Volvo XC40 review

The XC40 has relatively compact, city-friendly dimensions but still has plenty of space inside. There’s lots of head room in the front, even if you go for the space-sapping optional panoramic glass roof. You won’t be banging elbows with your front passenger, either, because the interior is reasonably broad. 

It’s full of thoughtful details, too. You get a pop-out rubbish bin between the front seats, and carpeted door pockets that are each big enough to take a laptop or two large bottles of water. If you go for the reasonably priced Versatility Pack, you get sliding drawers under the front seats as well as a host of other goodies, which we'll cover in the next few sections.

The XC40 is roomy enough in the back for taller adults to sit comfortably without their heads brushing the ceiling or their knees bashing the seat in front. It’s a tad behind the BMW X1 for leg room, but only a carload of giants will have any cause for complaint. 

Thanks to its relatively wide rear bench, three adults can sit side by side fairly easily, with plenty of space under the front seats for their feet. The middle passenger’s legs will need to straddle a fairly big hump in the floor, though. 

Those in the rear benefit from reasonably big door bins and there are also cupholders in the central armrest. More great news is that there’s no interior space penalty if you go for one of the plug-in hybrid models.

Split-folding rear seats are standard and, if you add the optional Versatility Pack we mentioned earlier, they can be lowered electrically with the flick of a switch. However, the seatbacks are split 60/40, rather than the more versatile 40/20/40 arrangement that you get in the Evoque, X1 and Tiguan. 

It's also pity that, unlike the X1 or Tiguan's rear seats, the XC40's can't be reclined or slid back and forth to alter the balance between rear leg room and luggage space.

The XC40’s boot has an official capacity of 460 litres – slightly less than you get in a Tiguan or an X1. However, the load bay's commendably square proportions make packing super-easy. And, if you don't opt for a spare wheel, a large underfloor storage area is thrown into the mix.

Either way, you can squeeze seven carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf – the same number we fitted in the Tiguan. The Evoque, meanwhile, could swallow only five cases. The plug-in version’s battery has no impact on space in the main boot area; you’ll still fit seven cases inside, one more than the Ford Kuga PHEV managed.

Better still, there’s no lip to negotiate at the entrance of the XC40's boot and, on all but plug-in hybrid models, opting for the Versatility pack gives you a hinged boot floor that can be clipped up in the vertical position, creating a divider to prevent smaller items from sliding around. The pack also gives you handy hooks for hanging shopping bags from, as well as an electric tailgate, although you get that on R-Design and Inscription trims as standard anyway.