The Telegraph
At the back end of last year, my esteemed colleague Andrew English reviewed Volvo’s first production electric car, the XC40 Recharge. It was, not to put too fine a point on it, very expensive, so much so that it really struggled to justify its price. Here, however, is a different kind of plug-in Volvo. This one is called, rather confusingly, the XC40 T5 Recharge, and in Volvo’s slightly convoluted parlance, the T5 part signifies that there’s a petrol engine involved. That’s right, it’s another one of those plug-in hybrids, beloved of company car user-choosers and those who like the idea of a fully electric car, but aren’t quite ready or able to make the leap. But is it, too, going to be hamstrung by a high price? Not at first acquaintance. The range starts from a fraction over £37,000, which is almost exactly where you’ll find plug-in hybrid rivals like the Peugeot 3008 and Ford Kuga. Past experience with the XC40, however, suggests its level of finish is a cut above both of these rivals. So far from being overly costly, this particular plug-in Volvo might just be quite competitively priced. But have corners been cut to make it so? Pros Beautiful interior Quiet, punchy engine Comfortable ride quality Cons Sharp, unpredictable regenerative braking Slightly floppy body control Electric range could be better Two of a kind Unusually, the Volvo T5 Recharge isn’t the only plug-in hybrid XC40 in the range. You can also have a less potent plug-in in the form of the T4 Recharge; the price difference between the two is exactly £2,000, and the power difference is exactly 50bhp, the former putting out 258bhp and the latter 208bhp.
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