The XC40’s inside design was maybe much less daring and adventurous than that of its exterior. Nevertheless, making use of the identical themes that introduced us the lounge-like cabins of the Volvo XC90, Volvo XC60 and Volvo V90 to a category whose final phrases on cabin sophistication had, by 2017 at the very least, been the Audi Q3 and Range Rover Evoque, delivered outcomes that regarded and felt fairly luxurious but additionally casual, and really nice with it.
And at the moment, even because the automotive ages, it retains loads of inside enchantment. A mixture of each soft-touch and more durable plastics make up the fascia, however even the latter have a little bit of lustre about them; its wool-blend seats are interesting to the contact; whereas the automotive’s doorhandles, air vents and different major contact factors have fairly excessive materials high quality.
The dashboard is specified by pretty sparse fashion. As in different EVs, our Recharge take a look at automotive had no ignition or starter button, activating as an alternative mechanically as you get in and choose drive, and switching off mechanically as you permit (there’s a ‘park’ button subsequent to the gear selector, however the handbrake is totally automated). But Volvo nonetheless provides you a big, everlasting on/off button come quantity management for the audio system, and bodily controls too demist and hazard warning features.
The automotive’s Google-powered, portrait-orientated touchscreen multimedia system delivers the remainder of the automotive’s controls. The residence display screen makes it simple to leap between menus, with different shortcut features across the margins permitting you to entry driver help presets pretty rapidly, and with out an excessive amount of distraction from the street. Google-powered voice recognition can be a energy for the automotive, making it simple to set navigation locations, and to make different easy data requests like “will it be raining when I arrive in Manchester”, which the system makes use of its onboard information connection to reply.
Up entrance, driver consolation is sweet. Our take a look at automotive’s entrance seat supplied some cushion angle adjustment, and each extendable under-thigh help and adjustable lumbar help. It wasn’t the softest of thickest-padded seat, however offered good touring consolation all the identical.
More extensively, passenger area is surprisingly good. At 2702mm, the XC40’s wheelbase is simply 72mm shorter than the Volvo XC60’s; so though this could be a smaller automotive, it doesn’t include an enormous practicality compromise. Adults will discover a cheap quantity of head and leg room within the again seats, and received’t wince on the thought of a long-distance journey.
There are two USB-C charging ports for the again row; our take a look at automotive supplied heated outer rear seats; there are cupholders within the fold-out centre arm relaxation; and Volvo additionally contains small storage trays simply outboard of the outer seat cushions (though simply what it intends you to place in them is slightly puzzling). The automotive additionally comes with ISOFIX baby seat anchorages for each outer again seats, in addition to one for the entrance passenger seat.
The XC40’s 452-litre boot, in the meantime, isn’t the most important amongst extra compact SUVs; however it’s fairly a cleverly configured area, providing oddment storage at both aspect of the principle loading space, and a pop-up boot ground that doubles as a purchasing bag holder, and opens up helpful area below the ground. Our take a look at automotive additionally featured a retaining partition internet, permitting you to forestall high-stacked hundreds from sliding forwards into the cabin.
Charging cable storage is offered throughout the automotive’s ‘frunk’, below the bonnet on the entrance – and there’s loads of it. It stays a disgrace that Volvo doesn’t embody a bonnet launch button on the car key, making you as an alternative go in quest of the old style bonnet launch within the driver’s footwell each time you might want to stow or entry your cable.