Volvo XC40 Recharge SUV to be locally assembled, launch later this year

Volvo Cars India has announced that it will locally assemble its upcoming XC40 Recharge electric SUV in India. On Tuesday, Volvo issued a statement saying that the electric vehicle will be assembled at the Swedish carmaker's Hosakote manufacturing facility near Bengaluru. Volvo is expected to begin the bookings for the XC40 Recharge SUV soon and the launch is likely to tale place next month. The deliveries of the SUV will begin closer to the festive season this year. It will rival the likes of Kia EV6 among other premium electric cars in the market.

Powered by a 78kWh battery pack, the Volvo XC40 Recharge can run 418 kms without the need to recharge. The electric SUV can also generate 408 hp of maximum power and 660 Nm of peak torque. The company also claims its 0-100 kmph acceleration timing of 4.9 seconds. Volvo also claims that the SUV can recharge from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 33 minutes using a 150 kW DC fast charger.

Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India, said, “We are committed to grow the Indian market and our plans to assemble our latest offering the XC40 Recharge at our plant in Bengaluru is a reflection of this resolute. The future of mobility is electric and as a company, we have already stated that we will be an all-electric car company by 2030."

"Our focus on local assembly is a step in this direction. Our current range of internal combustion engine cars is already being rolled out from Hosakote plant," he added. Local assembly of the Volvo XC40 Recharge could bring down the cost of the EV by some margin.

As far as the design is concerned, the Volvo XC40 Recharge will be similar to the ones sold in global markets. On the inside, the Volvo XC40 Recharge will come with a 12.3-inch driver's fully digital screen and a new 9.0-inch vertical touchscreen infotainment system that has been developed in coordination with Google. There are other features like wireless charging, panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, 360-degree camera and more. The unit to be sold to the Indian customers will get 100% leather-free upholstery which is just another way of showing how much Volvo cares for the environment.