I’ve driven three very different Volvo XC40s over the years, and it’s certainly been interesting to see how it has evolved over time. Equally, it was just as fascinating trying to dissect the XC40 line-up as a whole, and the myriad of powertrain options you could spec for it… Petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, and even as a BEV. This time around, I had the chance to test out another one, but today, we’re going back to good-old internal combustion, with the new and refreshed XC40 B3, with its peppy and efficient petrol mild-hybrid engine. So, let’s take a look at whether Volvo still has what it takes to take on the burgeoning subcompact SUV segment.
What Is The Volvo XC40 Ultra B3 About?
I’ve adored and praised Volvo’s recent design language more than once before, and the same rings true with this XC40 that I have here, in an eye-catchingly beautiful shade of blue. Sticking with Scandinavian minimalism, the XC40’s styling is reserved and modern, with clean lines and a good-looking shape, too! It looks particularly neat with this blackened exterior trim, in place of shiny chrome. Granted, if you want even more black, Volvo does offer the XC40 Black Edition. For an upcharge, you could get the darkest and blackest production car I think I’ve ever seen, literally! Nevertheless, size isn’t everything, as the beating heart of the XC40 B3 has so much to give.
How Does It Drive?
The B3 model that I have here isn’t as powerful as the slightly meatier B4 variants, mind you. Still, that’s not to say that it lacks oomph! Underneath, you will find a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-4 petrol engine, which is then mated to a mild-hybrid setup, sending power to the front wheels. The B3 that we have here outputs a modest 163 hp and 265 Nm of torque, between the engine and hybrid motor, which is then paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
That ought to be good for a 0-62 mph sprint in 8.6 seconds, and a top speed of 112 mph. Overall, those aren’t bad figures for a crossover. Of course, should you desire even more performance, the B4 powertrain offers you a bit more spice under the bonnet. The latter gets you 197 hp and 300 Nm of torque, and a faster 0-62 mph time of 7.6 seconds. Interestingly, Volvo quotes the fuel economy figures to be identical to the B3 engine (with precisely 1 g/km lower CO2 emissions), despite the B4 putting down more power. Better still, the B4 model offers you an even higher maximum towing weight: 2,000 kg on the B4, versus 1,600 kg on the B3 variant.
However, with all that said, speed and power aren’t the focal point of the XC40, as it’s all about efficiency. On that front, the updated Volvo XC40’s mild-hybrid powertrain is fantastic when it comes to fuel consumption. During my test run, it averaged nearly 40 MPG, which is quite close to Volvo’s own (claimed) 42.8 MPG estimate. Still, dynamically, the Volvo XC40 B3 is quite well set up when you get behind the wheel and start driving it. In other words, while this B3 powertrain might ‘only’ have 163 hp, it feels a lot faster once you get going. This is greatly aided by that aforementioned dual-clutch transmission too, with its quick, responsive, and clean gear shifts.
Additionally, the transmission’s shift logic is tuned pretty well, gearing up and down at the optimal shift points. In short, the XC40’s gearbox helps you quite a bit with keeping momentum going, and this goes both ways. When you’re pinning the throttle to the floor, the Volvo XC40 B3 makes up ground much faster than you’d anticipate. Otherwise, for day-to-day driving and commuting regularly, you have a generous amount of power in the low to mid-range RPMs, making overtaking and speeding out of junctions very easy, as well as effortlessly getting your way around traffic. So, don’t let its on-paper specs fool you, as the XC40 B3 is a potent crossover.
It’s quite clear that between the (B3) engine and that transmission, the XC40 is making great use of every single horsepower as best as it possibly could. Moreover, the nippy and agile nature of the XC40 B3 continues to shine through, thanks to the steering rack. For a crossover, you get a surprisingly precise, sharp, and accurate steering, made all the better when it glues you to the road in tighter corners. In a lot of ways, the XC40 makes itself feel like more of a hatchback than an SUV. Sure, it’s not a ‘hot’ hatch, but for a regular and unassuming vehicle, it feels nice to drive. On the other hand, when you want to slow down and relax, it’s more than happy to oblige.
The suspension is well-sprung, with a good set-up in mind for our bumpy UK roads, so it feels comfortable to just waft along, even for long-distance driving. On top of that, the new and updated Volvo XC40 here does a great job at reducing NVH levels, creating a pretty serene and calm atmosphere, with minimal wind and road noise intruding into the cabin. At higher speeds on the motorway, you might hear a bit of wind noise, but that gentle buffeting is all you’re going to reasonably hear. Given how well-optimised the XC40 B3’s performance is, with a nice balance between speed and comfort, most folks won’t necessarily need to opt for the more powerful B4.
What Is It Like Inside?
As small as it might appear from the outside, I’ve found that the Volvo XC40 is perfectly sized for the UK, as it easily squeezes into narrow parking spaces and tight city streets. Yet, it still retains an abundance of interior room once you step inside, for all your passengers and cargo. Even with the front seats moved far back to fit my taller frame, there’s still a good amount of knee-room and leg-room for people sitting in the back. Aside from that, despite being a small SUV, owing to the XC40’s boxy silhouette – and thus, the lack of a sloping coupe-like roofline – you’ll be able to enjoy maximal headroom in the rear, and lots of vertical storage for your cargo, too.
Speaking of, the boot of the XC40 has a clever little divider to help you with better organising your luggage or your weekly trip to the supermarket, making good use of all 443 litres of storage. Furthermore, if you opt for the flagship Ultra trim like this one here, you even get a panoramic glass roof, opening up the openness and airiness of the cabin even further. As with other Volvos that I’ve driven, the interior design is as clean, modern, and as minimalistic as any piece of IKEA furniture. It’s especially premium and plush on this Ultra model here, where you get a mixture of leather and driftwood upholstery, though the lower trim levels are pretty good, either way.
That’s not to mention the signature crystal gear shift lever that you’ve seen in other higher-end Volvo models. I still don’t necessarily see the point of it, but I suppose it does level up the premium-ness of a Volvo compared to other luxury brands. Elsewhere, every crucial touchpoint and interior surface inside this updated XC40 is rather beautifully finished, which is beyond impressive when you remember that the XC40 is among the more affordable Volvos that you can get here in the UK. Moving onwards, Volvos of recent years have also made a name for themselves when it comes to technology and electronics, and this XC40 here is no exception, with its plethora of gadgetry.
Within your periphery, there’s a vast 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster for all your readouts. It might seem huge, but that extra screen real estate is quite handy when you’re trying to bring up and view the entire satnav. Next to that is an equally sizeable 9.0-inch infotainment system, which is no doubt among the best in the business. The system itself is incredibly intuitive and responsive, and it offers quite a lot of functionality too, given that underneath, it’s all powered by Google. That said, you have immediate access to Google Maps built in, Google Assistant, and even the Google Play Store to download even more apps for your shiny new Volvo XC40.
If that’s not enough for you, then worry not, as it also comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay! Yet, despite this tech onslaught, you still get a bank of uber-tactile physical controls and switchgear for your media playback and windscreen heating. I also quite like the fact that, while Volvo has moved some of your climate control settings into that infotainment system, they stay pinned at the bottom of the interface, remaining accessible no matter what apps you might’ve opened. Further below that, you also get a wireless charging pad for your phone. Then, towards the rear, you’ll find a powered tailgate, and the keyless entry system works a treat, too.
The Experience
Volvo has long built its entire reputation on safety, and boasts that they have some of the safest cars on the road today. It’s nice to know then that the XC40 does nothing less than trying to cocoon you within every safety net possible. This includes providing you with constant (but gentle) reminders of the road ahead, like scanning for upcoming road signs, or making great use of the XC40’s crisp 360-degree camera system to get a better idea of what’s around you, working in tandem with the front, rear, and side sensors. Besides that, you get a ton of driver aids and safety systems built in, such as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts.
In addition, there’s the XC40’s rear collision warning, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning, as well as oncoming lane mitigation. If you opt for the top-spec Ultra model like this XC40 B3 here, you’re even offered Volvo’s ‘Pilot Assist’ system, which provides you with some semi-autonomous driving functionality. Then, there are Volvo’s ‘Pixel LED’ headlights, where its matrix of LEDs would dim accordingly to prevent blinding any oncoming drivers. Another interesting bit of tech inside the XC40 lies within the infotainment system, where it houses a page where you could check out the air quality readings around the car, before you step outside.
It even breaks down the air quality sensors’ readouts by specific particulates and pollutants! It’s a nice reminder of how much the cabin of the XC40 is shielding you from the harmful air outside, especially if you’re driving into and through highly congested areas. Plus, the XC40 has a built-in advanced air purifier system that prevents up to 80% of PM 2.5 particles from entering the cabin. Do bear in mind, though, that a lot of this safety tech and creature comfort nice-to-haves will differ between each trim level. Nonetheless, you do still get a good amount of the must-have systems included onboard as standard, even on the more affordable entry-level trim.
Volvo XC40 Ultra B3 Cost
The new and updated Volvo XC40 line-up starts from £35,840, though that’ll get you the ‘Core’ trim and the B3 mild-hybrid powertrain. Moving past the mid-range ‘Plus’ trim (which starts at £38,590) and onwards to the top-of-the-line ‘Ultra’ trim level (with the B3 powertrain), this will set you back at least £43,910. If you want a bit more urgency and punchiness under your throttle pedal, you could opt to upgrade to the B4 powertrain for a modest upcharge of £1,150 more on top. I think that’s reasonable given how much more performance you have on tap, though for most folks, I’d reckon the B3 mild-hybrid powertrain is more than speedy enough.
Moving up to the Ultra trim does offer you a whole lot more goodies compared to the entry-level Core model. The most noteworthy ones include that lovely panoramic glass roof, an awesome and very impressive Harman-Kardon premium sound system (especially when paired with the included air-ventilated subwoofer), as well as the superb 360-degree camera system. You get plenty of other perks as part of the Ultra model too, such as a larger set of 20-inch alloy wheels, the addition of some shiny chrome and aluminium trim around the exterior, leather and wood upholstery, power passenger seats, and more. All in all, sounds like a pretty good deal.
Verdict
As a whole, the updated Volvo XC40 is an outstanding small-to-midsize SUV for the UK and European buyer in mind, making it a solid competitor in its class. To make it an even sweeter deal, the XC40, even if you upgrade it to the top-spec Ultra trim and chuck in an extra grand for the B4 powertrain, it’s fairly reasonably priced. Sure, it isn’t brimming with world firsts and cool gimmicks, but the XC40 nails all the fundamentals that you need a small SUV to do. The powertrain is potent, smooth, and fuel efficient, lugging around a decent-sized boot and a ton of practicality, luxury, and refinement, as well as offering some nice tech, wrapped up in a very handsome package.
Specification
Volvo XC40 Ultra B3 Specs
- Price: £43,910
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbo petrol inline-4 MHEV
- Power: 163 hp
- Torque: 265 Nm
- Transmission: 7-speed DCT automatic
- 0-62mph: 8.6 seconds
- Top speed: 112 mph
- Weight: 1,580 kg
- Economy combined: 42.8 mpg
- CO2: 150 g/km