Volvo has bolstered the line-ups of two of its electric SUVs for 2023, improving their range, efficiency and performance. Both are due in Australia this year.
The headline change is the introduction of a new rear-wheel-drive powertrain for the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Volvo C40 Recharge. Replacing the 170kW front-wheel-drive powertrain, it has a 175kW electric motor at the rear axle.
As a result of improved cooling efficiency, Volvo says the EVs benefit from improved range despite retaining the same 69kWh battery. The XC40 Recharge is now capable of 460km miles of range, compared with 425km previously, while the C40 Recharge is boosted from 438km to 476km.
The more powerful rear-driven C40 Recharge gets 185kW and a larger 82kWh battery, making it capable of 533km (an increase of 18km over the previous car).
Changes have also come to the all-wheel-drive variants. Previously powered by two 150kW electric motors, they now combine a 183kW motor at the rear axle with a 117kW motor at the front for a total of 300kW.
An 82kWh battery means the XC40 Recharge Twin is now capable of up to 500km of range, a 62km increase, while the range of the C40 Recharge Twin jumps 56km to 507km.
The update also includes a faster charging rate for the XC40 Recharge Twin of up to 200kW, slashing the 10-80 per cent charging time by 10 minutes to 27 minutes. This matches the charging time of the smaller-battery standard models, which keep the same 150kW speed.
News of the update comes several weeks after Volvo pulled the covers off its new EX90 flagship, which will arrive in 2024 with a 580km range. The updated Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge are expected to arrive in Australian showrooms from mid-2023.