This brand-new 2025 Volvo EX40 isn’t brand-new at all. Bear with me on this one; it’ll take some explaining.
Volvo’s naming convention was becoming a bit messy, but they’re trying to fix it. S is for sedans, which they barely make anymore; Cross Country is for utility-type vehicles but not quite SUVs, like the V60 and V90 Cross Country; XC is for crossovers and SUVs like the XC60 and XC90. As for Recharge? Well, that’s where it gets complicated. It can mean a few different things; on the XC40 and C40 Recharge, it referred to the dedicated electric variants of those two vehicles, which were originally gas-powered. On models like the XC90 Recharge, it referred to the plug-in hybrid variant—not a fully electric one.
Still with me? Because there’s more. This year, Volvo is rolling out a lineup of all-new, next-generation electric vehicles. This is a huge deal for the brand, marking the next chapter of Volvo’s electrified efforts with the compact EX30 and full-size EX90 SUVs—the latter of which I sampled (and loved) last summer. Naturally, in an attempt to unify naming conventions and delete the confusion around the Recharge badge, the XC40 Recharge has been rebranded as the EX40, bringing it in-line with its shiny new electric stablemates. As well, models like the XC60 and XC90 Recharge are now simply called Plug-In Hybrid.
Now we’re all caught up. Outside of a new name and a lovely new colour option—the new Sand Dune beige colour is all over Volvo’s marketing and our own test vehicle—it’s the same electric XC40 we already liked. It’s also one of the only corporate re-naming initiatives I’ve ever seen that actually makes sense to me, so it gets a pass. I’m looking directly at you, Johan de Nysschen.
Because it’s a Volvo after all, and because it doesn’t deviate from what was already working, the EX40 continues to be quite lovely. Our particular tester is a fully loaded Ultra model, with a black roof and 20-inch machined-face wheels that go a long way to sharpen its already sublime style. It also includes everything but the kitchen sink Volvo can throw at it, including a panoramic sunroof, a lovely two-tone Dawn-on-Charcoal interior with illuminated driftwood trim, and Volvo’s semi-autonomous Pilot Assist cruise control.
In typical Volvo fashion, the EX40 is a lovely place to sit, made better by the Harman Kardon sound system—and some of the most powerful seat and steering wheel heaters in the business. Visibility is good, storage is adequate, everything is logically laid out, and there’s a very healthy amount of rear seat room and cargo space for its relatively small footprint. Infotainment is handled by a very familiar nine-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen running a Volvo-skinned version of Android Automotive. It generally works fine and is easy enough to figure out, but still feels like a step backwards from their previous, in-house Sensus software that used to run on the same screen.
It’s also a major step back from the wonderful evolution of Android used in the EX30 and EX90; I don’t dislike the EX40’s infotainment, but it doesn’t have the attention-to-detail of its predecessor and ease-of-use as its successor. I was really hoping the EX40 would be updated on the infotainment front to line up with its new siblings, but that’s not the case—at least for the time being.
This is where Volvo’s campaign to rename the XC40 Recharge and make it make sense … stops making sense. Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely inside and out, and drives incredibly well. Volvo’s calibration of electric powertrains and regenerative braking is—and has always been—among the very best in the business, masterfully taking a very new type of propulsion and making it feel normal and nice. This dual-motor tester doesn’t leave any performance to be desired; it’s plenty fast with 402 horsepower and 494 pound-feet of torque on board.
There’s nothing overly wrong with the battery or charging experience, either. Volvo says you can expect a 10-to-80 per cent charge from the EX40’s 75 kWh battery pack in about half an hour on a DC fast charger, and a full zero-to-100 per cent charge on a traditional Level 2 home charger in about eight hours. I was able to pick up a 25-per-cent charge on the Level 2 charger at the office in a couple of hours, despite the bitter cold temperatures.
Admittedly, said bitter cold took a serious bite out of the battery—Volvo quotes up to 418 km of range on a full charge, but we consistently saw about half that in the real world—but that lines up with most other EVs. It never felt unusable or alarming around town with easy access to chargers, but longer drives might take some planning.
The only real problem with the EX40 is that the EX30 now exists. It essentially puts the same powertrain in a vastly more modern vehicle, for quite a bit less than this EX40’s $75,859 as-tested sticker price. Granted, the EX30 is a fair bit smaller where this EX40 feels right-sized; the EX30 is snug and significantly more minimalist in its pursuit of modernity. Almost too much so.
As is the case with every Volvo, the EX40 is by all accounts an absolutely lovely vehicle. It’s sharp-looking inside and out, its interior is tastefully minimalistic while still maintaining the intrinsic “niceness” you’d expect from Volvo, and it’s bloody fast. Despite this, I struggle with it because it’s some $15,000 more than both a much newer and fresher, though smaller EX30, and an equally fully loaded and equally nice, though gas-powered XC40. Granted the 2025 Volvo EX40 is inherently quieter and more refined, but it’s priced in line with boutique EVs like the Genesis GV60. I guess I was just expecting a bit more of an update beyond a new name.
