Volvo XC40 Review & Prices

The Volvo XC40 is a bit of an elder statesman now - it was launched in 2018 and though it’s had a couple of light-touch updates since then, it’s still fundamentally the same car. That means that, while it’s still good-looking, spacious and comfortable, it’s definitely showing a few cracks with the inefficient engines and outdated tech inside.

It’s a bit like the Simpsons - it’s been around for ages and it’s still a good watch, but occasionally when it attempts to cover relevant topics it feels rather forced. That’s how the XC40 feels with some of its more modern features shoehorned into a model that was never designed for them in the first place.

Alternatives to the XC40 are many and varied, ranging from premium offerings such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Cupra Formentor and Mercedes GLA to cheaper, bigger family SUVs such as the Citroen C5 Aircross, Volkswagen Tiguan or Hyundai Tucson.

What the XC40 has that none of those options can match - not even the wannabe-posh Volkswagen - is class. It’s a really handsome car, with a boxy SUV shape, eye-catching ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED lights and a certain ‘right’-ness about the proportions. It makes the X1 or the Q3 look over-designed and fussy.

It’s a similar story on the inside, where you get a minimalist (but not overly-so) dashboard with an upright infotainment display, big instrument screen and plenty of clever features. It feels really high-quality especially compared to the Audi Q3, with a solid build and dense, upmarket plastics. Touch points like the volume dial and air vents are made of solid metal, adding to the classy feel.

It’s here where the XC40 shows its age most, though, as the infotainment screen is tiny compared to the alternatives - yet it has to cover off almost all the car’s controls, including the climate. Built-in Google software means you get great sat-nav and access to useful apps, but the rest of the interface is too fiddly.

Storage has really been thought about in the XC40, with gigantic door bins, a fold-down bag hook on the glovebox and even a waste bin in the centre console.

There’s also plenty of room for passengers. The front seats are super-comfy and supportive, adjusting for drivers of all sizes, and the rear seats have loads of space too, helped by the boxy roofline giving great headroom. The 452-litre boot is smaller than a BMW X1 or Volkswagen Tiguan’s, but it’s clever - you can store the parcel shelf under the floor, or fold the cover in half to give you a boot divider and bag hooks.

There are two engines available, badged B3 and B4 - they’re both mild hybrid petrols paired to front-wheel drive and automatic gearboxes. They’re quiet and smooth enough, but they feel a bit old hat with sub-40mpg fuel economy and nothing really by the way of electrical assistance. The alternatives all have proper hybrid options available, though you could opt for the all-electric EX40 if you want something with a few volts in its step.

The engines might be mediocre but the XC40 is still very nice to drive. It’s extremely comfortable around town and on the motorway thanks to soft, forgiving suspension - it makes short work of bad roads and potholes. That does mean it’s no fun to punt down a twisting country road - you’ll need a BMW X1 or Cupra Formentor for that.

Verdict

It doesn’t feel as cutting-edge as it did in 2018, but the Volvo XC40 is still a solid family SUV. It’s really comfortable and quiet to drive, has a roomy and practical interior, and a stylish, handsome body. Plus, Volvo’s commitment to safety is really reassuring. Technophiles will miss the cutting-edge touchscreens of newer alternatives, but if you’re not too fussed about gadgets you’ll love the XC40.

Have a look at the latest deals on a new Volvo XC40, as well as XC40 lease offers and a wide range of used XC40s, available through our trusted dealer network. There are other used Volvos for sale, too, and Carwow can even help you sell your current car when it’s time to switch.

The Volvo XC40 starts at around £1,000 less than the BMW X1 and a few hundred pounds less than the Mercedes GLA, but it’s more expensive than the bigger Volkswagen Tiguan - and being a new model means its cabin is posher than the XC40’s is, too.

Entry-level Core trim can only be had with the less-powerful engine, with the price rising by around £3,000 to Plus trim and a couple of thousand pounds more again for Plus Pro spec. The top-line XC40 Ultra starts at just under £44,000, far more than the £36,000 Core version, but still £5,000 less than the BMW X1 in range-topping Shadow Edition trim.

And the base-spec XC40 Core is pretty well equipped. It comes with an electric bootlid, a suite of driver assistance systems including lane-keeping cruise control, front and rear parking cameras, 18-inch wheels and a powered bootlid.

Comfortable to drive, and equally at home in town or on the motorway, although the large rear pillars aren’t helpful in town and when parking

In town

The XC40 feels at home nipping into gaps in traffic, more so than the larger XC60 and XC90. Only the even-smaller EX30 is better in this regard, as far as Volvo models are concerned.

The automatic gearbox changes gear smoothly and makes for a relaxed drive on busy urban roads, and the crystal-topped gear lever is a nice touch. The turbocharged petrol engines are both smooth and reasonably quiet in the city, but not as quiet as the all-electric EX40 or EC40 models.

You sit nice and high in the XC40, and this helps give a clear view of the road ahead. The view behind isn’t so clear, though, as the large rear pillars create big blind spots. This is a pain when reverse parking.

On the motorway

Long motorway drives are a pleasure in an XC40. You can spend hours behind the wheel without any aches or pains. The Volvo is comfortable and stable, and wind and road noise don’t disturb the peace too much.

All versions of the XC40 get adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping steering, so it will hold a safe distance from the car in front and steer for you. The lane-keeping has a habit of ‘ping-ponging’ slightly between the white lines, though.

On a twisty road

The XC40 is composed enough but blasting about on a B-road isn’t really what this car is all about. Comfort rather than excitement is what the Volvo offers. If you want an SUV that’s really sporty and entertaining to drive, consider the BMW X1 instead.

You can change gears yourself, but leave the auto to its own devices and it tends to be a little slow to grab a lower gear if you put your foot down.

There’s plenty of room for four with lots of storage, but the boot capacity isn’t a match for the best small posh SUVs

If you need space for four, or five at a pinch, the XC40 has you covered. It may be smaller than Volvo’s other XC models, but this is still a practical family SUV.

There’s lots of room for the driver and front seat passenger, and people are scarcely worse off travelling in the back. Legroom is generous enough for tall adults to get comfy, and three can travel in the back without too much elbow-rubbing. The thick transmission tunnel does get in the way of the middle passenger’s feet, though.

Apart from the small glovebox, there's a lot of space. The front door bins have room for two large bottles of water, and there’s a lot of room under the centre armrest in the front too.

Space in the back seats

The back seats of the Volvo XC40 are roomy enough for six-footers to get comfortable. Even if you go for an XC40 with a panoramic sunroof there’s still enough headroom. ISOFIX child-seat mounting points are standard and the back doors open reasonably wide, so fitting a child seat is straightforward.

The XC40 has room for three across the rear bench and the middle seat is reasonably comfy, although the bulky transmission tunnel gets in the way of your feet. If the middle seat isn’t occupied, there’s a fold-down armrest with cupholders built in.

It’s a shame that the upward kick of the rear window line makes you feel a bit hemmed in, as it’s an attractive feature from the outside, but it would be nice to have a larger window to look out of.

Boot space

Volvo has got the fundamentals right here. There’s no load lip to overcome and the boot opening is usefully wide. The 452-litre isn’t all that impressive, but you’ll be surprised how much you can squeeze in. It’s well down on the BMW X1’s 540 litres, but it’s bigger than the 420 litres in the Audi Q3.

With the back seats folded there’s 1,328 litres of space, compared with 1,600 litres in the BMW and 1,325 litres in the Audi. There’s also more storage under the floor (with space for the parcel shelf).

The XC40 is well made and stylish inside – just as you’d expect of a Volvo – but the clever infotainment system isn’t without its pitfalls

The XC40’s cabin is a class act, though you may notice inconsistent gaps between panels that wouldn’t be signed off by Audi. While most of the plastics are soft-touch, some of them just don’t look up to standard anymore. That said, the design is clean and minimal, with an appealing, uncluttered look.

Core models get plain cloth seats, while the mid-spec Plus and top-spec Ultra get a mixture of man-made suede and vegan leather. If you prefer real cow, it’s on the options list.

Basic models look a bit too dark and plain inside, so it’s worth spending the extra to get pale leather, as well as a lighter colour for the ‘driftwood’ trim.

Every XC40 comes with a 9.0-inch touchscreen, in a portrait orientation. It’s looking a bit old now, but at least the Google software is reasonably easy to use. Some controls are a bit fiddly, especially those for the air conditioning, and the menu system isn’t always the most logical.

There’s Apple CarPlay but no Android Auto, though the Google tech has most of the same benefits. The Google Play app store is included, so you can download streaming services such as Spotify to run them as part of the car’s system.

Annoyingly, the screen can be distracting to use on the move. So much is included in the various on-screen menus that a few more physical buttons would have made life more straightforward.

Both the B3 and B4 turbocharged mild-hybrid petrol engines are very closely matched in terms of economy and emissions. Officially, Volvo claims 42.8mpg fuel consumption for both of them, but in reality you’ll probably get more like 35mpg.

Emissions are also basically the same — 149g/km for the B3 and 150g/km for the B4. That puts both models into a relatively high Vehicle Excise Duty road tax band, and you’ll have to pay the expensive car levy between years two-to-six for the range-topping Ultra model, as that costs more than £40,000.

Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax costs for company car buyers aren’t as low as plug-in hybrid cars, while the all-electric EX40 and EX30 are good options for company car buyers looking to save on tax.

Volvo XC40 Euro NCAP score (2018): 5/5

Adult occupant: 97%
Child occupant: 87%
Vulnerable road users: 71%
Safety assist: 76%

The safety gurus at Euro NCAP tested the XC40 back in 2018 and awarded the car five stars out of five. That’s an older test, but NCAP more recently tested the similar EC40 which also scored a maximum five-out-of-five, with a 92% rating for adult occupant protection.

Many safety systems are standard, including an autonomous emergency braking system, blind-spot monitoring and an emergency steering system that can whip you away from danger.

The XC40 finished in a reasonable 14th place in the 2026 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, with solid marks for reliability and build quality. We’ve not heard any horror stories about the XC40’s reliability, either.

Volvo offers a basic three-year, 60,000-mile warranty on its products, lagging behind Lexus with its 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty and even Audi, which offers a warranty that can be extended up to five years.