Volvo Brings Back Rear-Wheel Drive After 25 Years With 2023 XC40, C40 RWD Recharge

A quarter of a century has passed since Volvo last sold a car with rear-wheel drive. For the 2023 model year, RWD is back, but there's no combustion engine this time around. The updated XC40 and C40 Recharge models are offered with not one but two RWD versions featuring different electric motors and batteries. The base model has 235 hp (175 kW) with a 69-kWh pack while the more expensive version packs 248 hp (185 kW) and an 82-kWh battery.

Both RWD models will do 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.4 seconds and max out at 100 mph (160 km/h). Sticking to the base version with the smaller battery gets you 460 kilometers of range in the WLTP cycle and 240 miles per EPA for the XC40 while its sleeker sibling can go for 470 km and 245 miles, respectively. Opt for the bigger pack and the range jumps to 520 kilometers and 270 miles for the conventionally shaped electric crossover while the C40 Recharge can cover 530 kilometers and 275 miles.

Volvo mentions the 69-kWh battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in around 34 minutes from a 130-kW DC public charger. The larger battery pack can charge at up to 200 kW (up from the previous 150 kW), in which case going from 10 to 80 percent will take about 28 minutes.

The dual-motor XC40 and C40 Recharge models get the 82-kWh battery and will do a WLTP-certified 500 kilometers in the case of the former and 510 kilometers for the latter. For the 2023MY, the improved battery cooling implemented by Volvo's engineers has improved the range by as much as 60 kilometers in the case of the XC40 Recharge AWD.

Elsewhere, the 2023 model year comes along with newly designed 19-inch wheels that have been created with aerodynamic efficiency in mind by reducing drag.

As a final note, Volvo is installing a new two-phase onboard charger in the plug-in hybrid models from the 60 and 90 Series that doubles the maximum charging power to 6.4 kW.