Volvo XC40 Recharge electric review: reliability & safety rating

Simple electric drivetrain and Volvo's peerless safety record mean peace of mind for owners here

Overall rating

4.0 out of 5

Reliability & safety rating rating

4.5 out of 5

Euro NCAPAdult protectionChild protectionSafety assist
5 stars (2018)97%87%76%

Volvo and safety are two words that go together very naturally. Like many of its predecessors, the electric XC40 is packed with lots of safety features, while the petrol version performed exceptionally well when it was put through Euro NCAP crash-testing. 

Volvo XC40 Recharge electric reliability & problems

The electric XC40 Recharge hasn't been around that long, so owners haven’t really had a chance to test the reliability of their cars. But you needn’t worry: Volvo performed well in our 2022 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey – placing eighth in the top 30 manufacturers rundown, while the combustion-engine XC40 finished 23rd out of 75 models in the list of best cars to own – pretty impressive given the base car is now over five years old.

Safety

Volvo has always been a byword for safety and the XC40 is no different. Back in 2018, the regular XC40 received a five-star rating in Euro NCAP tests, with a 97% score for adult occupant protection and 87% for child protection.

Volvo has packed plenty of safety kit into the XC40 Recharge, including a 360-degree parking camera, blind-spot monitoring and a steering wheel that vibrates if you drift out of lane. Volvo’s safety assistance will also apply the brakes if it detects oncoming traffic, pedestrians or animals and you don’t react.

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