Volvo EC40 review

Style may be somewhat subjective, but the Volvo EC40 is perhaps the most fashionable model in the brand’s current range. The EC40 – previously the C40 Recharge – is a sleek coupé SUV that’s both fully electric and sold exclusively with a leather-free interior.

So the EC40 is with the times, but naturally it’s not without competition. This electric car finds similarly sleek rivals in the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback and Skoda Enyaq Coupé. You also might be considering the Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y. 

Mind you, the EC40 leans on the pricier end of the spectrum, being generally more expensive than those rivals and the boxier Volvo EX40 on which it's based.

If it can justify the premium, though, it’ll prove competitive against the best electric SUVs. It could even be a class leader. Read on to find out…

The Volvo EC40 Single Motor has 241bhp and a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds, making it quick enough for any situation. Its official range of 299 miles – expect a real-world range of around 240 miles – makes it the version to have if a long range isn’t a priority. It is the cheapest EC40 after all. 

However, our recommended EC40 is the Single Motor Extended Range. It asks a relatively small premium, is just as quick and the official range is a more competitive 357 miles – we’ve seen around 280 miles in the real world. The rival Kia EV6 84kWh has an official figure of 361 miles and the Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD 387 miles.  

Finally, there’s the Twin Motor, which is a pricier upgrade. Nonetheless, it swaps rear-wheel drive for four-wheel drive, ups power to 402bhp and is properly quick – 0-62mph figure takes 4.7 seconds. It’s certainly capable of giving the Model Y Long Range AWD a run for its money. Official range takes a small hit, at 339 miles on a full charge.

The EC40’s ride is firmer than some rivals’ – like the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and Skoda Enyaq Coupé – and things can get busy around town. More specifically, the suspension struggles to round off larger potholes and drain covers. 

It's not quite as fractious as the Model Y though, and calms down at higher speeds. Plus, as with the Volvo EX40, the firmness brings with it a good level of composure. It shrugs off mid-bend bumps that would trip up the Mercedes EQA.

While there’s plenty of grip, even when you’re pushing on a bit, there’s a fair bit of body lean – more than there is with the sharper Model Y. There’s little enjoyment in trying to drive the EC40 spiritedly (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.

You can choose between two steering modes. The lighter setting is better suited to low-speed, urban driving, while the firmer one is meant for higher speeds, like those you do on motorways and country roads.

The firmer setting adds some extra weight, helping the front end feel more planted around the straight ahead. The problem is that the extra weight disappears when you apply more than a few degrees of lock, leaving you with a sense of disconnect from the front wheels around tighter bends.

The EC40 has big door mirrors like the EX40's, so there’s a minor amount of buffeting when driving at motorway speeds. Other than that, there’s not much road noise compared with the Q4 Sportback e-tron and the EV6, and there’s just a hint of whine from the electric motors at low speeds.

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

“I found the ride less forgiving if you choose the Twin Motor and Ultra trim, because of the added weight and 20in wheels.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The Volvo EC40 and Volvo EX40 feel almost identical from behind the wheel. You sit just as high up and the front seats are very comfortable, with the wide range of adjustment (including adjustable lumbar support) making finding a comfortable position a cinch.

The EC40 gets the latest Volvo 12.3in digital driver’s display, with clear graphics and a layout 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 lay-out or a map with navigation instructions.

That main screen contributes to the EC40’s minimalist design, but we’d like to see more buttons to control simple tasks such as changing the 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.

Forward visibility in the EC40 is fine thanks to the high seating position, and 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.

“I didn’t even notice that the interior was devoid of leather. It felt plush and expensive nonetheless.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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, which is the same in the Q4 Sportback e-tron and EX40, but the Mercedes EQA has a more versatile 40/20/40 arrangement. You can’t slide the seats back and forth either. You do at least get a fold-down ski hatch to thread long items through the middle backrest.

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 enough space 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.

“As well as cutting into your head room, that coupé-inspired roofline made it feel less airy inside to me.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The Volvo EC40 costs slightly more to buy than premium rivals, like the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron and Mercedes EQA, and considerably more than other rivals, like the Kia EV6, Skoda Enyaq Coupé and Tesla Model Y. 

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.

At each variant's fastest charging speed, you’ll see a 10-80% charge in around half an hour. The cables you need to plug the car into a Type 2 home EV charger, an AC public charger or a normal three-pin domestic socket are included.

The EC40 helps make up for its relatively high price tag with bags of equipment. Our preferred trim is entry-level Plus, because straight off the bat it gets 19in wheels, adaptive cruise control, wireless phone-charging, heated front and rear outer seats, a panoramic sunroof, an eight-speaker sound system and more. 

We see little reason to upgrade, but if you’re interested, mid-range Plus Pro adds a 360-degree camera and pixel LED headlights, while Ultra has 20in wheels and a Harman Kardon sound system.

It’s worth mentioning that there’s a Black Edition version of every trim. It’s pretty pricey for what’s mostly a cosmetic package though.

The EC40 was absent from our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, but Volvo as a brand came 12th out of 31 manufacturers – that’s above Audi, Tesla and Skoda but below Kia. 

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 rivals come with longer warranties. For instance, Kias 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 EC40 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 points for child seats on the front passenger seat and outer rear seats.

There’s also standard 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.

“I was surprised by how much kit even the entry-level trim gets. Heated outer rear seats, as standard!” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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