Volvo XC40 review

Even with a space-sapping panoramic roof, there’s plenty of head room, lots of leg room and enough space to stop you from banging elbows with your front passenger. Volvo has even moved the lower audio speakers from the doors to the dashboard to free up extra space.

The XC40 is full of thoughtful details, such as a pop-out rubbish bin between the front seats, sliding drawers beneath them and door pockets that are big enough to take a laptop or two large bottles of water.

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You also get a couple of big cupholders behind the gearlever and a sizeable cubby in front of it. This can be fitted with wireless charging for compatible smartphones.

Rear head and leg room aren’t quite as plentiful as they are in rivals such as the BMW X1 and Volkswagen Tiguan. Still, the XC40 is more than roomy enough for tall adults to sit comfortably without their heads brushing the rooflining or knees hitting the back of the front seats.

Thanks to the relatively wide rear bench, three adults sitting side by side is also perfectly doable, although the high central tunnel along the floor does limit foot space for the middle passenger. The only blot on the interior's practicality copybook is that its door openings are a little small and can hinder access if you're not reasonably agile.

Split-folding rear seats are standard and, if you add the optional Convenience Pack, can be lowered electrically with the flick of a switch inside the boot.

However, the seats are split 60/40, rather than in the more versatile 40/20/40 arrangement that the X1 and Tiguan offer.

It's also a pity that, unlike those rivals, the XC40 doesn’t have rear seats that slide to let you change the balance between rear leg room and luggage space, or recline for extra rear-seat comfort.

The XC40’s boot has a capacity of 460 litres, which appears underwhelming compared with the Tiguan’s and X1’s. However, its commendably square proportions make packing easy and, with the large underfloor storage area added into the mix (if you don’t have the optional spare wheel fitted), we managed to fit seven carry-on suitcases inside – the same number as we managed in a Tiguan.

What’s more, there’s no load lip to heave luggage over. If you opt for the Convenience Pack, you can fold up part of the boot floor and fix it in a vertical position, creating a divide to stop smaller items from sliding around. This also provides handy hooks for hanging shopping bags.