Volvo Car Australia is looking to bring a more affordable electric XC40 to Australia after selling out its entire model year 2022 allocation of the all-wheel drive Recharge Pure Electric.
“Everything we could get is now sold out,” said a Volvo spokesperson.
“The business case has gone to expand the portfolio. We do want to bring in the other variant, but probably the earliest we could see it here is about the middle of next year.”
The company is fast-tracking a single-motor, front-wheel drive XC40 Recharge Pure Electric variant.
This has also just been introduced to the UK market, where Autocar reports the all-wheel drive model has sold out.
Pictured: dual-motor 2022 Recharge Pure Electric
This would also give Volvo an EV at a lower price point than the only XC40 Recharge Pure Electric variant currently offered in Australia, which comes with a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain and a high level of specification.
Front-wheel drive XC40 EVs feature a 69kWh battery and a front-mounted electric motor with 170kW of power and 330Nm of torque, good for a 0-100km/h time of 7.4 seconds and an electric range of between 413km and 421km on the WLTP test cycle depending on the specification.
Like its dual-motor sibling, the single-motor setup supports DC fast charging at up to 150kW and AC charging at up to 11kW.
Pictured: 2023 XC40 Recharge Pure Electric
The dual-motor sibling pumps out 300kW and 660Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds and a claimed range of 418km.
It’s priced at $76,990 before on-road costs.
With local pricing and specifications for the front-wheel drive version yet to be confirmed, it’s unclear just how much it’ll undercut the existing variant.
The related Polestar 2 range slides in just under $60,000 before on-road costs for its base model, which uses a 64kWh battery and a 165kW/330Nm electric motor.
The next rung up, the Long Range Single Motor with its 78kWh battery and 170kW/330Nm motor, is priced at $64,900 before on-roads, while the dual-motor all-wheel drive flagship matches the all-wheel drive XC40’s outputs yet still undercuts it by around $7000.
The Polestar’s spec sheet is configured rather differently from the Volvo’s however, with even the range-topping model restricting the availability of features like adaptive cruise control and blind-spot assist to a $5000 option package.
The XC40 is getting an extremely minor facelift for 2023, with visual changes limited to a tweaked front fascia and new wheel designs.
This update is expected to arrive Down Under in the second half of 2022, so it’s likely any additional Recharge Pure Electric models introduced here would wear these changes.
As Volvo transitions to being an EV-only automaker, electric models are proliferating throughout its local lineup.
In addition to the sold-out XC40 Recharge Pure Electric and the upcoming front-wheel drive model, the range will be joined by the related C40 Recharge in the second half of 2022.
The coupe SUV will use the all-wheel drive XC40 Recharge Pure Electric’s dual-motor powertrain and 78kWh battery, with a WLTP range of 420km.
MORE: Everything Volvo XC40
