New Volvo XC40 facelift: popular SUV gets Range Rover-esque makeover
The pure-electric Volvo EX40 and EC40 coupe-SUV have also been updated again, now delivering up to 359 miles of range
The hugely popular Volvo XC40 has received a series of upgrades including more refined styling, an even classier interior and big tech boost, just in time for the small premium SUV to celebrate its 10th birthday next year.
Despite its age, the XC40 is still one of the UK’s best-selling cars. But all-new evolutions of two key competitors, the Mercedes GLA and Audi Q3, have also been launched recently, while the BMW X1 is set to go through its own, potentially even more radical, mid-life rejuvenation very soon.
While the updated car is still instantly recognisable as an XC40, the entire front end, including the bonnet, has been redesigned to give the chunky Volvo a more contemporary look. In fact, to our eyes, if you removed Volvo’s Iron Mark emblem, you might think you were looking at a new addition to the Range Rover family.
The bumper has been simplified and the grille is shorter but wider than before, so it now connects the ‘Thor’s Hammer’ matrix LED headlights, which feature a new, sharper, two-piece signature. There are fresh alloy wheel designs on the XC40 too, including a distinctive 20-inch triple two-spoke set.
Similarly significant tweaks have been made to the rear, including new vertical light units that are slimmer, sharper and more angular than the outgoing model’s, and have a dark smoke tint to them. The rear bumper has been tidied up, too, and the redesigned tailgate has more definition, with sharper bodylines.
“When we designed this, we thought it's a good balance between solidity, but also having an athletic character,” designer Alain Snoodijk told Auto Express as he walked us around the new XC40 in a studio. He and Volvo’s other designers had a lot of freedom when it came to this facelift, so much so that the new designs for the front and rear started as a blank sheet of paper.
Electric Volvo EX40 and EC40 also updated for 2026
The same changes have also applied to the all-electric EX40 and coupe-esque EC40, with their blanked-off grille panel also less tall and wider than before.
Inside, the trio all feature a new, larger and sharper 11.2-inch floating touchscreen, running the latest version of Volvo’s Google-powered user interface that’s supposed to be faster and more intuitive, with fewer taps needed to access key functions. Especially because Volvo has installed Google’s AI assistant Gemini, which is able to understand and deliver natural conversations, as well as the usual help with route planning or finding places to stop nearby.
Elsewhere, indirect ambient lighting on the dashboard similar to what we’ve seen in the latest Audi Q7 and Q9 is meant to create a warmer, more relaxing atmosphere, and there are new, more premium materials available throughout the interior. For instance, customers can add Arianne Cardamom leather upholstery paired with Brown Ash wood trim elements.
There’s less gloss black plastic than before around the centre console, where – like before – you’ll find the wireless charging pad, but there’s now space next to it to store another device.
Volvo EX40 safety tech enhancements
Finally, Volvo being Volvo, it’s continued to improve the safety systems on the XC40 and its zero-emission siblings. The cameras, radars and other sensors around the cars have all been upgraded, plus new software and computer hardware added, to unlock some new functions, including a safe exit alert. This will warn occupants if they’re opening a door into the path of any oncoming traffic, cyclists or pedestrians.
The selection of powertrains hasn’t changed though. There will be a choice of mild-hybrid petrol engines in the Volvo XC40, paired with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and capable of more than 43mpg. Meanwhile, the EX40 can provide up to 354 miles of range and the rakish EC40 is good for up to 359 miles, with 442bhp in the P8 Performance AWD model for 0-62mph in less than five seconds.
The new Volvo XC40 will go on sale later this year, with prices likely to be about the same as they are for the outgoing version, which starts from just under £37,000, or nearly £43,000 for the electric EX40. However, right now you can save up to £4,000 on the best-selling SUV by ordering it through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
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