Mike Hagerty
Mar 7, 20232 min
The 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge has had what's known in the business as a mid-cycle refresh. It's the same generation of the vehicle, but with some nips and tucks.
In this case, those physical touch-ups are extremely minor. A new front bumper, a new shape to the headlamps (which also offer new optional state-of-the-art pixel LED technology), a "frameless" "grille" (both in quotation marks because that's not really a grille and it wasn't really a frame), and new color and wheel options.
The XC40 Recharge Twin Ultimate---our test vehicle---remains the electric hot-rod of years prior. 402 horsepower. 486 pounds per foot of torque. 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. As I noted in my review of last year's model, that puts it in some very fast company.
Range remains 223 miles on a charge, and it is DC fast charging capable.
The biggest news in the cabin is the availability of premium leather-free upholstery options.
Base price for the 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin AWD Ultimate is $60,595 including destination. That comes with tons of standard equipment including permanent all-wheel drive, 20-inch alloy wheels, a 12.3-inch driver display and a nine-inch integrated touchscreen with Google built-in (it is compatible with Apple CarPlay). There's inductive smartphone charging, a high-performance Harman/Kardon audio system, a comprehensive suite of active safety features, heated front and rear seats, a panoramic moonroof with power shade, an air purifier and heat pump and dual-zone automatic climate control.
Our tester did have some extra-cost options---$695 for the Sage Green Metallic paint, $250 for a line that was mysteriously left blank on this car's window sticker (I'd guess heated steering wheel, which I'm pretty sure this car had), and $350 for the Pixel LED headlight option---making the as-tested price $61,890.
Again, that 60K-plus price tag is for the top-of-the-line model. If you can live without muscle-car performance, there are XC40 Recharge models that will set you back considerably less. But if you like a fast environmentally-responsible vehicle, this one's pretty great.