Volvo XC40
Smallest model in the range delivers good running costs and space in a stylish package
IT was only introduced in 2018, but the Volvo XC40 is the oldest car in this test. We’ve made it a class winner in the past, and it’s a natural rival to the Q3, not least on price. We’re testing a D4 R-Design Pro model costing £38, 235 to see how it fares.
Design & engineering
THE XC40 is the first and so far only
Volvo to be built on its CMA Compact Modular Architecture. Like Audi’s MQB and Land Rover’s PTA, this is a scalable platform that’s based around front-mounted transverse engines, with MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link set-up at the rear to accommodate four-wheel drive.
The D4 unit has 187bhp and 400Nm of torque, while the only option is an eight-speed automatic. However, we know the strength of this set-up, because the XC40 is one of our favourite compact SUVs and a former Auto Express award winner.
Inside, the digital dashboard and nine-inch tablet infotainment system still impress. Quality is good – although the materials in a few areas don’t match the Evoque’s – while the design is funky but functional. You get nearly as much kit as in the Audi, while the XC40 is cheaper than the Evoque, at £38, 235.
The equipment list includes parking sensors, lanekeep assist and autonomous braking, climate and cruise control, half-leather heated seats, LED lights, nav and a digital dash. Unlike its rivals you have to pay £300 for the smartphone connectivity pack, adding Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, while a reversing camera is £375. Wireless charging is also £175; it’s £150 on the Audi and not available on the Evoque.
Driving
EVEN on our R-Design Pro’s 20-inch wheels, the XC40 rides really nicely. It’s sweeter than the fidgety Q3, and almost as smooth as the Evoque in almost as many situations. The Volvo has strengths in some areas where the Range Rover is weaker, and vice versa.
Over smaller, more constant bumps, the XC40 feels just a little more absorbent than the Evoque, but over harsher intrusions the tables are turned. Either way, both cars deliver a good ride.
The XC40’s D4 engine is a little rougher than the Evoque’s mild-hybrid unit, though, and is more akin to the Q3’s 40 TDI for refinement. No engine is particularly noisy or intrusive, but in the Volvo you get a little more percussion from under the bonnet at higher revs than in the Range Rover, while the Evoque revs out more smoothly, too. Performance was good though, because the XC40 all but matched the Q3 from 0-60mph, taking 8. 2 seconds, which was 1.3 seconds faster than the Evoque.
However, as we’ve seen, the mid-speed flexibility afforded by a diesel SUV ’s torque is often more important. Here the Volvo beat the Audi and was much closer to the Range Rover in our 50-70mph acceleration tests. However, with seven, eight and nine-speed gearboxes in the Q3, XC40 and Evoque respectively, there are gearing differences, which account for the slight variation in times. Realistically, all three offer enough performance.
This means it comes down to the way the cars drive. The Volvo is good, steering sweetly with
adequate grip, but it feels like there’s more roll than in the Audi or Range Rover, and it’s a little less secure.
The Evoque feels more stable, with weightier steering and better body control, but it doesn’t sacrifice ride comfort as a result.
Practicality
A LOFTY roofline means rear passengers sit more upright in the XC40, which in turn frees up legroom. It’s better than in the Evoque, and on a similar level to the Q3. The Volvo is spacious up front, too, with plenty of storage and spaces that are more accessible than the Audi’s trays.
There’s 460 litres of boot space, which is 12 litres down on the Evoque and the smallest here. However, given its uniform shape, there’s still plenty of usability on offer. Only a long trip away fully loaded will really stretch it. Fold the seats down, and with 1,336 litres there’s actually more space than in the Evoque, at 1,156 litres. The Q3 trumps both with 1,525 litres in its most spacious configuration.
One point that’s worth mentioning is that despite the car’s shape, over-the-shoulder visibility in the XC40 is more limited than in either of its rivals. Visibility out of the rear window in the Evoque isn’t great – to preserve the car’s styling – but at least the £315 ClearSight digital rear view mirror helps get around this. It’s clever technology that works well.
Ownership
VOLVO is known for its safety tech, and the XC40 benefits from the same features as larger models in the range. It gets AEB, collision warning and pedestrian and cyclist detection, plus seven airbags, which is the same as the Evoque and one more than the Q3.
You can add Volvo’s Intellisafe Surround pack for £600, which brings blind-spot warning, lane assist, cross traffic alert and autonomous braking in reverse. Even without this pack, the XC40 is a very safe car that scored a full five-star Euro NCAP rating.
Although its performance in our Driver Power owner survey wasn’t great, Volvo’s 13th-place finish was three above Audi and seven ahead of Land Rover.
Running costs
THE XC40 returned 37.5mpg on test, which equates to an annual fuel bill of £1,909 over an average of 12,000 miles. The heavier Evoque couldn’t quite match the XC40, with a result of 36.4mpg – this means you’ll spend an extra £57 at the pumps over a year’s driving, which isn’t too much. The Q3 managed 39.8mpg, which equates to yearly fuel bills of £1,794.
THROUGH THE RANGE Which trim level might suit you?
THE D4 engine is only available in R-Design trim and above. With a £6,000 deposit on a three-year PCP deal limited to 10,000 miles a year, you’ll pay £374 a month for this model, which gets cruise and climate control, loads of safety tech, parking sensors, LED lights, a digital dash, a nineinch tablet with nav and half-leather seats. It’s our pick, since R-Design Pro only really adds heated seats, larger 20-inch wheels and active headlights for £426 a month.
Inscription is the high-spec trim and features leather, different interior trim, a powered tailgate and front parking sensors. This costs £389 a month, while Inscription Pro adds heated seats, washer jets and windscreen, and an electric passenger seat, among others, but it costs more than Inscription, so R-Design is the best value.