[Ripcord09]

Volvo XC40 Recharge Single Motor

What you'll like:

• A sharply styled SUV. Volvo’s new designs sure are head-turners!
• Solid build & top-notch quality, inside out
• Quick performance will keep most owners happy. Well configurated one-pedal driving feature makes it very easy to drive in the city
• Real-world range should be ~350 km, which is enough for most users
• Excellent high-speed stability coupled with sorted handling. Mature ride quality at speed too
• Zero emissions, cheap running costs & green image will appeal to a lot of people
• Features such as panoramic sunroof, electric front seats with extendable seat bases, one-pedal driving, button-less starting procedure, air purifier etc.
• 5-star NCAP rating. Loaded with safety equipment such as 7 airbags, collision mitigation support (front & rear), lane keeping aid, blind spot information system, cross-traffic alert & more

What you won't:

• Rear seat comfort levels are mediocre. Raised floor & upright seatback. It’s best for just 2 & ingress / egress are tricky too
• The much quicker and better equipped dual motor version costs just ~Rs. 3 lakhs more
• Firm low speed ride. Liveable, but not plush in the city. You will feel the bad roads
• No drive modes and no adjustable regeneration means you cannot customise your drive experience
• Spare tyre is placed above the boot floor and eats into luggage space
• Missing features such as ventilated seats, head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, 360-degree camera, full-size spare tyre (has a space saver tyre), premium sound system, Vehicle to Load etc.
• Small dealership and service network isn't a patch on its German competitors

First Drive Review

Volvo XC40 Recharge Dual Motor

Member Test Drive Review

BMW iX1

Launch & Ownership Review

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Review Link

Kia EV6

First Drive Review

Volvo C40 Recharge

What you'll like:

• Sharply styled crossover. Volvo’s designs sure are head-turners!
• Solid build & top-notch quality, inside out
• Powerful drivetrain with 402 BHP, 660 Nm and AWD gives it sportscar-like performance
• Zero emissions, cheap running costs & green image will appeal to a lot of people
• Real world range should be ~400 km, which is enough for most users
• Excellent high-speed stability coupled with sorted handling. Mature ride quality at speed too
• Loaded with features such as panoramic pixel technology headlamps, electric front seats with extendable seat bases, one-pedal driving, button-less starting procedure, air purifier, 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, etc.
• 5-star NCAP rating, top-notch safety kit & level 3 ADAS to keep you safe

What you won't:

• Rear seat comfort levels are mediocre. Raised floor & upright seatback. It’s best for just 2 & ingress / egress are tricky too, due to the sloping roofline
• Coupe-like rear styling can be polarising. Will divide opinions
• Poor rearward visibility due to the acutely-angled rear windscreen & C-pillar design
• Spare tyre is placed above the boot floor and eats into luggage space
• Missing features such as ventilated seats, head-up display, adjustable regenerative braking, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, rear wiper, full-size spare tyre (has a space saver tyre) etc.
• Firm low speed ride. Liveable, but not plush in the city. You feel bad roads in the city
• Small dealership and service network isn't a patch on its German competitors

Review Link

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ajmat]

For me, it is the EV6, just love the style. It is expensive though. The C40 runs it close but it is a little gawky

[Shreyans_Jain]

Voted for OTHERS

The BYD Seal with its all round brilliance + sheer value proposition blows all these cars out of the water. There really isn’t much left to debate about anymore, the car is just so damn competent in every which way. Add to this a sub 50L on road price, after CBU duties, and the BMWs and Volvos are ridiculously, hilariously overpriced. If I am shopping in this segment, my money is on the 550bhp Seal Performance variant and nothing else.

[Cresterk]

For me it's a toss up between the bmw iX1 and the Ioniq 5. The Volvos are just too small and cramped. Now whether I would pay a 15L premium over the Hyundai for the more powerful iX1 or the better looking Kia EV6 is questionable.

[Hayek]

Revealed preference - in this set it is clearly STILL the Ioniq 5.

Why? I bought the car because it was fantastic to drive, very spacious and comfortable for 3 adults in the rear when chauffeur driven, and for its drool-worthy looks (far better than the Kia in my view). After nearly 7000 kms of ownership, all these positives remain. It has also been very economical to own and use so far - with just over ₹10,000 having been spent on charging it. I am also clear that it has far more than enough power for my use case in Bombay traffic - whether I am driving it on a weekend morning or one of our drivers is using it during the week. For a purely self used weekend “boy toy”, perhaps a 300 BHP + monster would have had incremental value. But as a family car, none of the more powerful vehicles help - and this strikes the perfect balance of power, comfort, refinement, looks and value for me.

Have not yet driven the BYD, but I have the feeling it would be more cramped in the rear than the Ioniq - and it’s smaller boot space would also be a material disadvantage on things like airport runs.

The iX1 and Volvos are smaller - ok for 2 adults and kids, not for a family with 4 adults and a nearly 6’ tall 16 year old. And a 33% price premium for nearly the same car with worse looks makes the Kia unjustifiable in my view.

[AbhiJ]

I own the iX1 and have zero regrets. Its my daily commute car so I use it as a passenger as well as regularly drive it.

The power is extremely usable and still can bring an evil smile to my face on the weekends. It also corners surprisingly well. Take a test drive for sure.

That said -
Straight line speed - Volvo XC40 dual motor
Passenger comfort - Ioniq 5
Killer Looks - Kia EV6

A jack of all trades, but a master of none - ix1

P.s If ground clearance is not an issue, please dont skip the BYD Seal. In dual motor guise its really tempting.

Open to questions if any.

[Kevinrevvz]

Voted for others, I’d go for the BYD Seal.



BYD has offered a mind blowing package in terms of quality, performance, range and driving dynamics. In my humble opinion, it’s the best overall EV on sale south of 1CR.

Let’s evaluate it across categories. Keep in mind that the flagship Seal Performance comes in at ₹53L ex showroom.

Pros:

Performance: 3.8s 0-100.
Next cheapest EV that matches this metric: BMW i5 M60 (₹1.2CR)

Real world range: 500Km
Next cheapest EV that matches this metric: BMW i4 eDrive 40 (₹77.5L)

Driving dynamics: Very well balanced sport sedan. Handles much better than the electric crossovers in the segment.

Build and Material quality: Put together really well and feels 90% as premium as the BMW 3 or i4.

Longevity: The LFP Blade battery is well known for its reliability. Lasts upto 3000-4000 cycles compared to the NMC batteries used by other OEMs that last only upto 1000-2000 cycles. This enables you to charge the battery upto 100% more often with negligible degradation. BYD Taxis used in China report upto 80% Battery Health after 5L+ Km.

Cons:

Brand Value: BYD doesn’t have the brand allure of a western luxury brand.

Ground Clearance: 145mm makes the car a dealbreaker for everyone but the most discerning of enthusiasts.

[Sensible_Speed]

Voted Ioniq 5. There's a reason it won so many awards. Hyundai/Kia's skateboard is one of the most versatile in the market today, having brought a well engineered 800V architecture to the masses at an affordable price.

I could've picked the Kia too. But being a CBU, it cannot match the sheer value the Ioniq 5 offers today. Love almost everything about that car. Hope people shopping in that price range give it a real look.

[redeff]

I chose others simply because I love the I4. Yes, I do agree that it is not practical as the others and that the GC is just too low.

That said, it's gorgeous and feature loaded and has an amazing ride. Not as stiffly sprung as some of the competitors mentioned here.