Volvo XC40 review: An enduringly appealing premium SUV
Volvo has made surprisingly few changes to its smallest SUV, but nearly 200,000 UK sales suggest the handsome, comfortable and reassuring XC40 needed little reinvention.
Volvo's smallest SUV, the XC40, is one of those cars that you notice more and more of as soon as you start looking for them.
They first hit the roads in 2018 and they've been incredibly popular, with almost 200,000 sold in the UK. So it's no surprise they're a familiar sight.
At least from the exterior, Volvo has done very little to update what is already a rather handsome car. Stylish headlights, some new paint colours, and fancier wheels is about the extent of its renewal.
You also can't get a plug-in hybrid any more, the electric version is now called an XC40, there's no manual gearbox any more, and the four-wheel drive version has been canned.
It's a relatively simple choice, then, with four trim levels, two engine variants, and prices starting at £32,860.
A more important update for the latest versions of the XC40 can be found inside, with a better infotainment system in the centre of the dashboard. It has a Google-based operating system now, and it's much nicer to use than previous iterations.
Having said that, it's a shame there aren't a few more physical buttons, especially for the climate control. You'll soon tire of the car's safety system telling you off for not paying attention to the road just because you dared to turn up the air conditioning a few notches.
Also, and this is a weird one, there's no wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. In 2026 this seems like a bizarre omission.
There's little else to dislike about the interior, though, it's every bit as lovely as you'd expect a Volvo interior to be, with comfy seats, a superb driving position, and a genuinely premium feel.
Boot space is decent, if not class-leading, and there's plenty of room in the rear seats, and even a ski hatch.
The two engines available are a 161bhp B3 or a 197bhp B4 and they're both petrol mild-hybrid units with a seven-speed automatic gearbox.
The engines are refined and responsive enough, but far from potent. If you want some poke, go back in time to the plug-in hybrid, or go for the EX40.
Ride quality is excellent in the XC40, which you pay for a little in a lack of dynamic prowess, but this isn't a sports car, so that won't be the priority among most buyers.
The XC40 a car that's done an admirable job of standing the test of time. Volvo hasn't done a great deal to it because it simply hasn't needed to.
UK buyers appear to love it, and I can clearly see why. It offers decent value for money, legendary safety, excellent reliability, practicality and comfort, and a far more premium feel than a car in this price bracket strictly needs to have.
Next time you see one out on the road, and I guarantee you will very soon, you can remind yourself that its owner knows how to pick out a winning formula.