Let’s clear the air from the get-go – Volvo Cars India still hasn’t released any official word about the XC40 Recharge’s bookings, let alone the pricing. But, for some weird reason, the brand has updated its official website, which clearly shows how much its first-ever EV costs. It reads Rs 75 lakh – approximately Rs 32 lakh more than the T4 R Design variant with a conventional internal combustion petrol engine. Ouch, indeed!

Like the XC40, its battery-powered sibling is available in just one variant. So, the price comparison is more or less justified. However, math seldom shows the complete story. And this is not an exception. Firstly, the XC40 Recharge comes to India in a powerful and feature-rich form. Secondly, the performance it offers will satisfy most out there. And lastly, one could never put a price on “peace of mind”, something the EV delivers in spades with zero local emissions.

Powering the XC40 Recharge are two electric motors, one on each axle. By working together, they give birth to an electric all-wheel-drive system that has 402bhp/660Nm on tap. As a result, Volvo claims a 0-100kmph sprint time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 180kmph. Those figures aren’t shabby for something that weighs north of 2.1 tonnes.

The motors get their food from a 78kWh battery pack, supporting slow (AC) and fast (DC) charging feeds. Using an 11kW AC charger, the XC40 Recharge could take anything between 8 and 10 hours to charge from zero to 100 per cent. Alternatively, the car could be plugged into a 150kW DC charger. That will decrease the wait time (for zero to 80 per cent charge) to about 40 minutes. Range? According to WLTP standards, Volvo’s EV could travel up to 417km on a single charge.

You’d expect the list of features to be a lengthy one at this price. And because this is a Volvo, it is. The list includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and full-LED headlamps. Other features, such as auto-dimming IRVM, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, Hill Descent Control, powered front seats and a Harman Kardon sound system, are also available.

The XC40 Recharge find itself in a price bracket where nothing else is close. At one end, you have the Mini Cooper SE, costing shy of Rs 50 lakh. And at the other, there are options like the BMW iX, Mercedes EQC 400 and the Jaguar I-Pace. Except for the Mercedes, which costs Rs 99.5 lakh, the other two cost well over the Rs 1 crore mark.