Living with the Volvo XC40
Review by Jacob Lerklint
Since Volvo introduced the XC40 crossover in late 2017 sales has been through the roof. It took merely two years for the XC40 to overtake the XC60 in sales worldwide making it the brands most popular model. In January this year Volvo sold 17,770 examples of it. Since early 2020 the XC40 has been available with a PHEV model and that is the one we are driving, specifically the T5 Recharge.
In T5 form you get a 1.5, 3-cylinder engine with 180bhp and 82bhp from the 10.7kwh battery, meaning combined power is 262hp and 265nm. If that's too much for you there’s a cheaper T4 recharge with slightly less power that you can option for. Mated to the engine is a “new” seven speed dual clutch transmission instead of the usual eight speed automatic transmission used in other Volvo models. Unusually the XC40 PHEV is only available with FWD and not 4WD like the other Volvo PHEV’s.
So how is it to drive? Well after week spent driving the XC40 I’d say it’s pretty good. The chassis and lower weight compared to the XC90 we drove last week makes the handling much better. It’s no sporty car but power is there and for its 1900kg weight (100kg more than the non PHEV) it does the job well. Obviously there’s not much of a steering feel but it’s not bad. What is bad is the feeling you get under braking, it’s almost like there’s something stuck under the pedal and it never feels reassuring. I do like the gearbox, these days DCT’s are outnumbered by regular automatic gearboxes but it does shift much better than the 8 Speed auto. Although kickdown is a bit slow but that’s not the end of the world. Fully charged, running on electric only we got a range of 30-40km, not the best, by far, but for your regular commute it’s fine. When you run out of electric juice you can expect an average fuel consumption of 7.3L/100Km. As the XC90, driving in pure EV mode everything quiets down and you waft along nicely. The suspension is firm but never uncomfortable, you do get somewhat harsher dampers with the R-Design model we tested.
The 3-cylinder engine makes a much more charismatic sound than the 4-cylinder engine but that doesn’t come without a bit of compromising. You see, the idling is rough. You don’t notice it all that much but when it’s cold and the stop start system won’t kick in, you feel it. Ergonomically it’s not unlike the rest of the Volvo lineup, most of the features is found in the 9.3 inch portrait touchscreen in the middle. Doesn’t take long to get used to it, everything is reasonably logical and easy to access. The press car we drove was obviously fully loaded and with most of the optional extras ticked this example would set you back almost 600k SEK. That’s and awful lot of money for a tiny crossover but there’s no need to tick every option. Base price is around the 500k SEK mark which is still too much for what you get.
The Pilot assist still can’t change lanes but it does function well. It would be even better if you didn’t need to touch the wheel every ten seconds though. Practicality wise you do get a lot of space, lots of headroom and the legroom in the back is excellent. Tall people won’t have any issues. Luggage space won’t be an issue either as you can fit 452 liters in the boot.
So, after a week spent with the 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge, what is my conclusion?
It’s a practical, stylish, well built crossover PHEV with a premium feel and decent handling. But, the EV range is too short and for somewhat reason it lacks 4WD. The base price is also way too high for people who won’t be using it as a company car. If you do use it as a company car and a fully EV won’t suit your needs, the XC40 T5 Recharge is a great option.