ELECTRIC AVENUE: Volvo C40 Recharge EV is shockingly awesome and safe
Now this being the first time he has ever driven a hundred percent electric vehicle with an imposing interface, Bobby Nitro was expecting some, shall we say, teething problems.
That’s the reason he took his 15-year-old daughter riding shotgun on his first drive in the vapour grey Volvo C40 Recharge Twin crossover, to figure out the stuff on the infotainment screen, intuitively as it were.
Although she smoothed the transition from basic internal combustion-focused cabbies to digitally-integrated sleepers, it wasn’t entirely necessary as the chic- looking car seems to intuitively know what you’re wanting it to do, and provides a digital manual should you need it.
All these deliberations disappeared in a flash when Bobby pressed the pedal.
Thought vanished, as it were, in a silent rush cushioned by the ergonomically awesome, smartly upholstered seating.
The head-snapping G-forces are all that more surprising when there’s no engine noise whatsoever.
Feels a little otherworldly really, but no less thrilling as the twin electric all-wheel drive engines (good for 300kW and 660Nm) propel from zero to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds, with handling helped along by a rear power bias.
This is in theory, of course, this being a public road, right.
That said, the audio pleasure that emanates from the bespoke Harman Kardon audio system in the fully-loaded ultimate trim more than makes up for any old school V8 noise cravings.
The 78kHw lithium-ion battery slung low in the chassis is good for up to 550km, but only after you’ve gotten accustomed to that quick-off-the-mark responsiveness and drive it sensibly.
However, wanting to put the launch control to the test, Bobby found a beachside stretch of tar covered in a thin film of sand, what with the storms we’ve been experiencing. Pedal to the metal and all Bobby could get was a tiny wiggle on acceleration, a mere shimmy. Damn, this Volvo is safe.
Add all kinds of proximity warnings and the chances of a parking- lot ding are slim. Good that, as the rear window is a tad on the small side but hey, that’s the sacrifice with the aesthetic sportiness of a fastback roofline SUV.
As for the other safety features, being a Volvo, they have thought of everything, both protective and preventive, down to automatically dipping the rearview mirrors when you reverse.
On the leather-free interior, the car is refreshingly minimalist, like you’d expect more buttons for this raft of features.
For those drivers tired of the boggling collection of lights and buttons you find in digital cars, Volvo has even removed the start button. All you need is the key somewhere in the vehicle.
For example, the boot-opener only button near steering wheel, saving me the embarrassment when my photographer needed to load his, ultimately unnecessary, extra gear.
Seriously though, the cabin is efficient yet uncluttered.
The car’s operating system was developed with Google, so you can download your top apps. For the iPeople out there, Apple CarPlay does the connecting via bluetooth.
At night, backlit decor panels sort the ambient vibe, and the tinted panoramic glass roof seems to add to the capacity of an already -spacious cabin.
Top mention goes to the Harman Kardon stereo, complete with 13 speakers and subwoofer. Brilliantly complementing the design cues of the car, the silent drivetrain plus wicked audio system is a real treat for audiophiles.
Talking of design cues, Bobby felt a hint of bygone days in the retro-styled air vent buttons, reminding him of his very first cabbie, a Volvo 144.
Going for a spin, and after a quick photoshoot at the end of Hout Bay’s pier, Bobby made the call: Let’s just reverse and not take risks
Now, the Volvo’s 360-degree camera set-up provides a bird’s eye view of the car and its immediate surroundings, right there on the centre console screen.
After checking there was not, in fact, a drone doing this, we could only assume that a composite image of the surroundings was being generated. Well, that’s uber-cool.
Thing is, learning to trust “the image” implicitly was a bit of a learning curve. Like playing a video game with the knowledge that you have no extra man.
Another pleasure of this vehicle is that it’s remarkably easy on the driving prowess. Adaptive power steering is coupled with a one-pedal system, where the car automatically applies the brakes when you take your foot off the accelerator.
It takes some getting used to and adds efficiency by recharging the battery with the braking force.
On the school run, the 413 litres of boot space, though not large for an SUV, made the load easy enough. The charging cables reside in the front boot, where is extra space for a tog bag or two.
All in all, what Bobby will remember about the C40 is that punchy immediacy.
At R1 324 000, Volvo throws in a 5-year/100 000km warranty and maintenance plan and an 8-year/160 000km battery warranty.