Volvo XC40 review - Reliability and safety

The XC40 is built on Volvo’s CMA platform and has designed to accommodate a family of four-cylinder and three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, plus electric motors and battery packs for the hybrid systems and fully electric model. This, and the fact that the XC40 gets other components from its larger stablemates (such as the infotainment system and some switches) should help it to achieve a pretty decent level of reliability.

Volvo finished ninth out of 29 car manufacturers in our 2021 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, and fared even better the following year, finishing eighth overall in 2022. Meanwhile the XC40 itself achieved 23rd spot out of 75 cars in the best cars to own poll.

Safety continues to be a big priority for Volvo, and the XC40 doesn't disappoint. It scored five stars out of five in the Euro NCAP test, with an impressive 97 per cent for adult occupant protection and 87 per cent for child occupant protection. You get automatic emergency braking across the range – and it’s capable of spotting not only cars but also pedestrians and large animals. Plus every XC40 gets a lane departure system, which will intervene and pull the car back into lane if it senses you’re going to steer into the path of oncoming traffic.

20

Warranty

The XC40 comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is par for the course in the class and will suit most people who decide to lease, but it can't match the ultimated mileage of the Alfa Romeo Tonale or BMW X1's warranties. Like most brands, Volvo offers extended warranties that'll cover up your car for up to four years/60,000 miles or four year/80,000 miles.

Servicing

Volvo also offers fixed-price service plans for its cars that can be paid for up front or on a monthly basis. These can last from two-five years and cover annual mileages up to 50,000 miles.

As a typical example, you can get three years of cover for around £1,000, although this can be added to any finance deal you may take out, which works out at around £30 extra a month on a three-year finance deal.