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Volvo brings back RWD
When Swedish carmaker Volvo was formed in 1927, its entire fleet was only available in a rear-wheel-drive configuration. However, that changed in 1985 when the brand introduced its first-ever front-wheel-drive model that carried the 480ES nameplate.
From 1998, a new technical era began and electric or not, all Volvos are either front or four-wheel driven. As strange as it may sound and 25 years later, Volvo has announced its rear-wheel-drive XC40 and C40 Recharge as part of a new package of product updates, but as expected… there's no conventional ICE engine this time around.
The new Recharge RWD models are offered in two tastes; a single-motor base model with 175 kW (5 kW more than the previous model) powered by a 69 kWh battery pack and the 185 kW that houses a bigger 82 kWh battery. Both wield rear-axle mounted e-motors.
With enhancements in cooling efficiency, the former can now travel up to 460 km compared with the 425 km of the outgoing model. Opting for the latter increases the range to 515 km or 533 km in the form of the C40 Recharged single motor extended range.
When it comes to recharging the 69 kWh battery pack, Volvo says it can charge from 10 to 80% in about 34 minutes when using the 130 kW DC public charger, while the larger 82 kWh battery can take approximately 28 minutes at up to 200 kW – up from the previous model's 150 kW.
The updates also benefit the all-wheel-drive variants, thanks to a new in-house developed 183 kW permanent magnet e-motor on the rear axle and a new 117 kW asynchronous electric motor on the front axle. These replace the previous setup that consists of the 150 kW e-motors.
The update ensures up to 500 km of pure electric driving range for the XC40 Recharge Twin Motor AWD and 507 km for the C40 Recharge Twin Motor AWD – a 62 km and 56 km boost over the previous iteration.
Both models also feature new 19" alloy wheels for enhanced drag to help improve efficiency. As for the 90 and 60 series models, these get a new 2-phase onboard charger for improved charging times.
As cars get more powerful, there is a greater need for optimum traction. A move that saw the birth of the xDrive BMW M5 and 4Matic+ C63 S saloons, and it's safe to say that RWD vehicles are slowly becoming a dying breed. This is why, when Volvo says it's bringing RWD back, it's reason to rejoice because, at least, we'll still experience old-world fun, even if it's in a brand new format.
