► Volvo renames XC40 to EX40
► Performance upgrade available on the dual-motor
► CAR has a first drive on the frozen lakes of northern Sweden
‘Hmm, that looks familiar, but I don’t recognise the name…’ you might think when first looking at Volvo’s EX40. A bit like when Twitter changed its name to X. You can rebrand it all you like but the fundamental product remains the same.
This Volvo EX40 isn’t really new at all, rather an electric XC40 with a new badge and small software-enabled power upgrade. Volvo even admitted as much during our first small taste with this ‘new’ compact electric SUV.
When we say small taste, we mean it, as our time with the EX40 was spent purely out on a circuit carved into a frozen lake in northern Sweden, and with the infamous moose test to have a go at.
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. You’ll be able to order the newly branded pair from early April 2024, with production of the new models commencing in the summer.
But there are a few other changes too, including a new over-the-air ‘Performance’ pack that we’ll explore more in detail later. Volvo’s also getting all down-with-the-kids with a new Black Edition trim level, 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?
Volvo only updated the powertrains on the XC40 last year, predominantly focusing on efficiency improvements.
As a result, the only new change as part of the rename is a software-enabled 34bhp power upgrade on the dual motor cars. Expected to cost around £1,500 it takes the power up to 436bhp, and will even be available on already-built XC40s, though only for model-year 2024 cars running the latest software.
Final specifications are yet to be announced but expect a few tenths of a second to be shaved off the outgoing XC40 Recharge’s 4.6-second 0-60mph time and the top speed, like all Volvos, is capped at 112mph.
Range and charging
Though Volvo is being annoyingly tight-lipped on the EX40’s specifications – I mean, how hard can it be to stick on a new badge? – given there’s no change in terms of batteries or chemistry, you can expect little difference in terms of range and charging.
The single motor, rear-wheel-drive car gets a 235bhp and a 66kWh usable battery that allows for a claimed range of up to 295 miles. If you opt for the dual-motor, this packs a bigger 79kWh battery that promises a range of up to 333 miles. Such figures were a pipe dream while thrashing the EX40 around a frozen lake.
With up to 200kW DC rapid charging capability, just 28 minutes will get the battery from 10 to 80 per cent.
How does it drive?
Surprise, surprise, the EX40 feels just the same as an electric XC40 in terms of its safe, predictable nature. A few laps of an ice track – albeit a fairly lengthy 4km one carved out with 75 corners – is hardly a full-blown road test, but even in that time, the sensibility of this crossover shines.
The only way of getting the stability control off is with an ‘off-road’ setting, though given that turns off automatically once you hit 25mph, it says a lot about what this SUV is intended for.
As someone that had a previous 402bhp XC40 Recharge long-termer for six months, I can say with confidence that what this characteristically un-sporty SUV did not need was more power, not that the ability to outpace Golf Rs or a tarted-up M135i ever got any less enjoyable.
Out on the ice, aside from now having a dedicated ‘performance’ driving mode, the acceleration differences are pretty negligible. Mash your foot to the floor and even with such limited friction the EX40 gets up to speed in a rapid fashion, with the stability control cutting in almost instantly to keep you on the straight and narrow. Body roll is well-contained for a top-heavy SUV, even if you throw it into the moose test – again, not a surprise given the intertwined link between Volvo, Sweden and moose.
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.
Driven back-to-back with an EX30, this ’40 does feel its age a bit (as a product, it’ll soon be seven years old). The touchscreen seems pretty small, but some might prefer the slightly less touchscreen-dominated cabin. But you also can’t fault the EX40 for quality, while the woollen seats are exceptional, and a great alternative to leather without feeling any less premium.
Before you buy
With an updated Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, new 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 are to be confirmed but are expected to remain similar to the outgoing XC40 Recharge – starting from £46,605 for the single motor and £51,755 for the Dual Motor. The EX40 really doesn’t need 400bhp – nor an additional 34bhp from the performance pack – so save your pennies and go for the Single Motor. Choose the Black Edition to save you taking it straight to be dechromed. Just keep those massive 20-inch black alloys away from kerbs.
Verdict
Even a short go in the Volvo EX40 on ice tells us what we knew anyway. The XC40, even as it grows older, 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 new EX30 – available at a significantly lower price – remains to be seen.