The Volvo XC40 is a family-friendly SUV with plenty of charm and a few flaws. It’s easy to understand why it sells so well and is in high demand in the secondary market. This SUV does it all, with a dash of elegance and premium luxury thrown in for good measure.
Volvo’s XC40 is one of the most excellent family SUVs available right now, and it has helped to establish the fast-growing Swedish brand. It went on sale in 2018 and has grown in popularity since, thanks to Volvo’s ongoing range development, which includes a plug-in hybrid and fully electric variant in the form of the Volvo XC40 Recharge. Read on for our 2023 Volvo XC40 review to discover why it’s so amazing.
The Volvo XC40, one of the most excellent compact SUVs on the market, was even voted Car of the Year 2019 by our sister website HonestJohn.co.uk, beating off some stiff competition. Such notoriety has dramatically aided the Volvo XC40’s popularity among prospective customers; it is Volvo’s best-selling vehicle in Europe and a superb option to an Audi Q2, BMW X1, or Volkswagen Tiguan, as well as more mainstream versions like the Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage, and SEAT Ateca.
The XC40 has excellent showroom appeal thanks to Volvo’s young version of its elegant, characteristic look. It has a hefty appearance with a strong profile and a stylish color split in the rear pillar that sets it apart from the competitors. We appreciate how Volvo has created a highlight of the front bonnet line in the wings and the finely designed side panels. A little rubber Swedish flag pokes out from the passenger side, a charming design feature.
Inside, the Volvo XC40 seems more open and less cramped than some competitors. It’s less enclosed than bigger Volvos like the XC60, but it’s more practical, with a comfortable driving position and lots of headroom. However, the dashboard retains the more upscale design of the bigger versions, with the same upright center touchscreen and even the same high-end steering wheel.
The back seats are roomy, and the cargo bay is acceptable, though not class-leading. The Volvo XC40 is notable for its meticulous attention to detail throughout. Which other vehicles have carpeted door bins with speakers moved to make them more spacious and functional?
The XC40 comes standard with a robust infotainment system based on Google’s Android automotive operating system. Not to be confused with Android Auto, it includes Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Google Play Store, giving you access to many applications. Apple customers may also take advantage of Apple CarPlay.
The Volvo XC40 was initially offered with a selection of 1.5- and 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol and diesel engines with differing power outputs. The letter ‘T’ was assigned to petrol engines, whereas the letter ‘D’ was given to diesel engines. Due to Volvo’s shift to hybrid and electric vehicles, the current XC40s are only available as mild or plug-in hybrids. The mild hybrids are labeled B3 and B4, although the difference in driving experience is slight since they both have a comparable feel. The number indicates how quick they are, with the B4 having greater power than the B3.
The newest plug-in hybrids are badged ‘T,’ which may be a little confusing, with the T4 providing an electric-only range of 28.6 miles and the T5 a little less at 28 miles, but it comes with a little more power. To add to the confusion, both versions are labeled ‘Recharge,’ exactly like the XC40’s electric-only variant.
Two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive variants of the Volvo XC40 were initially available, with AWD vehicles being preferable for winter road usage. Still, the current cars have solely front-wheel drive. Away from the extremes, though, 2WD should be enough. People purchase the Volvo XC40 for its family-friendly utility and SUV appearance, not off-road capabilities.
Which Volvo XC40 model and engine should I get?
The Volvo XC40 is excellent in all trim levels. If you’re not a demanding driver, the standard B3 will suffice, while the B4 is a superb all-arounder for longer excursions. Volvo has realized that a stick-shift manual transmission does not fit in this vehicle and now only provides the standard XC40 with an automatic transmission. The XC40 Recharge electric and plug-in hybrid variants are also expected to gain popularity, particularly the plug-in hybrid. However, they raise the Volvo XC40’s pricing to an unusually high level.
If you’re shopping for a used Volvo XC40, you will likely come across several diesel-powered models. The D3 diesel engine produces 150 PS, while the D4 produces 190 PS. Only the basic D3 model has a manual transmission.
What trim level should you choose for your Volvo XC40?
Until 2022, the XC40 lineup consisted of Momentum, R-Design, and Inscription. The XC40 Momentum trim is fairly fully equipped, but the XC40 R-Design grade delivers a sportier style with a little more aesthetic appeal outside and inside. There are three trim levels to select when purchasing a new XC40: Core, Plus, and Ultimate. The Plus has the most incredible mix of features and value, while the Ultimate has every part and looks a little more spectacular.
What other vehicles are comparable to the Volvo XC40?
The Volvo XC40 is a premium-grade SUV that isn’t as expensive as other rivals. You get more automobiles for your money here than an Audi Q2 or a BMW X1. The Mercedes-Benz GLC Class is another expensive option, although it does have seven seats.
Because of Volvo’s excellent all-around utility, it competes with big sellers like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Ford Kuga, both of which provide stiff competition. Slower-selling alternatives include the Jaguar E-Pace and Lexus NX, while the Range Rover Evoque cannot be overlooked in this segment.
Volvo XC40 interior comfort and design
Volvo’s interior design is quite contemporary and inviting, which the XC40 portrays well. The primary touchscreen dominates the plan, complementing a nice set of entirely digital and programmable instruments. We like Volvo’s new big steering wheels, which are pretty comfortable.
The inside of the 2023 Volvo XC40 seems big since Volvo scalloped out the internal door panels for optimum space. But it’s not austere, as some pretty gorgeous trim inlays are embedded inside them and on the dashboard itself. Metal door knobs and chrome-finished air vents (with elegant twist toggles to open and shut them) are also great details.
Volvo provides a variety of interior finishes for the XC40, ranging from dark and athletic to bright and trendy. The orange carpet option, which stretches from the floor through the door panels, deserves special mention. It’s unusual yet attractive—for those who don’t find it immediately repulsive. The fact that Volvo is ready to be daring with design touches like these demonstrates how far the company has progressed.
The XC40 seats are pretty comfortable. This is a Volvo hallmark, and the XC40 delivers. All trim levels have beautifully cushioned seats with many adjustabilities and a ‘large vehicle’ sense of comfort.
Finishing and quality
The central touchscreen, sumptuous leather steering wheel, and lovely chrome-tipped interior pieces give the Volvo XC40 a genuine class feeling. The obvious connection to more expensive Volvo vehicles emphasizes its opulent appearance.
We also love some of Volvo’s design techniques. Instead of a rugged plastic center console surround, the XC40’s carpet has been extended up the sides, making it seem plusher and more opulent. Carpeting the door panels increases the impression of coziness.
Outside, the Volvo XC40 seems well-built, with high-quality paint and decent panel construction. The kind of design exudes high quality, and the polish is flawless. Without a doubt, this is an actual premium-grade vehicle.
The Volvo XC40’s infotainment system has a touchscreen, a USB port, navigation, and a radio.
The 9.0-inch portrait-style infotainment screen is the focal point of the Volvo XC40 dashboard. This is the same as in more expensive Volvos, emphasizing the shrunken luxury vehicle’ sense. It runs Google’s Android Automotive, which takes time since it relies on smartphone-style swipes, scrolling, and pinches. However, after you’ve learned the fundamentals, you’ll undoubtedly like it.
The XC40’s screen has many functions, including Google Maps navigation with live traffic information, DAB radio, and Bluetooth.
There’s voice activation in the form of Google Assistant and access to the Google Play Store for downloading applications like Spotify. The built-in SIM card of the car creates a Wi-Fi hotspot that enables internet connectivity and even stolen vehicle monitoring, which makes this all possible. Volvo gives new vehicle purchasers four years of free access to various Google services before charging a membership charge.
Earlier XC40s did not have Apple CarPlay, but the current versions do, and Android Auto is also available. If you don’t want to use a phone, you may log in to your Google account on the XC40.
We also have to notice the incredibly optional Harman Kardon sound system. It has 13 speakers, a subwoofer, 600 watts of power, and Dolby Pro Logic TT surround sound. It’s truly spectacular, transforming the Volvo XC40 into a mobile performance venue.
The cargo capacity of the Volvo XC40 is spacious and functional.
The external measurements of the Volvo XC40 are 4425mm long, 1873mm wide, and 1658mm high. What do these numbers signify in practice? The XC40 is somewhat shorter than the BMW X1 (4447mm) and Lexus UX (4495mm). It’s also narrower than both; the Lexus is 1840mm broad, while the X1 is 1821mm wide.
The XC40 seems more roomy and open behind the wheel than bigger Volvos. The XC40’s front-seat occupants sit high (with 1030mm of headroom), and the footwells are spacious (1040mm legroom)—it offers an almost MPV-like impression of spaciousness behind the wheel but without the more van-like MPV driving posture.
Volvo also excels in terms of front-seat comfort. The XC40’s door bins are enormous, with neatly positioned speakers allowing up the width of the bottom of the door for storage space. It makes all other automobiles seem wasteful and inefficient.
The Volvo XC40’s broad center console is also incredibly accommodating; the front area is just ready to swallow sunglasses, keys, and cellphones, while there are two cupholders farther back and a big central storage cubby behind them.
The tall cabin provides plenty of room for passengers in the back. The tall sidewalls provide plenty of headroom (994mm), and the back seat is spacious and comfortable. Again, the bench seat is elevated above the ground, making it suitable for taller people, and there’s plenty of room under the front seats. The XC40 is a terrific family vehicle, but the thick floor won’t be as comfortable for the middle-seat passenger.
The sole complaint may be looking out: the athletic lines of the rear shoulders cut into the rear side windows, limiting the view for little children. Taller individuals won’t mind, but some may find it a little cramped in there—a rare example of Volvo XC40 design over a passenger-friendly substance.
The boot is well-designed. It’s broad (more than a meter between the wheel arches), and the floor is entirely level, so you can utilize the 460-liter capacity with the seats up (80 liters more than a Volkswagen Golf). Its slanted tailgate takes up room above the window line, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that the load bay is square and boxy, with no load lip to contend with when putting heavy baggage securely into position.
You may buy larger SUVs, but nothing is more practical than the Volvo XC40, especially with the Convenience Pack, which has a multi-function cargo floor that serves as a divider to keep goods from rolling about. The Volvo XC40’s luggage capacity expands to 1336 liters with the rear seats folded, and you can fit an adult mountain bike in the back without removing either of its wheels.
What are the handling and ride quality like in the Volvo XC40?
“We enjoy how Volvo configures its vehicles. They’re not too athletic, but they’re also not too soft and squishy. They will be perfectly suitable for many people. The Volvo XC40 offers a very nice ride quality, even on variants without the biggest (and best-looking) alloy wheels. It boasts long-travel suspension that absorbs lumps and bumps well while making little noise.”
Volvo equips the XC40 Core and variants with 18-inch wheels as standard, which we believe are adequate, while the top-spec Ultimate comes with 19-inch wheels. We can see why you’d be drawn to the Ultimate’s 20-inch rims. Keep in mind that the bigger the wheels, the firmer the ride.
Volvo always incorporates a level of safety into how its vehicles travel—a “sneeze factor,” if you will. They’re less crisp than a BMW, so they’re more forgiving. The steering on the XC40 exemplifies this: the wheel is somewhat more giant than typical, and although it’s pretty precise, it lacks the wrist-flickability of something sportier. The Volvo XC40 is more laid-back and calm, and it won’t punish you with a lane-keep assist if you bend over behind to ask the kids what they’re up to.
The same is true for handling. It’s accurate enough but not razor-sharp and exhausting. It rolls a little more than a BMW X1, but the Volvo XC40 fosters a fluid, flowing driving style, precisely how you should drive a Volvo. After all, this isn’t a hot hatch.
What engines and transmissions are available for the Volvo XC40?
Volvo’s petrol engines in the XC40 are now labeled ‘B’ rather than ‘T since they use 48-volt mild hybrid technology that increases the engine-off duration at low speeds and comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The new entry-level B3 generates 163 PS and is a pleasant engine with a good, throbbing character and plenty of pulling power. The B4 has 197 PS and is a capable all-arounder.
On the other hand, Volvo sees its future in electric cars, which is why the T4 and T5 Recharge plug-in hybrids with a 1.5-liter turbo engine and rechargeable onboard battery are available. The total system output is 211 or 262 psi, with both variants allowing 28 miles of all-electric driving.
If you’re looking to purchase a used Volvo XC40, a 129PS T2 petrol engine is available, and although it’s a little sluggish against the clock, it feels great once up to speed.
Volvo prioritizes gasoline above diesel, and the D3 and D4 engines are no longer available as new options. Both engines are 2.0-liter four-cylinders, with the D3 generating 150 PS and the D4 producing 190 PS. It’s not a terrible engine, and plenty of secondhand ones should be available if you’re looking for something cheap.
A manual transmission was offered on specific previous versions; it is no longer available since all new XC40s come standard with an automated message.
Noise levels and refinement
The Volvo XC40 has excellent refinement overall. The XC40 cruises softly, with wind noise reduced to a minimum and road noise muffled. The larger alloy wheels produce more tire noise, unavoidable, as is the noisier ride quality throughout town.
Diesel engines are slightly clattery initially, but they quiet down once warmed up and quieted at speed. Lower-powered petrol engines are noisier, and you’ll almost certainly have to push the T2 hard so that it may get rowdy. However, their turbocharged pulling power ensures they’re not too harsh at high speeds. DUE TO THEIR INCREASED ENGINE-OFF RANGE, the B3 and B4 engines are refined, especially in town.
In EV mode, the T5 Recharge is relatively quiet. When the battery dies, the engine begins, but you won’t notice it at first if you’re traveling on the highway. It’s not as quiet as a pure electric motor, which may tempt you to charge it more.
Safety features: How secure is the Volvo XC40?
In classic Volvo fashion, the Volvo XC40 is very safe. In 2018, Euro NCAP gave it five stars for crash safety, with an adult occupant protection rating of 97%. Child occupant protection is also adequate, at 87%.
A complete set of airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag and full-length curtain airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounting points for the outer two rear seats (optional for the front passenger seat), an airbag cut-off switch, and a seatbelt reminder for all five seats are standard safety features. Volvo’s WHIPS whiplash safety system is also included in the front seats.
The Volvo XC40 has a comprehensive set of active safety technologies, including City Safety automated emergency braking, which detects bikes, pedestrians, and other vehicles. Run-off-road prevention prevents the Volvo XC40 from driving over road-edge markers and into danger, while the driver alertness monitor alerts the driver if it senses drowsiness.
Volvo also supplies an optional IntelliSafe aid package with the XC40, which features adaptive cruise control and pilot aid for steering, and IntelliSafe Surround, which incorporates blind-spot and rear collision alerts. It’s a great safety feature and an excellent driver convenience function.
How much does it cost to operate a Volvo XC40?
“Fuel economy is good across almost all variants of the XC40 due to Volvo’s efficient engine range, which helps keep fuel costs down.”
If you’re searching for a used Volvo XC40, the T2 petrol engine is rated at up to 40 mpg, but the T3 gives precisely the same fuel consumption so you may prefer that. The automated variant uses around 2 mpg less gasoline than the manual version.
The B3 front-wheel-drive automatic gets 42.8 mpg on average, with the somewhat more powerful B4 doing 42.2 mpg.
The T5 Recharge hybrid technically averages up to 128.4 mpg due to its electric range of roughly 28 miles, but this is impractical unless you start every drive with full batteries. Meanwhile, the less powerful T4 Recharge has the same electric-only range but a slightly higher official fuel efficiency of 134.5 mpg.
Volvo XC40 price,
The Volvo XC40 is the Swedish brand’s smallest SUV yet, but it packs more model smarts into smaller, city-friendly dimensions.
The base model starts at $52,990 and then goes up to $81,490. Hailed as one of the best compact luxury SUVs on the market, the XC40 offers durability, sophistication, excellent safety, and solid performance from various petrol engines, putting it ahead of most premium competitors. A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle known as the Recharge PHEV was announced in 2020, followed shortly by the Pure Electric EV.
Volvo XC40 reliability?
There have been relatively few complaints about difficulties with the Volvo XC40, which has proven to be highly dependable. Indeed, it received the highest dependability score of 9.82 in the current HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, making it the most dependable Volvo vehicle in the lineup.
Costs and insurance groups
The entry-level Core with either the B3 engine is in insurance group 24, while a used XC40 T2 in Start standard is just in insurance group 18.
The B4 should be reasonably priced for insurance, with groups starting at 28 in Plus spec. Group 31 begins with the Recharge Ultimate T5.
Trim levels and standard features
The Volvo XC40 lineup comprises Core, Plus, and Ultimate models. These trims have recently replaced the Momentum, R-Design and Inscription trims offered on new XC40s until about mid-2022, and standard features on these older cars may differ.
The newest XC40 models have LED headlights (with the distinctive LED running light signature), a 12.3-inch TFT active instrument display, a 9-inch touchscreen, cruise control, rear parking sensors, and built-in navigation. There is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. That doesn’t even consider the XC40’s Android Automotive system (which includes Google Maps, Google Play, and Google Assistant).
In addition, 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, a motorized tailgate, and an 8-speaker sound system are standard.
The XC40 Plus adds a Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and Cross Traffic Alert, a rear camera, front parking sensors, heated rear seats, keyless entry, a hands-free controlled tailgate, and a powered driver seat with memory.
The XC40 Ultimate comes standard with bigger 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, a motorized front passenger seat, Premium Sound by Harman Kardon, tinted rear windows, and a panoramic roof.
