Euro NCAP has awarded the Volvo C40 Recharge electric crossover a five-star safety rating, the Swedish-Chinese brand confirmed overnight.
While the announcement is not any particular surprise – the marque is known for its focus on safety – it is the first fully-electric vehicle in its stable to receive the rating.
Like the XC40 Pure Recharge, it is built on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture platform, otherwise known as CMA.
However, unlike the XC40, it will only be available in an electric drivetrain. It is due to arrive in Australia in the third quarter of 2022 with a starting price of $74,990 before on-road costs.
The result bodes well for an Australian ANCAP rating, which is yet to be conducted. With ANCAP’s safety ratings now largely in line with Euro NCAP since 2015, this is likely to be a good result also.
According to Euro NCAP, the C40 Recharge scored particularly well on its occupant and driver safety systems, thanks to one of the most extensive suites on offer in its segment.
Malin Ekholm, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Centre, said of the result: “We always aim to be a leader in safety. That means we adhere to strict safety standards in all of our cars, many of which we helped establish over time.”
The C40 Recharge’s safety suite includes the following features:
- Autonomous emergency braking (forward and reverse)
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-keep assist
- Pilot Assist (adaptive cruise control with lane-centering)
- Front and rear parking sensors with camera
Additional specifications for the Volvo C40 Recharge can be found here.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.