Volvo C40 Recharge Vs BMW iX1 – German Beer or a Swedish Massage?

EV, Luxury EV, Luxury EV SUV; What to buy, Why to buy, When to buy. If you are looking for the answers to these, you have landed on the right page. We have zeroed down on the BMW iX1 and Volvo C40 recharge, which actually make a lot of practical sense and are priced around the Rs 65 lakh mark. The next best options are the Mercedes EQE SUV, the Audi Q8 e-tron or the BMW iX on the other side of the crore mark. Now let’s answer the first question: which of the two is for you?

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Let’s look at the Design – A Comparison.

Both the BMW iX1 and Volvo C40 recharge look good and have a very decent road presence. The C40 recharge with its front features is a progression of the XC40 P8’s closed-off grille, which is also the now de-facto face for electric Volvos. It steals the show here in terms of road presence. It is also sculpted with precision and is born of electric design. The BMW iX1 kidney grille does look imposing and can be happily mistaken for X3 or X5; in fact, it looks identical to its ICE X1 counterpart. The only distinction is the blue halos around the logo and the ‘i’ badge on the grille and boot lid. On the other hand, the Volvo C40 & XC40 recharge look the same as the familiar Thor’s hammer LED headlights, which get new pixel technology for better illumination and reshaped fog-light housings.

BMW ix1 Back

The C40’s swooping roofline and coupe SUV make it more sporty, and the addition of these twin spoilers makes it more aerodynamic, making it look more new age. With the Welcome and Goodbye feature, every time you unlock and lock your car, the tail lamps light up or go off in a unique sequential pattern, stealing the design show for me between the two.

Volvo c40

Let’s Drive – Driving Comparison. 

Beamers are known to be driving machines, and the iX1 churns out 313 hp 494 Nm of torque; its twin motors make it a speedy car. Although you don’t sit very planted and tend to be thrown inside, the cabin noise is well insulated, but the tyre noise does seep in like most electric cars. The handling is sharp, the steering grip is confidence-boosting, and the iX1 will throw your head back as you pedal down. It’s really fun to drive. 

BMW ix1 Tyre

But the Volvo C40 recharge will recharge your senses much better. First, it’s more powerful, with 408 hp and 660 Nm of Torque, which is 100+ points more than the iX1. It has one-pedal driving, and the party trick is that there is no start/stop button, and the car is activated as soon as you move the gear stick towards you and settle it in D mode. One drawback, though, is that the rear visibility is not the best. The seats are great, and it is a very agile car, eager to lunge forward. If the iX1 is quick, then it is quicker and is faster by 0.7 seconds. It does it in 0-100 km/h time of 4.9 seconds, whereas the iX1 does it in 5.6 seconds, and that settles the driving part hugely in favour of the C40 recharge. The C40 Recharge also comes with Level 3 ADAS functionalities. In fact, it is one of the first cars to get this advanced driver assistance tech and features up to 5 cameras, 3 radar units, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. The iX1 has Level 2 ADAS, and the overall scores in driving and features put the C40 recharge on the podium.

Volvo c40 Tyre

Let’s feel the car – Interior & Features Comparisons. 

The dashboard, with Volvo’s signature 9-inch portrait-oriented screen flanked by tall and slim vertical vents, is very standard Volvo. The 12.3-inch instrument cluster is sharp and has nice graphics; also, it’s ready to go with no “pairing connectivity required “with the smartphone. The Android-based infotainment system is another cool feature, and Apple Car Play also works seamlessly. However, the iX1 has one feature missing in the C40: the massage seats in the front row, which makes the iX1 score better than the C40 recharge.

BMW ix1 Dashboard

Volvo c40 Dashboard

Let’s conclude – Verdict & Range. 

The C40 Recharge scores over the iX1 in every department and is still a few lakhs cheaper; it’s more powerful and quicker, and even in terms of design, it looks new age and fresh. Even with range and battery pack, the C40 has a 78 kWh battery Pack with a WLTP range of 530 km. On the other hand, the iX1 has a 66.4 kWh battery pack and a WLTP range of 440 km. Now, unless you are a fan of German Beer over a Swedish massage, then the choice is yours!

Photography credits: Sundesh Kumar 

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