2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge, C40 Recharge rediscover rear-wheel drive

The revamped 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge that arrive at U.S. dealerships later this year will offer rear-wheel drive in a Volvo for the first time since the 1990s. 

Thirty-plus years ago, the auto industry was deep into a messaging campaign that threw aside rear-wheel-drive norms—and those wonderfully utilitarian Volvos that made it to the U.S. up to that point—and told us front-wheel drive was the future. Volvo entered the ‘90s with an all-rear-wheel-drive lineup and exited it without a single RWD model, and it hasn’t looked back. Until now. 

For EVs, with their heavy battery packs placed around the middle of the vehicle, things are different, Volvo says. It’s decided that with more weight on the rear wheels and with the smarts of modern traction and stability control, rear-wheel-drive is actually better. The company is wasting no time in making it so—even when, as is the case here, the platform was originally engineered for front-wheel drive. 

Volvo says that the shift to rear-wheel drive for the new single-motor C40 and XC40 Recharge models results in “a more dynamic and agile driving experience, with sharper steering and improved traction.” While it hasn’t before offered the single-motor model in the U.S., it’s coming now—and Volvo has also shifted to a rear-wheel-biased layout for dual-motor versions. 

The rear-wheel-drive version also offers a dramatic boost in range—from 223 and 226 miles for 2023 dual-motor XC40 and C40 Recharge models, respectively, up to 293 and 297 miles for 2024 single-motor versions. The 2024 dual-motor models are now up to 254 and 257 miles, respectively. 

While the switch to rear-wheel drive—and that higher range and efficiency—may be the headlines for the 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, there are some ulterior motives. These models mark the first use of Volvo’s own electric motor, engineered and built in-house in Sweden, in a move that may help Volvo keep costs under control as it shifts to an all-EV lineup by 2030. 

The new Swedish motor has a permanent-magnet design and in single-motor versions produces 248 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque—enough to get to 60 mph in an official 6.9 seconds, according to Volvo. Dual-motor all-wheel versions get the same rear motor plus a 147-hp asynchronous (induction) motor at the front wheels, which still comes from a supplier; they make a combined 402 hp and dash to 60 mph in a claimed 4.5 seconds, which is the same as the 2023 models, but punch up to 494 lb-ft of torque, versus 487 lb-ft for the 2023 models.

Single-motor rear-wheel-drive models get a new, slightly larger battery pack, too. At 82 kwh (78 kwh usable) versus 78 kwh (75 kwh usable) for the carryover pack, the new pack remains T-shaped to fit this platform originally intended for combustion engines, but it uses larger CATL prismatic cells rather than smaller LG pouch cells. With new-generation cells and some cooling advantages, the pack permits a peak 200 kw for DC fast-charging, versus a peak 150 kwh, cutting 10-80% charging to 28 minutes from 34 minutes. 

I didn’t get the chance to charge these models at a drive program in Sweden, but from a mix of driving I did observe efficiency figures that confirm a real-world range of more than 250 miles for either model. Expect a bit less at highway speeds or in cold weather, of course, but some or all of these models will have a heat pump to warm the batteries and increase range in cold weather.

The stouter rear motor makes for a better-driving EV. It required a new rear subframe, and that provided the opportunity to completely retune these models’ suspensions. As Erik Joelsson, the manager for NVH and vehicle dynamics for the project, explained to Motor Authority, the initial goal was to tune the new models about the same as front-drive ones. But the team opted for lower spring stiffness this time, then dialed up the negative camber in back to handle the power at the rear wheels, and it worked to damp out high-frequency harshness for better comfort. 

The result, as I felt on rather coarse-surfaced, narrow, sometimes-heaving backroads around Gothenburg, impresses as more settled and luxurious but not any less athletic (I’ve driven a 2023 C40 Recharge quite recently). In driving both a dual-motor C40 Recharge and then a single-motor XC40 Recharge, I found the latter to be more rewarding in tight corners, with more precise steering and predictability. All the dual-motor’s power pulls the vehicle through corners with more speed and less finesse, and that’s addictive in its own way—although if overall balance and poise win out over extra traction plus brute acceleration, the rear-drive version is the better one. 

As with some other recent Volvo models, both the firm steering and high regenerative braking settings were a bit much. This isn’t a performance vehicle and it feels more in its element with both off—although a little more brake regen might be best. 

Volvo isn’t wasting any time getting the idea out. Due in the second half of the year in the U.S., these models don’t mess with the inherent goodness of this compact-SUV package, which is smaller than the Tesla Model Y or Mercedes EQB but more distinctive inside than an Audi Q4 E-Tron. Both of these models offer some of the best front seats in any compact SUV—with extendable thigh cushions—and I was surprised to find that at 6-foot-6 I could fit just fine in the back seat behind an average-height driver. The only packaging compromise remains the constricting center console layout, sneaking in precious battery space to this ICE platform but narrowing the footwells in front. 

Volvo hasn’t yet revealed pricing for these revamped models, but expect single-motor versions to start in the low-$50,000 range. Changes are limited otherwise to a new 19-inch aero alloy wheel design, a couple of new exterior hues, and a few minor feature changes—including new cornering lamps and pixel headlight tech for top Ultimate trims. As before, the lineup will be offered in base, Plus, and Ultimate trim levels. 

Ultimately, the 2024 XC40 and C40 Recharge set a good precedent ahead of focused electric vehicles like the EX90 and EX30 electric SUVs. Volvo cares about getting all the basics right, even if it means returning to a rear-wheel-drive past and remaking some of its present. 

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Volvo paid for travel and lodging for Motor Authority to bring you this firsthand report.