Volvo has revamped its XC40 and provided it with plenty of electric power. But is this Chinese Volvo still a really Swedish - solid and reliable? REV puts the XC40 through its paces.
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00:00 This is the new edition of the Volvo XC40.
00:05 Look familiar?
00:07 Maybe at first glance, but not upon closer inspection.
00:12 The Volvo XC40 Recharge has hit the streets in 2019, and after a small facelift in 2022,
00:20 it now gets a bigger revision.
00:23 Let's take a closer look at all the details.
00:28 And let's try to answer a question that's been tormenting our car tester.
00:33 For decades, Volvo is known for safety and for Swedish, European engineering.
00:42 And since the acquisition by Geely some years ago, everyone thinks, "Oh, how long will they
00:51 stay Swedish and not become Chinese?"
00:57 The XC40 is based on Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture Platform, or CMA.
01:03 The platform can vary in width and length, but the distance between the front wheels
01:07 and the pedals always remains the same.
01:11 It can be equipped with combustion engines as well as hybrid and fully electric powertrains.
01:21 Engineers that use this platform include the Volvo C40, the Lincoln Co.
01:29 01, the Geely Shingue, and the Geely Preface.
01:35 And now with the switch to electric cars, the question, of course, is, "Is this really
01:41 a Swedish car, or is this a Chinese car with a Swedish design?"
01:50 But let's come back to that question later.
01:52 For now, let's check out what the XC40 has to offer when it comes to driving.
01:59 The driving behavior doesn't offer any surprise.
02:01 A little bit of understeering in fast-driven curves, but very, very smooth ride, good to
02:09 control.
02:10 The acceleration, also, if I go up in the mountains, is very good, although the car
02:18 weighs more than two tons.
02:22 That's not surprising when you consider that the twin-motor version we're testing has 110
02:27 kilowatts of power at the front axle and 190 at the rear.
02:32 One of the major advantages of the 2024 model is the battery.
02:38 The battery is now able to be charged at 200 kilowatts, and the battery offers more range
02:47 in combination with the new engine.
02:50 So, the XC40 can go up to 575 kilometers without recharging.
02:59 But that's only possible in the extended-range version with a 185-kilowatt rear axle drive
03:06 and a light foot.
03:07 Volvo has now integrated a smart recuperation system in this car.
03:12 If a vehicle is in front of you, the car will recuperate up to 2.5 meters per second, and
03:20 if there's no one in front of you, the car just rolls down the hill.
03:25 And if the car in front of you breaks, this one recuperates stronger, as I just said,
03:30 up to 2.5 meters per second.
03:33 If he breaks harder, you have to break yourself.
03:38 It's something you have to get used to.
03:42 If you rely too much on the automatic braking, you might find the gap between you and the
03:48 vehicle in front of you closing too fast for comfort.
03:55 Next to me is Lutz Stiegler.
03:56 He is the head of development of all electric propulsion systems for this car.
04:02 This car is the first car in 25 years that is available with a rear-wheel drive.
04:07 25 years ago, Volvo said, "Oh, we don't build rear-wheel drives anymore because front-wheel
04:15 drive is safer."
04:17 Is this wrong now?
04:18 Still, the physics is, of course, the same, but a lot of changes have happened.
04:22 Namely, electronics have developed tremendously, so all the controls and the vehicle stability
04:29 systems are much, much better than 25 years ago.
04:32 The other fact is that, as a battery electric vehicle, it's much easier to control when
04:40 it comes to driving dynamics and driving stability.
04:46 On the outside, details like the front grille differentiate the XC40 Recharge from its combustion-engine-powered
04:53 siblings.
04:59 Of course, the C40 with its coupe-like shape is somewhat more elegant, but the XC40 is
05:06 somewhat more practical, especially when it comes to the rear seats.
05:10 Your passengers have much more headroom in this car.
05:14 Some trim levels come with a contrasting glossy black roof.
05:18 What I like is that the seats are not completely made of fabric on the backrest, but with a
05:25 little bit of plastic here in between.
05:27 So, if you have children with you and they are sitting in their children's seats and
05:32 they are playing with their feet and hitting the seat in front of them, you can clean it
05:38 up much easier.
05:40 The interior of this and all future electric Volvos is leather-free.
05:45 The panoramic roof, of course, is at extra charge, but I like the roomy feeling that
05:52 it gives to the passengers.
05:55 Like many e-cars, the XC40 offers front storage space.
05:59 Thirty-one liters fit in here.
06:03 The large luggage compartment in the rear holds 419 to 1295 liters, and there are more
06:09 storage compartments under the floor.
06:22 Now let's come back to our burning question.
06:25 Lutz, how much China is in this car?
06:30 How big is the influence of the Chinese mother?
06:34 I would say that it's nearly zero.
06:38 That car, like the other Volvos that we have on the road today, is 100 percent developed
06:42 in Sweden, in Gothenburg.
06:44 That platform is developed in Gothenburg.
06:47 It is, of course, used in other cars, also within the Geely Group, but it's European
06:54 design, European engineering, what is behind that car.
06:57 We manufacture that car in our plant in Ghent.
07:01 For other markets, it's also manufactured in China.
07:04 In those two regions, all the main components of the cars are localized so that we produce
07:10 local for local.
07:13 According to Volvo, the quality of the cars is identical whether they come from Europe
07:18 or China.
07:19 Where a particular vehicle comes from will depend on import regulations and availability.
07:26 The car we're driving today comes from Belgium, and our tester had a clear opinion about it.
07:35 It's really a great car.
07:36 It drives good.
07:38 The seats are comfortable as well.
07:40 The overall performance is great.
07:43 The look and feel on the inside is good.
07:48 You have to get used to the infotainment system and to the climate controls in the infotainment
07:53 system, but if you have done that, there's nothing really to complain about, unfortunately.
08:07 I would love to complain about something, but I can't find anything.
08:13 Just like Volvo's legendary Swedish quality.
08:18 I have learned that although there are Chinese cars that use the same platform as this one,
08:26 it is not a Chinese car.
08:29 It is a Swedish car.
08:31 The material quality, the overall look and feel, the design, everything is just as you
08:37 expect it in a Volvo.
08:39 Unfortunately, also the price is Volvo.
08:43 Volvo cars were never famous for being cheap.
08:48 To be precise, the model we tested goes for 69,200 euros in Germany.
08:54 But for that, you get a car with lots of safety and comfort features, a powerful powertrain,
09:00 and an appealing interior.
09:02 On the downside, the Google Maps navigation and infotainment system apps are sometimes
09:06 a bit awkward to use.
09:09 access to them would make the car even safer.