T5 R-Design 4dr All-Wheel Drive
2020 Volvo XC40

The 2020 Volvo XC40 is a relative newcomer to the Swedish automaker’s lineup, launched two years ago as a crossover slotting below the XC90 and XC60 in both size and price. It’s a more city-friendly vehicle than its bigger, plusher siblings, while still maintaining a surprising amount of capability and practicality. It’s stylish, tech-forward, and embodies the safety that’s synonymous with Volvo. Despite being from a premium brand, the XC40 offers a relatively modest starting price below $35,000. Of course, it goes up from there, but in general, the XC40 provides more features for the money than its primary competitors (Audi Q3, BMW X1/X2, Mercedes GLB). There are two available powertrains, one offering great fuel economy and front-wheel drive, with a second offering more power and all-wheel drive. We like the XC40, and find it very competitive against those similar-sized competitors. What's new for 2020? For 2020, leather seating is no longer standard in the base model (it's now a high-quality fabric) and it no longer offers power-folding rear seats. New for the 2020 model year will be an all-electric version called the XC40 P8 Recharge. As of this writing, Volvo has not announced a launch date or pricing for the electric version here in North America. What's the XC40’s interior and in-car technology like? Volvo’s interiors are very tidy, and architectural in terms of design, and the XC40 is no exception even if its specific design diverges from the 60 and 90 series norm. It’s pleasingly simple; using nice materials, comfort and conservative modernism as its foundation. The base textile upholstery is much higher quality than your typical cloth seats, and the leathers are even better. Besides its design, one of the ways the XC40 differs from its siblings (and indeed its competitors as well) is its clever center console design. It features numerous large, grippy bins to store, secure and charge devices, plus useful cupholders and a sizable under-armrest bin. There's even a little compartment specifically designed to act as a garbage can. There was clearly lots of care and thought that went into the XC40. There’s a lot of tech baked right in, too, from the standard vertically oriented infotainment screen to the digital instrument panel. We appreciate the embracing of technology, but we do have some qualms with Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system. It looks great, and that large, vertical screen can display a lot of information at once. Some of our editors are not huge fans of the various menu screens, and find them unintuitive to navigate. It’ll take some getting used to before you remember how to switch between radio and Bluetooth streaming, for instance. On the plus side, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability is included as standard and the touchscreen's vertical orientation means they don't co-opt the entire display when in operation as is the case in most other infotainment systems. How big is the XC40? The back seat is a little small for larger adults, but is fairly standard for the segment. …
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