I’m very happy with my XC40 T4 Recharge. One thing it convinced me off was the next car after it is probably going to be electric. So what better place to start than the exclusively electric version – the Volvo EX40?
So I popped over to my local Volvo dealer and grabbed a Black Edition Twin Motor version for a quick test drive. I wanted to test the things my Sensus Volvo doesn’t have:
- The power: although my T4 Recharge can reach speeds up to 130 km/h, having just 82 electric horses isn’t enough. Put a small incline in front and the car will inevitably slow down. The EX40 doesn’t have this problem. Although the car I drove had 402 hp, I’m sure the 252 hp version is more than enough;
- The transmission: I know it’s hard to believe, but the electric motor on my T4 Recharge has a two-gear transmission. And it’s not the fastest, especially when merging on a highway;
- The adaptive cruise control: my car doesn’t have it. After experiencing it on the EX40, I’m convinced I should add it to my XC40 via OrBit. The steering assistant doesn’t feel right. It constantly adjusts the wheel to keep the car in the middle of the lane. I turned it off;
- One Pedal Drive: surprisingly easy to get used to;
- Android Automotive: the good part is fullscreen CarPlay and Waze navigation on the driver’s display. The bad part is there’s no interface customization (Sensus has 4 themes);
- Harman Kardon audio: the sound is noticeably more spatial;
- The Drive Mode button is a blank on the EX40. My XC40 has 5 modes: Hybrid, Pure, Individual, Performance and Off-Road. The EX40 has just two: Standard and Off-Road, though this setting is buried in the menus;
- The all black design looks good, though I feel during the summer the car will work harder to keep the interior cool.
