Our cars Surprise and delight
In the pursuit of novelty, carmakers sometimes create head-scratchingly pointless new features. Thankfully the XC40 Recharge offers at least two items that while not strictly necessary, please this driver every time .
Guy Bird
Car designers are often tasked with attempting to differentiate their new vehicles through features which are at best gimmicky and at worst counterproductive. In certain brands’ high-end models gesture control as a method of turning the stereo’s volume up or down – when quickly twiddling a physical knob has done the job perfectly well for decades – is a prime example. It’s not only hit and miss in terms of its efficacy, but also potentially distracting and dangerous for the driver to take their hands off the wheel only to wave them about inside a vehicle in the manner of a panicked hostage.
Standard equipment on Ultimate trim: City safety (inc. pedestrian and cyclist detection, front collision warning with fully-automatic emergency braking), Oncoming lane mitigation (guides car back into lane if it drifts out), cruise control, auto LED headlights with active high beam, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, 360-degree camera, two-zone climate control with clean air quality system, 12.3in digital colour driver display and 9in central touchscreen with Google Automotive Services, DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple and Android mirror screening, eight-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, power tailgate, 20in alloys, four USB-C charging ports, wireless inductive smartphone charging pad
Options: Thunder grey metallic paint (no-cost option)
Volvo XC40 Recharge Ultimate (Single Motor)
P11D price £54,995 As tested £55,090 (OTR) Official range 259 miles Our average consumption 3.2m/kWh Mileage 2412
Similarly, waving one’s foot under the rear bumper in an all too often forlorn attempt to open the boot when keyless entry, or a one-touch finger press both work just as well and usually better and more consistently – and without endangering the cleanliness of your footwear – is another example. These are low-hanging fruit in the hall of fame of pointless car design function, but thankfully there have been some more subtle ‘innovations’ of late in the Volvo XC40 Recharge that deserve greater scrutiny, and in my opinion, some praise too.
The first feature is not unique – finger swipe control to open and close the sunroof – but the movement is so natural and smooth on this Volvo. The ceiling- mounted slim slot situated between the driver and passenger cabin lighting is also ergonomically finger-pad shaped, so once tried, the manoeuvre is guaranteed to elicit regular ‘repeat business’. With your input almost instantly confirmed by the sunroof glass sliding backward or forward, its speed of response creates little distraction from the main job of driving which therefore makes it safer too. Which is on-brand for the historically safety- focused marque. either way, I don’t think I’ve ever liked opening a sunroof as much. Another original feature in the XC40 Recharge, which only reveals itself at night, adds another level of intrigue. By day, the wide horizontal fillets in the
dashboard and door cards of the Volvo feature a pleasingly topographical design due to their resemblance to the way hills and mountains are rendered on an old- school physical maps. Layered, and with edges you can feel, the graphic design detail feels quietly smart.
But by night, these largely one-colour grey layers suddenly come to life, via hidden illumination which changes their colour composition into many shades of grey and white, showing up greater contrast and visual interest, but while remaining subtle and non-distracting. They’re completely unnecessary, as far as I can ascertain, other than perhaps signalling where the door and dash edges are located in relation to the cabin’s occupants. But nonetheless, they provide surprise and delight to this driver, and indeed have done so for many of my passengers who marvel not only at the colour transformation at night, but wonder at how the effect is achieved too.
I’ve never seen such a car interior lighting feature before and its neutral palette feels suitably Scandinavian and thus very Volvo. It’s a great example of brand enhancement done right and to these eyes very originally. As the old cliché goes, customers fall in love with a car’s exterior, but stay in love (or not) because of the interior. The XC40’s solid exterior – and the Recharge cabin’s hidden extra layers – prove this point in a positive manner.
Staying on matters positive – and more practical – our average energy consumption has reduced of late too, recording 3.2 miles per kilowatt hour from 2.7 previously, while electricity prices have come down at our local charging post and with more flexible tariffs. More on that next month.
Why we’re running it
To see if the Single Motor XC40 EV is the best choice for this fleet
WEBSITE Please visit
www.businesscar.co.uk/tests/long-term-test/ for previous reports on our fleet
www.businesscar.co.uk | May 2023 | 47
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