A good VOLVO’S RECHARGE A BIT FLAT

I’m not a huge fan of SUVs and crossovers but this has won me over with its lean, fuss-free and very Nordic styling.

The one we’ve got on test is an XC40 Recharge T5. Recharge is Volvo’s new brand name for its electrified cars but this one is a plug-in hybrid.

It has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 178bhp. This is aided by an electric motor that adds a further 81bhp.

Both drive through an automatic transmission to the front wheels.

You can’t buy an XC40 PHEV in entry-level Momentum trim: the choice is between this sporty R-Design and Inscription if you’re after more luxury.

We’ve done this test the proper way: taken the car around to my nearest public charging point and topped up the lithium-ion battery so that we have the full 31-mile electric-only range.

But after having done so, the car’s display showed a range of 25 miles.

Enough for our plan. Which was to

drive to Milton Keynes to test some new Mercs, go down the M1 into central London to see a mate then head home.

The first two legs would be done on petrol power then for the last bit I would switch the XC40 into electric-only.

Our test car costs £40,905 (the Inscription is £41,225) without options. We don’t have a price for the XC40 Recharge yet but with the plug-in car grant, I doubt it will be hugely more expensive than the PHEV.

As much as I like the looks of the R-Design, it features a sports suspension package as standard so the ride is not as comfortable as I would want.

There’s something even more annoying about the brakes. I can’t recall a recent car that has such inconsistent pedal feel as this.

Perhaps it is due to the regenerative braking system. Whatever it is, I’ve not experienced it on petrol or diesel XC40s.

Apart from these niggles the Volvo is as beguiling as all the other versions we’ve tested. Both R-Design and Inscription have beautifully designed interiors with plenty of Nordic style. I’ve ranted before about Volvo’s infotainment system which, for a company whose core brand value is safety, is dangerously distracting to use. Still, the voice recognition works well and if you make full use of its functions you can avoid being distracted. The interior is spacious and airy and there’s 460 litres of luggage space with the seats in place and 1,336 of space with them folded down flat. Driving the XC40 PHEV through central London, the 14 miles back to my house were very pleasant.

I arrived home with nine miles of electric range left and not once was I tempted to go into the list of petrolpowered driving modes.

If you want to go electric then my advice is to skip this model and wait for the XC40 Recharge to arrive.

The PHEV version is too much of a halfway house.