► Volvo’s mid-sized electric SUV
► Performance upgrade available on the dual-motor
► All-black trim available for a price
Oh, the joys of running a black Volvo electric SUV. Pulling onto the A1M feels like a minor biblical event in this thing. I merge into the outside lane and it vacates before me like a line in the Red Sea, no questions asked. Food’s on the table, and I’m ravenous Moses. Exploiting and possibly abusing his powers to get home before a reasonable Cassoulet goes cold.
The EX40 is a strong weapon of choice when you’re in a hurry. The twin motor version I’m in accelerates aggressively, but all the while with a sense of calm and quiet serenity, too. Like it’s quick but tied down, dependable, predictable, safe. Sounds like a Volvo.
As I’m blasting down the motorway, putting RS3 drivers back on their Ps and Qs through the fear of God, I find myself wondering whether the EX40 is the electric SUV. It sits above the quirky but impractical Volvo EX30 and below the gargantuan EX90 seven-seater. Bit of a Goldilocks option, then: imposing, with SUV authority but not so big that you weep for your bumpers around every multi-storey car park.
What about the Black Edition? Nothing more than a chic trim line, though it does have its demonstrable perks when tea time calls and you’re still the wrong side of Huntingdon. I’ll get into the interior later in the review.
To find out what the EX40 is like to live with, I had one on test for a week. Read on for the full review from CAR, or head over to our how we test cars page to find out how we do it.
At a glance
Pros: Quality, Practical, secure and stable
Cons: Changes feel lazy, did not need more power, interior feels old next to EX30
What’s new?
Well, the name is the main change, and signals the new branding that will be used across Volvo’s electric cars, kickstarted by the dinky new EX30 and upcoming EX90, both hitting British roads in 2024.
Volvo’s previous ‘Recharge’ naming dies a death – including on its plug-in hybrids – and in the process the XC40 becomes the EX40, while the coupe-styled C40 will now be known as the EC40.
But there are a few other changes too, including a new over-the-air ‘Performance’ pack. Volvo’s also getting all down-with-the-kids with a new Black Edition trim level like the car we had on test, bringing massive 20-inch alloys and full black styling. It certainly stands out in canvas-white Swedish Lapland more than it will in a Sainsbury’s car park.
What are the specs?
Here’s a break down of the specs for each powertrain variant available on the EX40.
Single Motor – 234bhp and 310lbft of torque. 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. Top Speed 112 mph. 2040kg. Up to 296-mile range. Rear-wheel drive.
Single Motor Long Range – 249bhp and 310lbft of torque. 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. Top speed 112mph. 2075kg. Up to 355-mile range. Rear-wheel drive.
Twin Motor – 402bhp and 494lbft of torque. 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds. Top speed 112mph. 2170kg. Up to 332-mile range. All-wheel drive.
All cars are 4,440mm in length, 1,873mm wide and 1,647mm tall.
How does it drive?
Nothing like a pair of keyed-up electric motors to remind you what proper balls-to-the-wall acceleration feels like. Bury your foot into the right pedal and the EX40 produces a gut-dropping fear factor take-off that not so long ago was the preserve of supercars. The 0-62mph trick wears off after a couple of goes, but having the instantaneous power on tap was a joy for nippy manoeuvres. The pull is brutal, startling to be honest, but also free from histrionics or agitation. The EX40 felt controlled and stable under pressure, which in turn allowed me to overtake with total confidence.
A whiff of corner unravelled any pretences of dynamic ability as the EX40’s steering is a little too blurry to entice much fun. It’s light and quite splendid to use around town, but the wholly synthetic feel occasionally had us curious as to where all our hard steering effort was being laid down on the road. This is a car to waft around in effortlessly. It’ll reward you for doing so with reassuring composure and total silence.
The EX40 has just a single braking regeneration setting – it’s a harsh one-pedal mode or nothing. With it engaged, the lightest of touches on the brake started killing speed in a hurry. It was useful in moments when we need to slow down sharpish, but quickly became a bit of a bore with a lot of jolty stop and start. An intermediate setting would’ve been preferable, one that didn’t deploy the anchor quite as violently the moment we got off the accelerator, but no such setting exists.
We drove the EX40 back-to-back with the smaller EX30. With that, there’s the option to disable most elements of the ESC, and it gets pretty tail happy as a result, and almost unruly given the opportunity. It’s a far more relaxed and less entertaining affair with the EX40, again reflective of those who will buy it. Get an EX30 if you want a bit of fun, buy an EX40 to be sensible.
What about the interior?
Again, it’s business as usual with the EX40 and its interior. Any existing XC40 owners – or those driving any Volvo from the last five years – can resort to muscle memory for the controls. There’s the now-Android-powered infotainment system with useful in-built Google Maps fitted too and various other services from the tech giant. As you might’ve guessed, Black Edition trim drenches the entire cabin in a dark black shade, which contrasts nicely against the white stitching also included. It sees the seats furnished in a soft Alcantara-like cloth, and the door pockets lined in felt. To our eyes it looks good, premium even, but there’s been no reinvention of the upholstery wheel here. It’s just a black leather cabin.
As merely an electric version of the XC40 rather than an all new car like its smaller and bigger brother, the EX40’s dash is starting to look a bit old fashioned. Quality is very good, save for a few plasticky buttons south of infotainment screen, and it’s still among the most tasteful arrangements, but juxtaposed with the newer efforts and it starts to look every bit an eight-year-old design.
The infotainment system itself is clear and easy to use, but again is starting to show its age. The infotainment systems from rivals like BMW and Mercedes certainly feel crisper, more refined and more up to date.
Room in the EX40 is generally good. There’s plenty of shoulder room in the back for two adults, plus rear leg room isn’t bad either, but those in search of truly luxurious accommodation where heads and legs are concerned should size up to the EX90. The EX40 also has a 410-litre boot with a 31-litre frunk, which is pretty mediocre for the class, given the BMW iX1’s boot can hold up to 490 litres with the seats up, though still considerably more than the 340 litres you get in the Mercedes EQA.
Before you buy
With an updated Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, BMW iX2 and Mercedes EQA, the EX40 faces more competition than ever. Volvo’s done a pretty good job at keeping the XC40 relevant, but buyers will likely be able to see through a name change.
Prices start from £44,760 for a single-motor core model. Black Edition cars start from £53,110, though they include more tech as standard along with the long-range single motor variant. Twin motor EX40s, which are available in the Plus trim and up, start from £50,410. Black Edition twin motors start from £57,610 at the time of writing.
Verdict
The EX40, even as it grows older despite its new name, is still a complete package backed up with what Volvo does best – style, safety and general practicality. Even so, we’ll give it a full rating when we drive the car on tarmac.
You can see why copy and paste, albeit with a font change, has been adopted given the XC40’s huge success. But whether that’s enough next to increasing competition from the Germans, and even Volvo’s own EX30 – available at a significantly lower price – remains to be seen. Is the Black Edition worth it? Depends how doomy you’d like your Volvo to appear, but it’s a good looking car and we reckon the colour suits it. Would be a tick on our order application.