Where have you been hiding? The
XC40 has been around for years!
Sure, the planet-destroying petrol
and diesel versions have. But this
cutest of crossovers has swapped
an engine for electric motors.
Two of ’em, actually – it’s an SUV,
and so the motoring powers that
be have decided it must have
four-wheel drive.Well, it looks just like the old one
to me...
Seeing how the original was
a tasty piece of four-wheeled
Scandi sculpture from the country
that brought us flat-pack furniture
merged with meatballs, that’s
no bad thing. Volvo’s design team
have used the lightest of light
touches, but look closely and
you’ll spot a charging port instead
of a fuel filler cap. Mind you, with
250 miles of range between
top-ups and fast-charging hitting
80 % in 40 minutes, you won’t be
using it very much.Batteries mean bulk, don’t they?
Is it nippy?
It does tip the scales at over two
tonnes, but this XC40 doesn’t
hang about when you give it the
beans. Instant torque and a very
healthy 402bhp mean it’ll crack
60mph in 4.7 seconds.Any tech treats inside the cabin?
Lots if you’re an Android fan: this
is the first production car to swap
in-house infotainment for Android
Automotive. Google Maps comes
baked in, the Play Store is a tap
away and you can go hands-free
with Google voice commands.How long until it hits the road?
Volvo is aiming for the middle of
2020 –with plans to launch an
EV a year through to 2025. They’ll
be proper range-toppers packed
with kit, and with high prices. Even
with the plug-in car grant, XC40
Recharge customers are unlikely
to see any change from £50,000.NOT TAYCAN
THE MICKEY
Porsche’s first
electric car made
its debut in Turbo S
colours, but you
had to be a Bond
supervillain to
afford one. At £80k,
the Taycan 4S is
less likely to upset
your bank manager,
but it’ll still zip
silently to 60mph
in 4.0 seconds. The
79kW battery is
good for 250 miles
between charges.SUPER ’VETTE
GOES TOPLESS
One year ago, a
Corvette without
a V8 engine in front
of the driver was
unthinkable. It’s
un-American,
dammit! But the
mid-engined C8
changed all that,
and now you
can get one
as a full-blown
convertible... and
it only takes a
button-press to
take the top down.BUY ONE ASTON,
GET ONE FREE!
Oh, the £250,000
DBS Superleggera
isn’t exclusive
enough for you?
Aston Martin has
something special
tucked away... but
you’ll need to be
jackpot-rich to
afford it. Just 19 of
the DBS GT Zagato
will be built, and one
will set you back
£6m... but you do
get a retro DB4 GT
Zagato thrown in.Volvo XC40 Recharge
SWEDE’S ELECTRIC
£53,000 (est) / volvo.com NEWS DASHBOARD
No engine? No air
intake required... and
a filled-in front grille
makes for better
aerodynamics, which
improves range.WH E EL S