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2023 Volvo XC40 and XC40 Recharge Review: Gas or electric? You can’t go wrong

Pros: Cute and functional design; efficient powertrains; a good overall value Cons: Recycled materials can feel cheap; Recharge has average EV range; doesn’t qualify for federal EV tax credit The 2023 Volvo XC40 is arguably the most visually attractive subcompact luxury SUV out there. ItÂ’s boxy, proportioned well and features the trademark Swedish design we love. Volvo prodded this yearÂ’s XC40 with a number of updates, and now the previously ho-hum powertrains are a little nicer to live with (if hardly zesty in their performance). Of course, you can bypass them altogether with the all-electric XC40 Recharge that shares its design, interior features and utility with the gas model, but really amps up the fun with sprightly acceleration and better handling. Oh, and of course, doesnÂ’t require stops at the gas station or emit CO2. While the XC40 isnÂ’t the biggest in the segment, itÂ’s not the smallest either. This, plus its utilitarian proportions make it more useful than it may look on the outside. Fans of Google tech will enjoy the Google-based infotainment system, but you can still use Apple CarPlay for streaming apps from the Apple ecosystem. All told, the XC40 is one of our favorite subcompact luxury SUVs, and indeed, one of the few we recommend. It has the size, style and quality that justifies its higher price over various non-luxury entries. Plus, the gasoline versions, particularly the upgraded B5, provide stronger value than its various competitors. Even the electric Recharge, which carries a steep price increase, at least provides a strong performance upgrade for the money.   Interior & Technology   |   Passenger & Cargo Space   |   Performance & Fuel Economy What it's like to drive   |   Pricing & Trim Levels   |   Crash Ratings & Safety Features What's new for 2023? The XC40 lineup, including the XC40 Recharge, get a mild refresh for 2023. Small styling changes include a new front bumper, frameless grille and “pixel” LED headlight technology. New colors and wheels come into the fold, too. Both of the gasoline-powered XC40s gain 48-volt mild-hybrid systems to aid efficiency. Inside, Volvo adds non-leather upholstery to the Recharge, and all models adopt the Google-based infotainment system that was previously a Recharge exclusive. What are the XC40Â’s interior and in-car technology like?

Volvo XC40 and C40 electrics get new motors, more horsepower, longer range

Late last year came reports of improved versions of the Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge for Europe. Configurators over the Atlantic showed there wouldn't just be new rear-wheel-drive models, but more battery, more range, and faster charging. The Swedes have finally published the official list of updates, the tweaks even better than the reportage and websites showed. First, the rumors are true, Volvo is back in the rear-driver game after 25 years on the sidelines. The automaker took the previous e-motors off the front axle, putting its in-house-developed, more powerful, and more efficient e-motor on the rear axle. This first use of the new e-motors bumps output from 228 horsepower to 235 horsepower in the RWD trims when combined with the 60-kWh standard range battery. That, plus cooling improvements for the pack, means the XC40 Recharge's range jumps from 425 kilometers on the WLTP cycle to 460 km (285 miles), the C40 Recharge's range going from 438 km to 476 km (296 miles). Plugged into a charger capable of at least 130 kW, refilling from 10% to 80% takes about 34 minutes.  We specified "standard range battery" because another new treat is a second RWD trim: Volvo will plug its 82-kWh battery into the powertrain for those willing to pay. But wait, there's more: The big pack powers an even juicier e-motor making 248 hp. The added gumption boosts range in the XC40 Recharge to 515 km (320 miles), in the C40 Recharge to 533 km (331 miles). And again, improved cooling permits uprated charging speed of 200 kW, cutting the run from 10% to 80% SOC to approximately 28 minutes. Dual-motor variants make the change to asymmetric output as revealed before, giving up two 201-hp e-motors for a new 156-hp motor on the front axle and that in-house 248 hp motor on the rear. In conjunction with better cooling, the XC40 Recharge Twin Motor climbs to 500 km (311 miles) of range on a charge, a 62-km hike, the C40 Recharge Twin Motor to 507 km (315 miles), a 56-km enhancement.  Marginal gains also come from a set of more aerodynamic 19-inch wheels.  The updated twin-motor siblings are expected to enter production in May, the single-motor versions in the fall. We only get the Twin Motor models here. If our variants reflected the same range extensions as in Europe, the 14% rise for the XC40 Recharge would give our car a 255-mile range, the C40 a 12% boost to 254 miles of range.

Polestar looking to tune Volvo CUVs

Volvo is getting serious about emerging from the fringes and into the mainstream of the luxury automobile market. But if it's going to challenge the Germans, it's going to need a performance line. And that's just what it's developing with Polestar.
Building on the motorsport partnership that has seen Polestar represent Volvo in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, World Touring Car Championship and V8 Supercars series, Polestar has been charged with developing road-going performance Volvos as well. It currently offers comprehensively tuned versions of the S60 and V60, as well as engine upgrades for other models, but the latest word has it that Polestar will turn its attention next to tuning Volvo crossovers like the XC60 and the new XC90, pictured above in top-spec R-Design trim.
Details on how Volvo would modify those models remain to be determined, but it wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine the XC60 outfitted with similar enhancements to those offered on its sedan and wagon stablemates to mount a challenge to the Audi SQ5. As for the larger XC90, it seems Volvo is already squeezing as much out of its new 2.0-liter triple-charged inline-four as it can, but more aggressive handling, aero and brakes could stand to transform the flagship crossover in pursuit of performance utes like the Mercedes ML63 AMG and BMW X5 M, even if it couldn't quite match their impressive horsepower outputs.