Volvo EC40 review

Volvo has earned a reputation for cars with stylish yet functional designs, and the Volvo EC40 is perhaps the most fashionable model in the range.

Not only is the EC40 – previously called the C40 Recharge – a sleek-styled coupé SUV, but it’s also only available as an electric car with a leather-free interior.

While it’s based on the boxier Volvo EX40 electric SUV, it's pitched against top-end versions of the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and Skoda Enyaq Coupé. There’s a selection of three trim levels, and the choice of a rear-wheel-drive version with one motor, or a four-wheel-drive version with two (one for each axle).

If you go for a car with two – badged the Twin Motor – you get a bigger battery with a higher maximum charging speed. To put it bluntly, the EC40 Twin is very quick. It’s faster than the Kia EV6 AWD and matches the Jaguar I-Pace, which is quite something from Volvo – a brand that used to be known for being sensible and practical.

So should you buy a Volvo EC40 over the less expensive EX40 or any other model? Read on to find out how we rate it against the best best electric SUVs...

Our preferred single motor, rear-wheel-drive Volvo EC40 has 241bhp, and can accelerate from 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds – which should be more than sufficient for most people’s needs.

The dual-motor, four-wheel-drive Recharge Twin has a combined power output of a stout 414bhp, giving it a 0-62mph sprint time of just 4.7 seconds. To put that in context, the quickest Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron takes 6.2 seconds and the Kia EV6 takes 5.2sec. For more pace, you'll need to look at the Tesla Model Y Performance or the Kia EV6 GT.

The brakes are sharp and respond fairly consistently when you squeeze the pedal, plus there's a one-pedal driving function that means the car uses strong regenerative braking to decelerate to a stop when you lift off the accelerator.

Range is important too, of course. A single motor EC40 comes with a 66kWh battery and an official range of 302 miles when fully charged. The Twin Motor model, with its larger 79kWh battery, has an official WLTP range of 341 miles.

As an aside to caravan owners, it's worth noting that the Twin Motor EC40 can tow significantly more than the Q4 and the Mercedes EQA with its weight limit of 1,800kg, against their 1,000kg and 750kg figures respectively.

Most versions of the EC40 come with 19in wheels as standard, while the top-spec Ultimate models have 20in ones instead.

Later versions ride a little softer than before, but it's still firmer than most rivals and can get a bit busy around town, especially as it struggles to round off larger potholes and drain covers. You can make the same criticism of non-Vorsprung versions of the Q4 Sportback, while the Skoda Enyaq vRS (which has adaptive suspension) manages to balance body composure with a little more bump isolation.

We recommend sticking with the 19in wheels, which should soften things up. The ride improves at higher speeds, but can get a little bouncy over sharper imperfections. As with the Volvo EX40, the firm set-up helps the EC40 remain composed, and it shrugs off mid-bend bumps that would upset the Mercedes EQA.

The EC40 offers plenty of grip, hanging on gamely even if you steam into a bend with a bit too much speed. The body will lean quite a bit, so there’s little enjoyment to be had in trying to hustle it (the same is true of the Q4 Sportback e-tron and EQA). Your best bet is to back off a little and keep things smooth. That way you’ll fall into a relaxing rhythm, which works well with the steering.

The EC40 has two steering modes – a lighter normal set-up that works well around town and a beefier mode – designed to help with accuracy at higher speeds – which you select with a slider for Steering Feel Firm in the driver assistance menu.

The Steering Feel Firm setting helps the car feel more stable and planted on the motorway, but most of the added weight disappears when you apply more than a few degrees of lock, leaving you with a sense of disconnect from the front wheels. The response is quick, but it’s hard to gauge how much grip there is, and that doesn’t inspire much confidence.

The EC40 has big door mirrors like the EX40's, so it's little wonder that you’ll also experience a minor amount of buffeting when driving at motorway speeds. 

Other than that, the low level of road noise is well controlled compared with the Q4 Sportback e-tron and the Kia EV6, with just a hint of whine from the electric motors at low speeds being the only noticeable noise.

There’s very little vibration through the steering wheel and seats, which, combined with the generally hushed progress, helps the EC40 feel relaxing to sit in.

Driving overview

Strengths Strong acceleration; good high-speed ride; hushed interior

Weaknesses Body roll in corners; uncommunicative steering; unsettled ride around town

You’re unlikely to notice much of a difference between the EC40 and the Volvo EX40 when you're sitting behind the wheel. The EC40’s front seats are very comfortable, and the range of adjustment (including lumbar support) makes finding a comfortable set-up a cinch.

The EC40 gets the latest Volvo 12.3in digital instrument cluster, with clear graphics and a design that's easy to read at a glance. It’s much bigger than the one in the Skoda Enyaq Coupé and can show a simplified dial layout or a map with navigation instructions.

That main screen contributes to the EC40’s minimalist design, but we’d like to see more physical buttons to control simple tasks such as changing the climate temperature (which you get in the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron) rather than having to use the infotainment touchscreen. The saving grace is that you can use voice commands to control many functions, and it recognises natural speech well.

Visibility in the EC40 is fine looking forwards thanks to the high seating position. Bright automatic LED headlights are included to help with night-time driving. As with the Q4 Sportback e-tron, there’s an adaptive matrix LED setting on top-spec Ultimate trim that can alter the beam pattern so oncoming drivers aren't dazzled.

Unfortunately, the car has wide side pillars, a shallow back window, big rear pillars and large head rests that conspire to create a chunky blind-spot and make rear visibility poor. All that makes the standard-fit front and rear parking sensors and rear-view camera a necessity, rather than just helpful items to have.

The Q4 Sportback e-tron and the Enyaq Coupé are easier to see out.

The EC40 comes with a 9.0in tablet-style touchscreen with Google software, including a sat-nav map. You get wired Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. A DAB radio, wireless phone-charging and Bluetooth are also included.

While a screen that lets you swipe, pinch and scroll sounds good in theory, in reality you have to take your eyes off the road for longer than is ideal. You can talk to the car instead and the latest Google Built-In system is good at recognising natural speech. 

The screen’s menus have lots of small icons, which can be tricky to aim for while you're driving. The settings menu, which is used to adjust the one-pedal driving and steering mode, contains an overwhelming array of small text that might be difficult to read at a glance. In better news, once you’ve found the station or music track you want, it plays through a punchy, rich-sounding audio system.

Volvo has ditched the use of leather in the EC40, opting to use a mixture of soft-touch plastics and textiles around the interior.

Some people might find the textured topography-style dashboard inlay design a bit plasticky-looking in the daylight (which it is), but it's backlit by ambient lighting on Ultimate models, which looks much better at night.

The EC40 hides its use of hard plastics better than a Q4 Sportback e-tron, but the overall look is not as bright or glitzy as the Mercedes EQA interior. It does feel more robust inside than the EQA and the Tesla Model Y though.

Interior overview

Strengths Comfortable seats; adjustable lumbar support; excellent forward visibility

Weaknesses Poor rear visibility; not enough button controls; some small touchscreen icons

If you fit comfortably in the EX40 – or, indeed, a Volvo XC40 – you’ll have no trouble with the EC40. The roof is a touch lower, but that doesn’t mean six-footers will have their heads brushing the ceiling. Leg and shoulder room are fine too.

Virtually nothing has been altered from the EX40, so you get the same pop-out rubbish bin between the front seats and carpeted door pockets that are each long enough to take a laptop or two large bottles of water, plus there are sliding drawers under the front seats.

One major difference between the EC40 and its EX40 stablemate is in the back seats. The EC40's coupé SUV silhouette and low, sloping roofline reduces the amount of rear head room considerably. Taller folk will struggle, as the backs of their heads will be resting on the headlining and the headrest.  

You get the same amount of rear leg and shoulder room as in an EX40, and the high mounting position of the front seats gives you room to stick your feet under them. Whichever way you look at it, though, the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and the Skoda Enyaq Coupé are more accommodating in the back.

Rear passengers get reasonably big door bins, along with cupholders in the central armrest. There are storage nets on the backs of the front seats.

The EC40 has a 60/40 split folding rear bench – the same as the Q4 Sportback e-tron and EX40 – but you can't slide it back and forth. The Mercedes EQA has a more versatile 40/20/40 arrangement.

You do at least get a fold-down ski hatch to thread long items through the middle backrest, allowing you to have two occupants sitting either side.

The EC40 has a 404-litre boot. We managed to fit in seven carry-on suitcases – one less than in the (non-electric) Volvo XC40. The Q4 Sportback e-tron has at least 100 litres more space behind the rear seats, with enough room for nine carry-on cases.

There are some thoughtful touches to make the most of the EC40's boot, including handy hooks you can hang shopping bags on. It's a usefully square shape, so you won’t be playing automotive Tetris when packing, and the floor fits flush with the tailgate, so there’s no lip to negotiate. You get an electric tailgate as standard, which is helpful when you have your hands full.

The EC40 also has a front boot (or frunk) under the bonnet. At 31 litres, it’s not huge, but it is handy for storing the charging cables.

Practicality overview

Strengths Plenty of space up front; square boot with no load lip; fold-down ski hatch

Weaknesses poor rear head room; no sliding rear bench; boot smaller than the (non-electric) XC40

The entry-level Volvo EC40 costs slightly less than the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron. The Recharge Twin is fairly expensive, with entry-level Core costing around the same as a top-spec Skoda Enyaq vRS. However, once you’ve specced an equivalent Q4 Sportback or Mercedes EQA with four-wheel drive and totted up the equipment roster, the EC40 starts to look like reasonable value.

Buyers interested in using a car finance package have two choices when it comes to the EC40: a Care by Volvo subscription or a traditional PCP finance deal. The subscription plan won’t suit everyone, but it can end up costing less each month and includes servicing, wear-and-tear items, tax and breakdown cover. You'll have to pay for your own insurance and electricity, though.

The EC40 Single Motor has a fastest charging speed of up to 130kW, while the Twin Motor's rate is up to 200kW. If you can find a quick enough charger, the Twin Motor can get from 10-80% in less than 30 minutes, while a home wall box will charge it from empty to full in around 13 hours.

The cables you need to plug the car into a Type 2 wall box, an AC public charger or a normal three-pin domestic socket are included.

The EC40 in entry-level Core trim comes with 19in wheels, cruise control, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate and an eight-speaker sound system.

Mid-range Plus adds gesture control for the powered tailgate, a heat pump, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, powered driver’s seat adjustment and auto-dimming door mirrors. There’s also adaptive cruise control and a semi-autonomous driving function that can steer, accelerate and brake for you in certain situations (your hands must always be on the wheel).

Top-spec Ultimate models come with ambient lighting, a 360-degree view parking camera, power-folding rear headrests and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon stereo.

As a brand, Volvo came ninth out of 32 manufacturers in the latest 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey. That's behind Honda and Kia, but ahead of Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes.

The EC40 comes with a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty, including roadside assistance, a three-year paintwork warranty and 12 years of cover against rust.

A few electric SUVs – including the Kia Niro EV – get a seven-year warranty. The EC40's battery is covered separately by an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty.

When it was tested by Euro NCAP in 2022, the EC40 (then called the C40 Recharge) was awarded the top five-star safety rating, and it scored well across the board. Its highest score was in the adult occupancy category, with maximum points for protecting critical body areas for the driver and front-seat passenger.

Every model gets an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system that not only recognises other cars but also cyclists, pedestrians and large animals. Traffic-sign recognition and Oncoming Lane Mitigation, which can intervene if you inadvertently cross the road's centre line and into the path of oncoming traffic, is also included. There are Isofix child-seat points on the front passenger seat and outer rear seats.

Mid-spec Plus trim comes with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The EC40 is fitted with a system that can detect an imminent collision from behind and apply the brakes to reduce the severity of the impact.

Costs overview

Strengths lots of standard equipment; many safety features; strong brand reliability

Weaknesses higher-end models pricey; not the longest warranty; subscription scheme won't suit everyone

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