The next Volvo V40 will arrive with two different electric versions

The current-generation Volvo V40 is still on sale, but everything suggests the brand is already looking for a successor to its compact. The segment is quite competitive, and the Swedish brand wants to position itself against cars like the Volkswagen Golf, which will be replaced in a couple of years by the eighth generation, and the Ford Fiesta. There is no firm date yet, but company sources point to 2019 or early 2020 as the likely launch window for the new V40 generation.

Not long ago we saw the Volvo V40.2 concept car, which you can see in the images accompanying this article, so it would not be surprising if the new version of the model shares several design elements with it. What seems confirmed is the use of the platform that also underpins the Volvo XC40, including the same wheelbase. This will benefit the V40, which will gain interior space for greater occupant comfort. The adoption of this platform will also allow the model to offer a wide range of engines, which will enrich the lineup.

Among the powertrains the model will feature are the D3 and D4 diesel engines, along with the T4 and T5 petrol variants. But the Volvo V40 will not be limited to combustion-engined versions, as it will also offer plug-in hybrid and fully electric variants, just like its bigger sibling. According to the brand’s head of R&D, Henrik Green, speaking to AutoExpress, the 100% electric models will have two different batteries with different capacities.

The first will allow the car to have a fairly affordable price, but its range will not be particularly high. The second version, by contrast, will use a larger, higher-capacity battery and therefore offer greater range, though at a noticeably higher price. Both versions will also be available on the SUV, but they will not be the only ones to benefit from this architecture. Before the V40 and XC40 go electric, this platform will already have been used to shape the Polestar 2, so we will be able to see how it behaves and all the features it offers.