. But my guess is, it won’t be that noticeable to most Volvo owners. When I mentioned this to a Volvo engineer, they said, “This is maybe a good thing?” meaning, a compliment. And I think they were right.
This lack of differentiation is, in part, because the RWD motor still only produces 248 horsepower, which isn’t all that much to motivate 4,500 pounds of electric SUV. It’s enough to get out of its own way, accelerating from 0-60 mph in a titch under 7 seconds, which is better than its various RWD EV competitors. But if you’re expecting the rear-drive layout to let you light up the tires, or even roar into a freeway merge, you won’t find it particularly willing.
Speaking of doing something wrong, let’s take a moment to discuss the C40. I appreciate that Volvo, like many other European manufacturers, has discovered that there is a segment of the car-buying population that is willing to pay more money for a “coupe-like” SUV, one that is significantly uglier, heavier, and less utilitarian than its sibling.
Are the 2024 C40 and XC40 better than their predecessors? Yes. Do they feel significantly different? No. Is that a bad thing? Also, no. But the fact that Volvo has developed a strong, rear-wheel-drive powertrain speaks to meaningful possibilities for the brand. Let’s hope one of those is something like a small, sporty EV successor to the 1800 ES shooting