Volvo is offering a cheaper version of the EC40. To do that, it has dropped one electric motor.
The single-motor version now costs RM248,888 without insurance, making it RM40,000 less than the twin-motor all-wheel-drive variant.
The single motor version comes in Ultra trim, with equipment largely mirroring the twin motor unit.
What changes is the drivetrain. Instead of motors front and back, the new model only drives the rear wheels. Output drops to 175 kilowatts and 420Nm, which still gets you to 100kph in 7.3 seconds. Not exactly slow.
The 70-kilowatt-hour battery hasn’t changed. Range sits at 488km under WLTP testing, and fast charging remains impressive. Find a 200-kilowatt charger and you’ll go from 10-80% charge in 26 minutes. For home charging, there’s 11-kilowatt AC capability.
Equipment levels stay generous. The exterior gets LED headlights with Pixel Technology, 19-inch alloy wheels, a glass roof, and a boot that opens when you wave your foot underneath.
Inside, there’s a nine-inch touchscreen running Volvo’s newest software — the same interface used in the smaller EX30.
A 12.3-inch digital dial sits behind the wheel, and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work wirelessly.
Other kit includes a Harman Kardon stereo, wireless phone charging, two-zone climate control, and electric front seats with memory settings. Volvo’s ditched leather throughout, using textile and synthetic materials instead.
Safety equipment mirrors what you get in pricier Volvos. That means adaptive cruise control with steering assistance, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping help, blind-spot warnings that can nudge the steering wheel, rear cross-traffic alerts, a surround-view camera, and tyre-pressure sensors.
Four paint options are available: Aurora Silver, Crystal White, Onyx Black, and a new Sand Dune colour borrowed from the bigger EX90.
Warranty coverage includes five years with no kilometre limit on the car itself, plus eight years or 160,000km on the battery.
Early buyers get extras too — free insurance for the first year worth RM5,600, and a RM5,000 voucher towards installing a home wallbox charger. Both offers are time-limited.
The EC40 used to be called the C40 Recharge before Volvo simplified its naming.
This single-motor version now becomes the cheapest way into the coupé-styled electric crossover.
You’re trading some acceleration and all-wheel traction for lower running costs and decent range. For most buyers in Malaysia’s climate, rear-wheel drive should be plenty.
The model slots into Volvo’s growing electric range alongside the EX30 city car, XC40 SUV, and flagship XC90 and EX90 seven-seater.
