2022 Volvo EX40

For MY2022 the US XC40 Recharge came only as the Twin, with two 150 kW motors (one per axle) making 402 hp combined. That is a lot of output for a subcompact luxury SUV and sits in the upper half of the SUV band. The single-motor rear-drive version arrived later.

With 486 lb-ft from two motors, the 2022 Recharge Twin sits near the top of the SUV torque band, and all of it is there from a standstill.

Volvo's 4.7-second claim is conservative, and independent testers regularly beat it. Either way it is among the quickest subcompact luxury SUVs of 2022. The recorded value is the manufacturer's figure.

The dual-motor drivetrain delivers power instantly and silently, with no gear changes, turbo lag or engine handoff. It misses the top band because the one-pedal mode is abrupt at parking speeds and in 2022 it was on/off only.

A single-speed reduction gear on each axle means there is nothing to hunt for and no shift to slur. It falls just short of the top because the only driver control is a one-pedal toggle.

The US rating is a modest 2,000 lbs, well below the gas XC40's 3,500 lbs and near the bottom of the SUV band. That is enough for a small utility trailer and not much more.

Every 2022 US XC40 Recharge comes with dual-motor electric AWD as standard, and the separate front motor gets torque to the wheels faster than a mechanical system can. It stays out of the top band because it has no low range, locking differentials or selectable terrain modes.

Standard AWD helps on gravel and snow, but this is a pavement crossover. Ground clearance is about 6.9 in (versus 8.3 in on the gas XC40), the battery sits under the floor, and there are no skid plates, lockers, off-road mode or off-road trim.

The 2022 US XC40 Recharge had exactly one powertrain, the 402 hp Twin AWD, offered in Core, Plus and Ultimate trims. There was no single-motor or longer-range version, and buyers who wanted gas had to choose the separate XC40 T4/T5.

85 MPGe is weak for an EV SUV. Twin 150 kW motors and a blunt body designed around a gas crossover hold down its efficiency.

Regenerative braking makes city driving its best case, yet 92 MPGe is still near the bottom of the EV SUV field.

79 MPGe on the highway reflects the boxy body's aerodynamic penalty, and it is why real road-trip range falls short of the combined figure.

223 miles (up from 208 for MY2021) is still short for a luxury EV and is the item that pulls this category down hardest.

A 150 kW peak on a 400V pack was average-to-modest for 2022 and well behind 800V rivals such as the Ioniq 5 and EV6.

About half an hour from 10% to 80% is mid-pack: the small usable pack offsets the modest peak rate, but each stop adds only about 155 EPA miles.

$900 a year is far below the gas XC40's cost but high for an EV, because the car uses 39.4 kWh per 100 miles.

There is no fuel grade to worry about, and home charging is simple: the 11 kW onboard charger refills the pack in about 8 hours at 240V. It shipped with a CCS1-only port and no NACS adapter, so it had no Supercharger access when new.

NHTSA lists the 2022 XC40 P8 Recharge AWD (the EX40's pre-2024 name) as its own vehicle and has not crash-tested it, so every sub-rating reads 'Not Rated'. The framework scores an untested vehicle as 0 rather than borrowing the rating of the combustion XC40 T4/T5, which are separate entries.

The 2022 XC40 Recharge earned an IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ and rated Good in every crashworthiness test IIHS ran on it: driver- and passenger-side small overlap, the original moderate overlap, the original side test, roof strength, and head restraints. It never ran the updated side or updated moderate-overlap tests, which the 2022 criteria did not require.

The 2022 P8 Recharge AWD comes with a comprehensive standard suite. City Safety AEB covers vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and large animals, and it adds Lane Keeping Aid, run-off-road mitigation, oncoming-lane mitigation, BLIS, Cross Traffic Alert with autobrake, and Pilot Assist adaptive cruise. None of the core checklist is held back for an upper trim.

City Safety earned IIHS's top vehicle-to-vehicle rating and the second-tier daytime pedestrian rating. It misses the top band because it only reduced impact speed in the child-crossing test rather than avoiding the collision, and IIHS has no nighttime pedestrian result for this car.

Blind-spot and cross-traffic protection are both standard, and both act rather than only warn: BLIS has steer assist, and Cross Traffic Alert can brake automatically. There is no trailer-aware blind-spot coverage, which matters little on a subcompact EV.

Lane departure warning and Lane Keeping Aid are standard, and Pilot Assist adds lane centering. Reviewers describe Volvo's centering as conservative: it drops out on faded markings and drifts in tighter curves. That makes it functional but behind the best in the class.

Pilot Assist is standard and works across the full speed range, including stop-and-go, combining adaptive cruise and steering assist in one system. Smooth one-pedal regenerative braking helps at low speed. It gives up points for late, sometimes abrupt braking when cars cut in, and for a cautious following model.

No hands-free highway driving is offered. Pilot Assist is a hands-on system that checks for steering-wheel torque. The score sits just above zero because the hands-on assist it does have is competent.

IIHS rates the LED reflector headlights Good. They are curve-adaptive with high-beam assist, and that unit is fitted to the 2022 Recharge as standard.

The boxy body gives good forward and side sightlines for a subcompact SUV, with a tall glasshouse, high seating position and squared-off hood. A rising beltline and thick rear pillars limit the rear three-quarter view, which the 360-degree camera helps cover.

IIHS rates LATCH ease of use Acceptable. Only the two outboard seats have full LATCH hardware, and the center seat has a tether anchor only. The square door openings help with fitting seats, but in a car this size a rear-facing seat crowds the front passenger.

Every 2022 XC40 Recharge trim (Twin, Twin Plus, Twin Ultimate) has two rows and five seats, which sits low in an SUV band that runs to 8.

The fixed panoramic glass roof cuts front headroom below the gas XC40's figure, leaving it near the bottom of the SUV band.

The EV shares the CMA-platform XC40 body, and its front legroom sits near the bottom of the SUV band.

The upright, boxy roofline gives competitive second-row headroom for a subcompact.

Rear legroom is mid-band, but the battery raises the floor and leaves adults sitting knees-up.

No third row is offered; it is a two-row, five-seat subcompact.

Cargo space behind the rear seat is small even for a subcompact and falls below the SUV band floor. A small frunk holds the charging cable.

Maximum cargo volume sits just above the floor of the SUV band.

Laptop-size door bins (made possible by the dash-mounted woofer), a removable console bin, a fold-up cargo-floor divider with bag hooks and a frunk stand out in the class. The EV loses the gas car's deep underfloor well.

The heated, power front seats are supportive and comfortable. The cushion extension is Ultimate-only, there is no power tilt/telescope wheel, and the raised EV floor costs the rear bench thigh support.

The ride is reasonably well controlled, but the short wheelbase and roughly 4,750 lb weight make it chattery over broken pavement. There is no adaptive damping.

The electric drive is silent and wind is well suppressed, but tire and road roar come through on coarse surfaces. There is no active noise cancellation.

Dual-zone climate, heated front seats and app-based remote preconditioning come on the Plus. For 2022 the heat pump, heated rear seats and heated wheel are limited to the Ultimate or options, and no ventilated seats are offered.

For MY2022 the US XC40 Recharge came only as the 402 hp dual-motor Twin, so the entry price was a high-output AWD EV with no cheaper single-motor version. That puts it in the upper part of the SUV price band before any EV credit.

The Plus was the mainstream configuration at launch: dealer materials for MY2022 list only Plus and Ultimate, and the base Twin was added to the lineup later. Plus adds keyless entry, a 360° camera and 2-zone climate control.

The EV drivetrain has no oil, spark plug or transmission service, and for MY2022 Volvo covered scheduled maintenance AND wear items for 4 years / 40,000 miles. Most of what an owner pays over five years is tires, which wear fast on this heavy, high-torque EV, plus out-of-warranty repairs in year five.

This is the 2022 Recharge's weakest ownership metric. It has a 223-mile range that rivals quickly outclassed, a 2024 RWD powertrain update and EX40 rename, and EV price cuts across the market, so 5-year retention falls below the SUV band floor.

Volvo's new-car limited warranty matches the German luxury norm. It beats 3-year plans but trails Genesis's 5 years / 60,000 miles.

The high-voltage battery carries the industry-standard 8 years / 100,000 miles. That is competitive but not a differentiator.

MY2022 buyers got 4 years / 40,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance including wear items, Volvo roadside assistance, and 250 kWh of free Electrify America DC fast charging. That is a richer bundle than most luxury rivals offered and longer than the 3-year plan on the 2023 car.

$56,395 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (37% retained, or about $20,866) leaves about $35,529 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,100 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $39,629 in total.

In 2022 the car was sold as the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric (P8 Twin Motor AWD), in its second US model year and before the 2023 facelift. Early electric XC40s have predicted worse than the gas model, and the complaints are mostly software and electrical: Android Automotive freezes and reboots, 12V battery drain, charging faults, and two loss-of-propulsion recalls in this model year. That puts 2022 just below the mixed-signals band and slightly under the post-facelift 2023 car.

Volvo has been a bottom-third brand in three-year dependability studies for several years running, mostly because of electrical and infotainment problems across the range. Consumer Reports places it in the bottom half rather than at the very bottom, so it sits at the low edge of the mid-pack band. This is a brand-level measure, so the score matches the other EX40 and XC40 years.

MY2022 has four NHTSA campaigns, and two of them can cut drive power. 21V109000: the BECM microprocessor can reset and disconnect the high-voltage system. 22V288000: water can get into the cable harness and corrode the accelerator pedal sensor circuit. The other two are the fleet-wide rearview-camera recall, issued twice (25V282000, then 25V908000) because the first software fix did not hold. There is no fire or structural campaign, but two propulsion-loss defects and a reissued fix put this below the typical-activity band.

The 2022 P8 uses the launch powertrain: two roughly 150 kW permanent-magnet motors and a 78 kWh NMC pack. Being electric removes the gas XC40's engine and transmission liabilities, and no pack-cell or motor hardware recall has been issued. Two drive-power-loss campaigns (a BECM reset and a corroding accelerator-sensor harness) and owner reports of charging and 12V faults keep it lower in the mid band than the later years.

Reviewers praise the cabin for its price: Scandinavian design, felt-lined door bins, leather-free textiles and recycled-content trim, and switchgear that feels better than the segment norm. Hard plastics in the lower cabin keep it short of class-leading next to a BMW X1 or Audi Q3.

The Ghent-built XC40 Recharge has tight, consistent panel gaps, solid door closure and few rattle complaints. Volvo's below-average initial-quality standing keeps it out of the top band. That penalty comes mostly from infotainment and electrical complaints, not physical assembly, though the 2022 harness water-intrusion recall is a build-quality mark against this year.

Volvo has roughly 280 US dealers, materially fewer than BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Lexus, and they are concentrated on the coasts and in major metros. High-voltage work needs EV-certified technicians, which narrows the usable network further. Service satisfaction is middling.

Routine maintenance is light: no oil changes or transmission fluid, and regenerative braking cuts brake wear. Repairs are expensive, though. Parts are priced like European luxury parts and are largely dealer-controlled, the aftermarket for electric Volvos is minimal, and an out-of-warranty pack or motor repair costs five figures.

A 9-inch portrait touchscreen is small next to luxury rivals running 10–14 in displays.

The Google-based Android Automotive software is quick, but the small screen and a tile menu that buries climate and other functions make it distracting to use while driving. Early-build software also had bugs that OTA updates later fixed.

The 2022 car launched without Apple CarPlay. Wired CarPlay arrived in a free OTA update rolled out from July 2022. There is no Android Auto projection, since Google services are native.

Google Assistant and Google Maps, with EV charge planning, come built in as standard. That is best-in-class native voice control and navigation.

The Plus volume trim has an adequate eight-speaker system. The 13-speaker, 600 W Harman Kardon system is Ultimate-only.

A 12.3-inch digital driver display is standard and can show Google Maps, but it is less configurable than Audi's Virtual Cockpit.

Whole-vehicle OTA updates have added features to the 2022 car after sale, including Apple CarPlay and efficiency and range improvements.

The Volvo Cars app handles remote climate, lock/unlock, locate and charge status, but owners report slow commands and connectivity lapses.

USB-C ports front and rear, a wireless charger and 12 V outlets cover devices well. There is no 120 V outlet or V2L.

Keyless entry and a power tailgate are standard, and the car powers on without a start button. The hands-free kick-open tailgate needs the higher trim.

The Plus volume trim gets a 360° surround-view camera and park assist, though the camera resolution is dated.

No 2022 XC40 Recharge trim offers a head-up display.

Wide-opening rear doors and good rear headroom help. Only 16 cu ft of cargo behind the seats makes stroller-plus-groceries duty tight, and IIHS rates the LATCH anchors only Acceptable.

It earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and comes with broad standard ADAS (City Safety, BLIS with Steer Assist, cross-traffic autobrake). NHTSA never rated the 2022 Recharge.

The cabin is quiet and the front seats are comfortable, but tight cargo with the seats up, a firm rear bench and 223 miles of range mean frequent stops with a full load.

Instant, smooth torque, one-pedal driving and no start button make traffic effortless. A choppy ride over broken pavement is the main annoyance.

At $900/yr in EPA energy cost, home charging is far cheaper than running a gas luxury SUV, though 85 MPGe is inefficient for an EV.

A short body, a 37.4 ft turning circle, good sightlines and the 360° camera on the Plus make it easy in town.

A 2,000 lb tow rating, a small cargo hold and range that drops sharply when towing make it a poor work tool.

This is a luxury-oriented cabin on an early-generation EV with software teething issues, and it has no fleet or commercial history.

Upfit support amounts to cargo tie-down hooks and a 12 V outlet. There is no 120 V outlet, no V2L and no upfit ecosystem.

It is quiet and comfortable, but 223 miles of EPA range (less at highway speed) and a 150 kW charging peak limit long trips. For 2022, Pilot Assist steering support is on the Ultimate rather than the volume Plus.

Standard dual-motor AWD helps on gravel and snow, but roughly 6.9 in of ground clearance, a 2,000 lb tow limit and no V2L keep it on pavement.

A 60/40 split rear seat, a cargo divider and roof-rail mounting points help, but 16 / 57.5 cu ft is small for bulky gear.

A low-mounted battery and AWD give secure grip and a 'sporty flair', but the roughly 4,750 lb mass shows in quick direction changes.

The steering is reasonably quick and precise but light and short on feedback.

One-pedal regeneration slows the car strongly and predictably, but the blend from regen to friction braking is inconsistent and in 2022 one-pedal drive was an on/off toggle only.

With 402 hp and 486 lb-ft from zero rpm, thrust is instant and seamless. The only knock is one-pedal modulation at crawl speeds.

The dual electric motors run near silent under load, with only a faint motor whine.

The turning circle is tight for the SUV segment. The EV drivetrain doesn't change the shared CMA body's figure.

The seating position is commanding, but climate and many other functions are touchscreen-only and the wheel adjusts manually.

Low-4-second runs to 60 make it a genuine sleeper, but light steering and its weight blunt the fun beyond straight-line pace.

Every trim gets the 402 hp dual-motor AWD powertrain, Google built-in infotainment, a 12.3-in digital cluster and the City Safety suite. The Plus adds a 360° camera, keyless entry and 2-zone climate. Pilot Assist, the heat pump, heated rear seats and Harman Kardon audio are reserved for the Ultimate, so features rivals give as standard cost extra here.

It gives a lot of performance for the money (402 hp, 0–60 in 4.7 s), and buyers could claim the $7,500 federal credit until August 2022. However, its 223-mile EPA range trailed the Mustang Mach-E, ID.4, Ioniq 5 and Model Y at similar or lower prices, and steep depreciation erodes the value.

There was one powertrain (Twin AWD) in three closely spaced trims, about $6,500 from bottom to top. The cheaper single-motor version had not yet arrived, and there were few standalone options.

It was Volvo's main US EV in 2022, sold online-first and limited by supply. Volume was modest next to the Model Y, Mach-E and Ioniq 5, so it sits mid-pack among luxury EV crossovers.

Volvo has a strong safety-and-Scandinavian-design image and a loyal following. It lacks the German marques' prestige halo, and the EV's weak resale has undercut the image since.

In the 2022 EV market supply was tight and discounts were rare; dealers mostly sold at or near sticker. The main buyer benefit was the $7,500 federal credit, which was available until the Inflation Reduction Act's North American assembly rule cut off the Belgian-built car in August 2022, plus Volvo's free maintenance and charging bundle.

MY2022 was the second year of the Recharge Pure Electric and still had the pre-facelift styling, with Google built-in infotainment already among the newest in the class. It is current, but sits on the gas-derived CMA platform, and both the facelift (MY2023) and the RWD powertrain update were close behind.

Reviewers liked it. KBB rated it 4.5/5 and named it the #1 Best Luxury Electric SUV of 2022, and it earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+. Its short range kept it from winning broader EV comparison tests.