV6 and the BMW i4, claim higher driving ranges of 528km and 590km respectively. 

The Volvo XC40 Recharge will come loaded with convenience features such as a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, Android Automotive OS-powered touchscreen infotainment, a two-zone climate control, a hands-free electric tailgate, and more. That’s not all, it will come with a full suite of safety features such as seven airbags, a 360-degree parking monitor, auto parking, adaptive cruise control, ESP, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and cross-traffic alerts, among others.