The Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electrical is about to get a reputation change.
Whereas there’s no main modifications to its styling or drivetrains, the compact electrical SUV might be rebadged EX40 for 2025 to higher align with Volvo’s EV naming technique.
Which means the EX40 will be a part of the present EX30 and EX90, with extra to come back. The associated C40 Recharge coupe crossover will likewise be rebadged EC40.
However the 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electrical you see right here might be largely unchanged for the up to date vary. So, what are we working with?
Following a reasonably complete replace below the pores and skin late final yr, the bottom XC40 Recharge went from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive – sure, this little SUV is rear-wheel drive. It additionally gained a brand new battery for improved vary, and the brand new motor on the rear axle gives improved efficiency.
It’s in any other case the acquainted XC40 components that first debuted in 2017, aside from a light refresh and a brand new Google-powered infotainment system from 2023.
Does the venerable Volvo nonetheless have lots to supply? Or, is it outshone by the newer (however smaller) EX30 sub-compact SUV?
How does the Volvo XC40 evaluate?
View an in depth breakdown of the Volvo XC40 towards equally sized autos.
Volvo
XC40
How a lot does the Volvo XC40 price?
The XC40 Recharge vary begins with the Plus Single on check, priced from $76,990 earlier than on-road prices.
| Mannequin | Value earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2024 Volvo XC40 Plus B4 | $54,990 |
| 2024 Volvo XC40 Final B4 Vivid | $61,990 |
| 2024 Volvo XC40 Final B4 Darkish | $62,990 |
| 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electrical | $76,990 |
| 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Pure Electrical | $85,990 |
To see how the XC40 Recharge traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument.
What’s the Volvo XC40 like on the within?
The fundamental XC40 components has barely modified in seven years, and that’s no dangerous factor given how widespread this automobile has been not simply in Australia however around the globe.
As is typical of the Swedish model – although the automotive is sourced from China – there’s a powerful openness and airiness to the cabin, which is a trademark of Volvo’s wagons and SUVs.
It’s upright, it’s spacious, and ergonomically superb. There’s a basic feeling of high quality concerning the execution and atmosphere, although poking and prodding round exhibits the place a number of the prices have been reduce.
The chunky Volvo steering wheel is beautiful to carry, with a clean leather-based rim and easy multifunction switchgear which operates with a stable motion. It’s all fairly satisfying to make use of.
It’s the same story for the row of buttons beneath the touchscreen, in addition to the window switches within the doorways. There’s a solidity that’s typical Volvo.
As you’d count on the entrance seats are sofa ranges of snug. Whereas they’re textile trimmed on this base mannequin they’re splendidly supportive and provide heaps of electrical adjustment, together with reminiscence. The entrance pews additionally provide certainly one of my favorite options, within the type of extendable base cushions.
Forward of the driving force is a digital instrument cluster which, as we’ve famous in earlier evaluations, appears sensible however is restricted in performance and adjustability. There’s principally one structure with the choice to indicate Google Maps within the centre or not. It covers the fundamentals, however little else.
The 9.0-inch portrait-oriented centre touchscreen is extra spectacular regardless of its smaller quoted dimension, powered by Google built-in. Whereas it retains the same look to the older Sensus system, it’s sooner, extra linked, and gives higher performance.
Being Google-based, it has the Google Assistant built-in, built-in Google Maps and varied different net-based providers out of the field. It nearly removes the necessity to have Apple CarPlay linked it’s really that good.
You may plug your telephone in for Apple CarPlay through USB-C, and it labored seamlessly in our expertise. Oddly, there’s nonetheless no Android Auto performance. You do, nonetheless, get distant features through the Volvo app for 4 years.
One other factor to notice is the absence of bodily local weather controls, with everlasting digital shortcuts sitting on the base of the touchscreen. It may be fiddly while you first attempt it, nevertheless it’s higher than a number of the different digital buttons we’ve sampled.
It’s additionally irritating the heated seat and steering wheel controls are buried within the touchscreen, notably for the latter. Absolutely, the button for the heated steering wheel needs to be… on the steering wheel?
Fortunately, Volvo has stored the demister features as onerous buttons under the touchscreen, along with a quantity knob that doubles up as a play/pause button, flanked by skip buttons on both aspect.
One more reason for the XC40’s enduring recognition is the practicality of the rear cabin. The Pure Electrical model retains these optimistic traits from the ICE donor automotive.
The tall, boxy physique means there’s higher house for taller passengers than in most rivals. I’m 6’1 and may comfortably sit behind my most popular driving place with room to spare. Children might be very blissful again right here, and shouldn’t be susceptible to journey illness due to the plentiful glasshouse.
You get directional air vents within the rear, and there’s facilities like massive door bins, map pockets, and a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders. The ICE platform has carried over the rear driveline hump from petrol-fired AWD variations of the XC40, nevertheless it’s in any other case superb for the category.
Mother and father with smaller youngsters might be catered for with ISOFIX anchor factors on the outboard rear seat positions, in addition to prime tether factors throughout the backs of all three rear seats. The huge and flat rear bench means you have got loads of choices when you could cart a number of folks round.
Whereas practicality is an XC40 sturdy go well with, its 410-litre cargo quantity declare isn’t fairly class-leading. Nonetheless, the tall and sq. physique makes it a really usable house, and the rear seats fold flat to open up a quoted 1295 litres.
There’s additionally a variable ground if you could create smaller compartments to cease your issues rolling round or falling over, and there’s some good underfloor storage.
| Dimensions | Volvo XC40 Recharge |
|---|---|
| Size | 4440mm |
| Width | 1938mm |
| Top | 1651mm |
| Wheelbase | 2702mm |
| Boot capability | 410L-1295L |
To see how the XC40 Recharge traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument.
What’s below the bonnet?
There’s no petrol engine below the bonnet, slightly a small 31-litre storage space for stowing your cables, or no matter else you’re feeling like squeezing in there.
| Specs | Volvo XC40 Recharge Single |
|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electrical |
| Battery | 69kWh li-ion |
| Energy | 175kW |
| Torque | 420Nm |
| Pushed wheels | Rear |
| Weight | 2040kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 7.3 seconds |
| Claimed vary | 435 kilometres |
| Max AC cost price | 11kW |
| Max DC cost price | 130kW |
To see how the XC40 Recharge traces up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument.
How does the Volvo XC40 drive?
Lots of people gravitate to the tempo and response of dual-motor electrical autos, however I’d argue most single-motor variations are extra balanced of their energy supply and are sometimes extra environment friendly.
-
2025 EX40 proven
Within the case of the XC40 Recharge (quickly to be the EX40), having 175kW and 420Nm on the rear axle is greater than sufficient to get this admittedly heavy 2040kg electrical SUV transferring at respectable tempo.
Volvo quotes a 0-100km/h time of seven.3 seconds which is hardly gradual. Not way back that was the type of tempo you’d count on from sizzling hatches.
The XC40 could not at all times really feel fairly that fast in its customary setting, as Volvo (and Polestar) have a behavior of constructing the throttle just a little doughy to progressively pile on energy for clean and linear acceleration.
Flooring it and also you’ll get a transfer on briskly, however in any other case you possibly can type of effortlessly waft alongside in a cruisier method, which maybe is best suited to the XC40’s extra comfort-focused and family-friendly pitch.
Talking of consolation, the smaller 19-inch alloy wheels and chubbier 235/50 tyres make the single-motor XC40 Recharge extra compliant than the Twin driving on larger 20-inch alloys.
Whereas the XC40 does with out adaptive damping there’s a pleasant steadiness between consolation and physique management, with a slight lean to the firmer aspect of issues to account for the added weight of the large battery pack within the ground pan.
It often thuds over sharper hits, however is in any other case fairly nicely sorted and offers with the lumps and bumps of metropolis life moderately nicely.
Energetic damping could be a welcome future addition, to permit for higher adjustability in lieu of the air suspension accessible on bigger Volvo fashions.
There’s a reasonably heavy weighting to the steering although it offers a reassuring stage of suggestions and accuracy to make the XC40 an agreeable city companion.
It’s simple to string by way of site visitors and bustling metropolis streets, and isn’t intimidating to park due to its good outward visibility, and upright and compact traces. The Plus’s reversing digicam is common, and it’s a disgrace you possibly can’t possibility the Final Twin’s encompass digicam system.
There’s a single-pedal driving mode which is among the simpler techniques this aspect of a Tesla, although you possibly can drive it like a traditional XC40 if you want.
It’s additionally properly insulated from the skin world, although there’s a touch of tyre roar at increased speeds on rougher sections of blacktop – that is removed from unusual within the compact premium segments, although.
Volvo’s driver help applied sciences are on the higher finish of the breed. The Pilot Help perform is selectable through the steering wheel controls, and combines adaptive cruise and lane centring for semi-autonomous driving on the freeway and through site visitors jams.
It’s one of many extra correct and intuitive techniques available on the market, and helps to take the load off prolonged stints behind the wheel or throughout peak-hour while you’re held up bumper-to-bumper on the finish of a freeway.
Customary blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert bolster the already good outward visibility, accounting for the large rear pillars that may impede over-the-shoulder view. The XC40 will even brake to mitigate a collision when reversing out of tight parking areas should you can’t see the crossing site visitors.
As famous earlier the reversing digicam isn’t the very best particularly when the remainder of Volvo’s options are so good. Fortunately there are entrance and rear parking sensors, the entrance ones specifically serving to with the XC40’s tall and bluff bonnet.
What do you get?
The XC40 Recharge Single has a barely decrease stage of specification than the Twin – Volvo dubs the decrease grade ‘Plus’ and the upper variant ‘Final’ in keeping with different nameplates.
XC40 Recharge highlights:
- 19-inch wheels
- 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Google built-in working system
- Google Automotive Companies
- Volvo Vehicles app
- DAB+ digital radio
- 8-speaker sound system
- 12-inch digital instrument show
- Wi-fi telephone charger
- LED headlights and tail lights
- Keyless entry and begin
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Heated entrance and rear seats
- Energy-folding rear headrests
- Arms-free energy tailgate
- Auto-dimming inside, exterior mirrors
Recharge Twin provides:
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- Harman Kardon premium sound system
- Vegan textile inside trim
- Encompass-view digicam
Is the Volvo XC40 protected?
The Volvo XC40 has a five-star ANCAP security score based mostly on testing performed by Euro NCAP in 2018.
This 2018 Euro NCAP testing was initially performed on the petrol-powered XC40, however the score was prolonged to incorporate the pure-electric and plug-in hybrid Recharge fashions.
| Class | Volvo XC40 |
|---|---|
| Grownup occupant safety | 97 per cent |
| Youngster occupant safety | 84 per cent |
| Weak highway person safety | 71 per cent |
| Security help | 78 per cent |
Customary security options embrace:
- 7 airbags incl. driver’s knee
- Adaptive cruise management
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Weak highway person detection
- Lane departure warning
- Lane maintain help
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Parking sensors – entrance, rear
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Reversing digicam
How a lot does the Volvo XC40 price to run?
The XC40 Recharge is backed by the identical guarantee because the broader Volvo vary, however comes with the added perk of free servicing.
| Working prices | Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin |
|---|---|
| Guarantee | 5 years, limitless kilometres |
| Battery guarantee | 8 years or 160,000 kilometres |
| Service intervals | 2 years or 30,000km |
| Service pricing | Free (5 years) |
Whereas Volvo doesn’t quote an official energy consumption determine in Australia, we noticed the XC40 Recharge Single Motor’s journey laptop hovering between 17-19kWh/100km throughout our week of testing.
It is a fairly sturdy level of distinction to the extra highly effective twin-motor model, which is able to typically balloon into the low- to mid-20kWh/100km in real-world driving – we managed a thirsty 26kWh/100km in a latest evaluation.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Volvo XC40
EVs from current mannequin traces and structure can typically be inherently compromised, however the XC40 Recharge does an important job combining a pure electrical drivetrain with an approachable, typical components.
That is an XC40 that simply occurs to be an EV, that means all of the issues we all know and love about the usual SUV apply. It appears sensible, drives nicely, and is tremendous sensible for its dimension.
In base Single Motor guise, the electrical XC40 gives sturdy worth and good ranges of efficiency, and can prevent a useful $9000 in comparison with the extra highly effective and better specified XC40 Recharge Twin.
Whereas it lacks a few options on the spec sheet, the ‘Plus’-spec XC40 Recharge covers all of the bases after which some, and gives premium driving refinement befitting the Volvo badge. Additional, it’s priced across the similar quantity as many German rivals with inner combustion engines.
That’s to not say it’s excellent and you should purchase one sight unseen – the reversing digicam is poor, and the restricted trim choices means you principally get to select your paint and that’s it.
Given its recognition Down Beneath, it’s a disgrace Australian prospects aren’t supplied just a little extra alternative like non-compulsory packages, additional upholstery choices, and even the larger battery with the Single Motor drivetrain.
However these shortcomings are removed from dealbreakers, and the XC40 Recharge stays very aggressive towards rivals from German premium marques – the Audi This fall e-tron, BMW iX1 and Mercedes-Benz EQA all price considerably extra.
It’s positively value a glance, although it is also value ready for the approaching EX40 rebadge to see if Volvo Australia modify the lineup and specs to deal with the aforementioned drawbacks.
Click on the pictures for the complete gallery
MORE: Purchase a Volvo XC40
MORE: All the things Volvo XC40