Review: Volvo XC40 Recharge

The people of Sweden do not brag. They even have a word for not-bragging: Jantelagen. So you may not have heard about Volvo's all-electric compact SUV, the XC40 Recharge. Sure, you’ve been bombarded with the tweets of Elon and his followers about the Tesla Model Y. You’ve also no doubt heard about Ford’s impressive but incorrectly named electric sport utility vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E. You may still be trying to unpack Volkswagen’s attempt to market its own compact SUV, the ID.4, as the new Beetle. In the midst of all that SU-EV hubbub, Volvo has quietly introduced a dignified but understated family-friendly model of its own.

The XC40 Recharge (starting at $55,300) is built on the same small SUV platform as its gas-powered fraternal twin, the XC40. It also shares bones with the Polestar2, the electrified fruit of the startup Polestar, which, like Volvo, is owned by Chinese automaker Geely. The company is pushing hard for electrification from all its brands.

This electric version of Volvo’s small SUV met the expectations I had when I climbed behind the wheel. There were also some surprises mixed in, as well as some small disappointments. But the XC40 Recharge is worth considering if you're shopping for a smallish SUV and your budget has the room to think European thoughts. It's also quite classy. It manages to impress without calling too much attention to itself, which, of course, is very Swedish.

Photograph: Volvo

The XC40 Recharge doesn’t look like something that can top the power output of a Ford Mustang. But it can, with over 400 horsepower—402 to be precise—and 486 pound-feet of torque. Sure, its stately SUV looks signal that it’s ready to pick the kids up from soccer practice or violin lessons, then maybe tool around town before delivering muffins to the community theatre. But it also has the power to do those things very quickly. The Swedish EV has a 0 to 60 time of 4.7 seconds, which is quicker than the entry-level Mustang. That burst of speed is especially welcome when merging onto the freeway, or in those instances when you need to get out of a sticky situation and speeding up quickly is preferable to braking. Power like that can be fun too. I found myself stabbing the accelerator just to revel in the sheer ridiculousness of all that force snapping my cranium back into the headrest.

After frightening your passengers with surprise launches off the line, you can soothe their nerves by bringing the little SUV to a stop, which the XC40 does deftly. The added heft of a large battery pack means that electric vehicles are tougher to slow down than their gas-powered counterparts. But that actually works to their advantage, as electric vehicles use regenerative braking; the act of using the electric motors to slow the vehicle down also generates a small amount of power that gets sent back to the battery pack.

The XC40 Recharge not only has great braking power, but it also possesses what I consider the best “one-pedal driving” experience on the road today. This is a feature that, when enabled in the vehicle settings section of the infotainment system, brings a car to a gradual stop when the driver takes their foot off the accelerator. It’s a bit like having the brake pedal automatically depressed lightly by the vehicle whenever your foot backs off the accelerator. Many of the other EVs I’ve driven require me to train myself for a few days as I figure out the correct speed-to-distance ratio to make the car stop where I want it to. Volvo’s system, however, is much more intuitive. After a few stoplights, I was one-pedaling like a pro.

Photograph: Volvo

I took the Volvo on a spirited drive through a mountain pass near the Calaveras Reservoir east of San Jose, California. Its handling of hairpin turns as a tall vehicle was commendable, but it wouldn’t outrun a sports sedan or most hatchbacks in the corners. How it achieves these cornering gymnastics is its low center of gravity (thanks to the battery pack) and tighter-than-usual suspension setup for a luxury SUV. A stiffer suspension results in the wheels rebounding to the road more quickly so the tires can gain more traction. The drivetrain here comes standard as an all-wheel-drive setup, which certainly helps it hold tightly to the asphalt while enjoying some back-roads fun.

In calmer driving environments, the XC40 Recharge doesn’t exude the smoothness expected from a vehicle in its price range. Volvo is a luxury automaker that dabbles in performance. On its small electric SUV, the company may have leaned a bit too far into the performance realm. For those looking for an electric SUV with more zip and zoom than is typical of the category, you’re set. Those wanting the smooth ride of a mid-priced luxury sport utility vehicle, well … give it a good test drive before deciding.

A pair of Volvos feeding.

Photograph: Volvo

All that performance requires more stops at charging stations when compared to the rest of the EVs current on the market. The XC40 Recharge’s range of 223 miles between charges isn’t horrible, but it falls short of what's offered on popular EV models from automakers like Hyundai, Chevy, and Tesla, where 250-plus miles of range is the norm. A deficit of 25 to 30 miles doesn’t seem like much, especially when you consider that most car owners don’t drive more than 60 miles in a day. But potential EV buyers place a lot of weight on vehicle range, so that lower range number might push a curious shopper away from the Volvo in favor of something from another automaker.

During my battery tests—which I conducted while driving on a mix of surface streets and the highway—I observed a range of about 230 miles during a beautiful day with the temperature hovering around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler environments typically have a negative effect on range, so those living in regions with an actual winter will likely experience a dip in range during the parka months.

While the XC40 Recharge can't travel as far as many of its competitors, it will recharge quicker than some of those other vehicles. The Volvo supports DC fast charging up to 150kW at compatible charging stations. Vehicle range and charging speed become things you really have to pay attention to during long road trips. Fortunately, the continued proliferation of charging stations along major interstates and other highways—particularly those being built by companies like Volkswagen’s Electrify America—makes lengthy adventures less of a headache. Volkswagen's network is not yet as robust as Tesla’s Supercharger network, but with all this growing infrastructure, taking the Volvo on a road trip shouldn’t be a concern. Just do some pre-planning.

The touchscreen interface is powered by Android Automotive.

Photograph: Volvo

One way to easily determine the best route and the best places to stop for charging is to use the Google Maps interface built into the Volvo’s in-dash touchscreen. In fact, the whole infotainment system is powered by Android Automotive, Google’s version of Android tailored specifically for in-vehicle use. Unlike Ford and other automakers using Android Automotive, which either mix their own features in with Google's or just use the platform as their base operating system, Volvo has gone all-in. In the XC40, Google's software handles navigation, voice assistant queries, and provides access to the Play Store, where you can download apps that are built specifically for vehicles.

Since many of us are already using Google Maps, the transition to Android Automotive is extremely easy. You just sign in to your Google account right there on the dashboard. Of course there are privacy concerns, since Google uses pervasive tracking in order to build a more complete data set about you and your destinations for use in its ad targeting. Still, I’ve been using Google Maps for 90 percent of my in-car navigation for years and I feel like it’s not a huge issue for me. Your concerns may vary, especially if you're someone who would rather not share your comings and going with a giant tech company.

If you are concerned about the tracking capabilities of the tech titan (or if you don’t roll with the big G at all), the Volvo’s system can be used without creating an account. It won’t save your data so that you can quickly access directions to and from your frequently visited locations, but even that inconvenience is not too big of a deal thanks to Google’s voice assistant, which is an outstanding in-car partner. Using natural language requests, I was able to set destinations, add additional stops to routes, and find the nearest charging stations. A quick “Hey, Google” also gains access to vehicle controls like adjusting the air temperature, selecting media and radio stations, and checking on voicemails and text messages that inevitably start to pour in as soon as you begin paying attention to the road. I even spent time in traffic asking Google random trivia questions about the world.

iPhone owners should know that Apple CarPlay support is planned for the vehicle and will be added at some point via a software update. My test car didn’t have CarPlay, and so I wasn’t able to try it out.

Photograph: Volvo

The rest of the interior is an exercise in Swedish minimalism that’s been part of Volvo’s DNA for years. There are only a few steering wheel controls, but you get enough knobs and switches to control media and driver assistance features like cruise control. Media controls are also available below the infotainment screen along with defrosting buttons for the front and rear glass. Climate controls are handled by the infotainment system, which means you’re pecking at a screen to adjust the temperature if you’re too shy to ask Google to adjust the heat or AC.

The seating area is roomy even for tall adults (I’m 6'4"), with adequate head and leg room in the front and back. The seats themselves are comfortable and, outside of a tiny Swedish flag sewn into the passenger seat, it’s a pretty subdued affair.

Photograph: Volvo

Cargo space in the back with the rear seats up is 14.6 cubic square feet. That skews small compared to competitors. The Hyundai Kona Electric can hold 19.2 cubic square feet, and the larger Volkswagen ID.4 has 30.3 cubic square feet of space. Still, the Volvo has enough room for a few large suitcases or a week's worth of groceries for a small family. One interesting and clever feature is that the floor of the cargo area folds up to create a segmented space that separates the front and the back of the cargo area. The tiny barrier has two grocery bag hooks to help keep your carefully selected items from falling out of their containers. Plus, it’s handy for making sure items that have a tendency to roll about while driving stay put when placed on either side of the small wall.

Of course, if this were a Tesla, I would be able to link to an entire Elon Musk tweetstorm about this feature and how it’s changing the world of grocery shopping. Instead, it’s Volvo, and like the rest of the cool features in the vehicle, the automaker isn’t making a big deal about it. Why brag when you can let the XC40 Recharge speak for itself? Sure, Volvo could crow about what it’s accomplished. But that would not be very Swedish.