Following long Covid-related delays, Swedish carmaker Volvo has finally launched the XC40 Recharge — India’s first-ever locally-assembled luxury EV.

The compact SUV, which sold well in European markets, will be built at Volvo’s facility in Hoskote near Bengaluru, and will be sold exclusively through Volvo’s website. Buyers can place orders from July 27 onwards, and will have to put down Rs. 50,000 in order to book the vehicle.

The XC40 Recharge will be available in India in the higher-spec ‘Twin’ variant, which costs Rs 55.90 lakh (ex-showroom), Rs 11.40 lakh more than its petrol counterpart. For the premium, owners will view the same silhouette as the older petrol variant, but with updated bumpers and a slightly tweaked version of Volvo’s ‘Thor’s Hammer’ DRLs. The new vehicle also sports a slick set of dual tone 19-inch alloys.

The electric powertrain on offer is fuelled by a 78kWh battery, and makes 408PS of power and 660Nm of torque — nearly twice that of the petrol variant, and enough to send the Recharge from 0-100kmph in a quiet, comfortable, yet quick 4.9 seconds. It can also charge from 10-80 per cent in 33 minutes, thanks to a 150kW DC fast charger, and delivers a range of up to 418km.

The XC40 Recharge also slightly updates the vehicle’s original dimensions. It is now longer by 15mm, and comes with a lower ground clearance of 175mm, while boot space is now 452 litres — supplemented by a new 31-litre bonnet trunk to conveniently store charging cables and other useful tools.

As ‘fully-loaded’ comes as standard with this model, the XC40 Recharge also boasts a ton of in-cabin features. Much of the new tech is lifted straight from the pricier XC60 model — giving its smaller electric sibling upgraded dials, infotainment systems, and app-compatibility via an e-SIM function.

Topping off the list are Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) with Level 2 autonomous driving, a panoramic sunroof, 360º cameras, powered front seats with driver-side memory, a premium Harman Kardon sound system and more.

With its Rs. 55.90 lakh price tag, we’ll expect the XC40 Recharge to go head-to-head with the Mini Cooper SE, the BMW i4, and the Kia EV6.

(Featured Image Credits: Volvo India)