Volvo EX40 Review (2024-present)

What is the Volvo EX40?

Enjoy being confused? Then you’ve got an awful lot to thank Volvo for. Strap in and pack a lunch, because this is going to take quite a bit of explaining…

So, you may well be familiar with the Volvo XC40, the Swedish firm’s small prestige crossover SUV offering that’s been with us since 2018. In the past, it’s been offered in petrol, diesel, mild hybrid, and plug-in hybrid forms, and a little later on, Volvo introduced an all-electric version. With us so far? Good stuff.

In more recent times, Volvo has expanded its range of electric SUVs with the smaller EX30 and the much larger EX90, and that’s brought with it a new naming convention for such cars in to which the electric version of the XC40, and the electric-only C40 - a kind of coupe-style version of the same car - don’t fit.

So, to keep things consistent, the C40 and the electric versions of the XC40 have been renamed as the EC40 and EX40, respectively. The XC40 name carries on, though, because that’s still used for the mild hybrid versions of the car. Still with us? Well, we wouldn’t blame you if you’re not, frankly.

Whatever the nomenclature, the vehicle is an all-electric SUV that competes with a vast array of rivals. Prestige alternatives include the Audi Q4 E-Tron, the BMW iX1 and Mercedes EQA, plus the electric version of the Mini Countryman and maybe even the Tesla Model Y. There’s also an in-house rival in the shape of the mechanically-very-similar Polestar 2. Meanwhile, less premium marques such as Citroen, Kia and Hyundai also offer electric SUVs of a similar size, but for a lot less cash.

How practical is it?

One of the things you’ll love most about your EX40 is its tasteful interior design. The combination of soft-touch surfaces set against glossy trim pieces and warm, responsibly sourced natural panels, all punctuated by sparkling satin chrome detailing, is a real treat and creates a properly high-end feel.

Seat design has always been a Volvo speciality and the front seats in the EX40 keep up that tradition. They look really smart, but more importantly, they also provide superb comfort and excellent lateral support. There’s also lots of adjustment for your driving position for even more comfort. In second-rung Plus trim and upwards, the driver’s seat moves electrically, so you can configure your position just-so quickly and easily.

Space in the rear seats is rather tighter than it is in the fronts. Headroom and legroom are OK by class standards, but some rivals give you more, and the cabin is a little narrow by comparison, too. As such, while there are three rear seat belts, adults will not be happy if asked to perch in the middle seat for too long, also because it’s rather narrow and flat, and there’s not much room for your feet. It’s best to think of the EX40 as a four-seater, with the ability to squeeze in a fifth only occasionally.

The EX40’s boot isn’t the biggest in the class at 410 litres, but it is a usable shape and there’s no load lip to get in the way when loading heavier items. However, the rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split, rather than the 40/20/40 arrangement you get in some rivals, although you are left with a usefully flat and level load area. You also get a 31-litre loadspace under the bonnet that’s big enough for your charging cables, which stops them rattling around in the boot.

What’s it like to drive?

The EX40 is available in three distinct flavours. As its name would suggest, the entry-level Single Motor version has a single electric motor delivering 235bhp to the rear wheels (that’s right, it’s rear-wheel drive), making the car capable of a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds. It’s fed by a 69kWh battery pack, giving a WLTP electric range of up to 296 miles.

Next up is the Single Motor Extended Range version, which has a slightly bigger 78kWh battery for a range of up to 343 miles, and it also has a fraction more power at 249bhp. However, power makes much less difference to your rate of acceleration as torque does in a car like this, and that’s identical to the entry-level car’s at 420Nm. As such, its 0-62mph sprint time is actually identical.

At the pinnacle of the range sits the Dual Motor version. This adds a second motor to the front axle to give you four-wheel drive, and it also boosts the combined power output to 402bhp. Torque, meanwhile, rises to 670Nm, and that makes it a good bit quicker than the other two versions. The 0-62mph dash comes and goes in just 4.8 seconds, although just like in the other two versions, top speed is limited to 112mph. The range, meanwhile, stands at 332 miles from its 82kWh battery.

The Dual Motor is the only version we’ve tried, and if anything, the performance on hand is even more explosive than the numbers suggest. That stonking slice of torque is instantly available, and there’s no gearbox to get in the way of its delivery, so any meaningful prod of the accelerator pedal results in a thumping surge of seamless acceleration.

Despite this prodigious level of acceleration, though, the EX40 is not in any way a sporty car to drive. As it usually does, Volvo has prioritised comfort over handling ability, and that makes the car very relaxed and easy-going, helped even further by the inherent quietness of the electric powertrain. Yes, things can occasionally feel a bit floaty on an undulating road, but the suspension soaks up bumps pretty well, so you’re kept pretty comfortable. That said, those bumps do make the suspension clonk a fair bit as it absorbs them, so they sound quite a lot worse than they feel.

With such a compliant suspension, there’s more body roll when rounding corners than you’ll feel in many other cars of this type, but there’s plenty of grip and traction - partly due to our test car’s all-wheel drive, no doubt - although the super-light and rather inert-feeling steering doesn’t really keep you abreast of that fact.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

The cabin is dominated by the same 9.0-inch touchscreen centre display in all EX40s, which has an operating system developed with Google, and it’s excellent. It’s responsive, logically arranged, and it runs the latest Google maps and allows you to download countless apps via Google Play. Over-the-air updates keep it healthy and current, too, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are present and correct. As good as the system is, though, we’d still prefer at least some physical buttons or rotary dials on the dashboard for the most often-performed functions.

Three trim levels are offered. The entry-level Core is still very generously equipped, with 19-inch alloy wheels, two-zone climate control, LED headlights, cruise control, power folding door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, a powered tailgate, and wireless phone charging.

The mid-range trim is called Plus, and this adds quite a lot of kit, including a heat pump (giving more efficient heating of the cabin to preserve your car’s range in winter), a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, adaptive cruise control with semi-autonomous driving functionality, front parking sensors, a contrasting roof, rear privacy glass, a hands-free powered tailgate, a powered driver’s seat, and heated rear seats.

The range-topping Ultra, meanwhile, comes fully tooled-up. You get 20-inch wheels, self-cleaning headlights, 360-degree cameras, a panoramic sunroof, a powered passenger seat, power folding head restraints, and a Harman Kardon premium sound system.

Volvo EX40 running costs

Prices for the EX40 start at £45,000 when buying brand new, while the cheapest of the Twin Motor cars will set you back upwards of £55,000. That’s not cheap, but then again, as an electric SUV with a prestige badge and a generous list of standard equipment, you probably wouldn’t expect it to be.

Running costs should be pretty miserly, though. The 69kWh battery of the Single Motor variant gives you a WLTP range of 296 miles, while the Single Motor Extended Range has an official figure of 343 miles thanks to its slightly bigger 78kWh battery. The Dual Motor’s battery is even bigger at 82kWh, but this version’s raised power level and AWD means the official range drops down to 332 miles.

The vast majority of owners will charge their car at home. Do so on electricity priced at the national average for domestic power (currently around 28p/kW), and it’ll cost around £18 for a full charge of the Single Motor, £21 for the Extended Range and £22 for the Twin Motor. However, smart owners will make use of cheaper overnight off-peak tariffs to charge their car, and doing so can cut those charging costs in half pretty easily. Beware, though: charging at a public DC rapid charger will probably cost double the original domestic figure, and maybe even more, so this should only be done when absolutely necessary and shouldn’t be relied on routinely.

Volvo EX40 reliability

In theory, an electric car should be more reliable than its combustion-engined counterpart simply due to its simplicity. For instance, an electric motor only has a handful of moving parts while an internal combustion engine has thousands, so there’s far less to go wrong. There’s no gearbox to conk out, either, and electric cars also tend to wear out components like brakes more slowly, too.

The EX40 hasn’t featured in the reliability surveys we usually look at since its rebranding, but the XC40 - essentially the same car with a new badge - did feature in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, albeit not in electric-only form.

In a class of 34 entries in the Family SUV category, the XC40 came in 22nd place when fitted with a petrol engine, seventh when fitted with a diesel, while the PHEV version took 4th place in the class, being beaten only by Lexus models, and Lexus beats everybody when it comes to mechanical dependability. We’d say that bodes fairly well for the EX40’s reliability.

The warranty you get on the EX40 is pretty average, though, with coverage for three years or 60,000 miles, although the battery’s warranty is eight years and 100,000 miles.