In-depth reviews

Volvo XC40 review - Interior, design and technology

Bags of Swedish cool, with a clean, uncluttered design that still manages to incorporate some useful practical touches

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Interior, design and technology Rating

4.5 out of 5

Price
£35,835 to £45,460
Find your Volvo XC40
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

Volvo has deliberately moved the XC40 away from the more luxurious, grown-up presence offered by the larger XC60 and XC90 models – but that doesn’t mean there’s no scope for impressive design touches or the latest technology. Quite the opposite, in fact.

The car’s styling was inspired by small robots that the British designer, Ian Kettle, saw in science-fiction movies. The end result is lots of simple, clean, resolved lines – and a look that manages to look chunky and cute at the same time. It’s helped by a further evolution of Volvo’s ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlight motif at the front end and vertical tail-lights at the rear. 

The XC40 also received a subtle facelift in 2022 which added a reshaped front bumper, slightly slimmer LED headlights and a new rear bumper which does without the exhaust cutouts you'll find on earlier examples.

Inside, there’s not a great deal in the way of opulence, and yet the XC40 still manages to deliver a dose of Swedish cool, much in the same way as a well-resolved IKEA living room display. There’s remarkably little clutter and although the actual amount of space isn’t any greater than the class average, the Volvo’s plethora of neat practical touches makes the XC40 feel a lot more ‘real-world liveable’ than many of its rivals.

Technology helps with this too, of course. And in this respect, a slice of shameless carryover from the XC60 and XC90 works wonders – because the XC40 gets the same nine-inch portrait-layout infotainment display as its larger brothers, as well as a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel instead of conventional dials. Both are standard across the range.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The XC40 features a nine-inch portrait-oriented central touchscreen running an Android-based operating system with built-in online Google services, just the Volvo's larger XC60 and XC90 SUVs. The graphics are sharper and the shortcut keys bolder and less fiddly to use than previous Volvo set-ups – although they are still on the small side.

Loading times are good, however; when we tested the system ourselves, the process of typing an address into the system and the first navigation instruction loading took just 18 seconds.Google’s live traffic info means the route and time to destination will be accurate, too. 

There is a physical home button below the touchscreen, while further down you'll find a large physical volume dial and a row of buttons for the radio and heated windscreens. However the rest of the climate controls and air-con settings are adjusted through the screen. For a first-time user, the set-up takes a little getting used to, but it’s hard to fault if you link it to a Google account.

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.5 T2 Momentum Core 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £25,000

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.5 T4 RC PHEV Inscription Expression 5dr Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £37,045

Fastest

  • Name
    2.0 B5P R DESIGN 5dr AWD Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £36,625
News reporter

As our news reporter, Ellis is responsible for covering everything new and exciting in the motoring world, from quirky quadricycles to luxury MPVs. He was previously the content editor on DrivingElectric.com and won the Newspress Automotive Journalist Rising Star award in 2022.

Most Popular

New 2024 Dacia Duster: third generation of Europe’s best-selling SUV revealed
Dacia Duster - front
News

New 2024 Dacia Duster: third generation of Europe’s best-selling SUV revealed

Dacia has taken the wraps off the latest Duster, which arrives with a new look and fresh technology
29 Nov 2023
New Renault Scenic 2023 review: the famous nameplate returns in style
Renault Scenic - front
Road tests

New Renault Scenic 2023 review: the famous nameplate returns in style

We get behind the wheel of new all-electric Renault Scenic to see what all the fuss is about
27 Nov 2023
“Renault is taking over as the manufacturer of cars for the people”
Opinion - Renault Twingo
Opinion

“Renault is taking over as the manufacturer of cars for the people”

Mike Rutherford thinks Renault is doing more than any other manufacturer when it comes to making affordable electric cars
26 Nov 2023