All New Volvo XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design Launched In Malaysia

Volvo Car Malaysia has launched the all-new locally assembled (CKD) Volvo XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design, a plug-in hybrid variant of the brand’s compact SUV.

The price tag for the new Volvo XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design is RM 241,997 and that is the on-the-road price including insurance. It costs slightly higher than the existing Volvo XC40 T5 AWD R-Design which currently goes for RM 241,450.

VCM offers 5-years/unlimited mileage warranty for every new purchase of the XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design. Plus an 8-years/160,000 km warranty for the electric battery itself.

Under the hood, the XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design is sporting a 1.5-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. It can produce 178 hp of power and 265 Nm of torque. It is paired with a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and along with an electric motor. 

It’s electric motor runs at 81 hp of power and 160 Nm of torque. This in turn, makes the XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design to produce a total system output at 258 hp of max power and 425 Nm of max torque.

This variant of the electric plug-in hybrid, which is the highlight of the vehicle, gets the electric motor mounted at the center of the vehicle instead of at the rear axle, meaning it is positioned in between the engine and the 7-speed gearbox.

All the power goes to the front wheels, thus no electric all-wheel drive function is available for the XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design variant.

As for the performance, it has a top speed that is capped at 180 kph just like every other Volvo vehicle. The acceleration however, can go from 0-100 kph in 7.3 seconds which is about a second slower than the XC40 T5 AWD R-Design.

Due to the electric motor with 10.7 kWh lithium-ion battery, the new XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design comes in weighing at 1,875 kg which is heavier than its other AWD fully petrol variant. The fuel capacity is 49-litres and has the consumption of 2.2-litre for every 100 km.

Distance of travel under the full electric function can go up to 44 km with the battery fully charged. This is possible by using the AC charger that is installed in the vehicle which has a max output of 3.7 kW and with a Type 2 connector cable.

To fully charge the new XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design will take about 5 hours using a regular three-pin socket which only gives an output of 2.3 kW but with a charging station that can produce an output of the full 3.7 kW will only take up to 3 hours.

Exterior differences are not that significant. The new XC40 Recharge T5 R-Design gets an additional charging port on the front left fender and the variant’s Recharge script on the C-pillars. It also comes in the R-Design layout and a standard equipment list that is identical to the AWD fully petrol variant.

Interior wise, not much has changed. It still gets the Sensus Connect system with 9-inch portrait integrated colour touchscreen with Sensus navigation, 250W Output 8 speakers sound system, Apple Carplay and Android Auto ready, voice control and wireless charging pad. Also fitted are the same R-Design seats.

Finished in leather and Nubuck upholstery which has power adjustable driver and front passenger seats with driver’s side memory function. The removable trash bin in the center console has been opted out, making way for the electric battery underneath. One new thing added is the significant Recharge tread plates.

Safety features installed are the City Safety suite which includes collision avoidance and mitigation with intersection support for pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection, front and rear collision warning, Driver Alert Control, Lane Keeping Aid, Run-Off Road Mitigation with Road Edge Detection, Oncoming Lane Mitigation, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Steer Assist and Cross Traffic Alert (CTA) with Autobrake.

A range of interesting colors are available to choose from. A total of five and they are Crystal White Pearl, Bursting Blue Metallic, Black Stone, Coral Red Metallic and Glacier Silver Metallic. Because of the R-Design layout they are all matched with a black roof and side mirror caps