Volvo XC40 - long term review

Gothenburg, we have a problem. As Rowan reported last month, our XC40 Recharge is a sick puppy. Nothing terminal, but a series of niggles that have led us to alert Volvo, who have swapped us into a twin-motor Recharge while it undergoes a health check.

As anyone who read about Rowan’s ‘blood-boiling’ rage towards a series of unpleasant noises - persistent buzzing from the infotainment screen, a clonk from the left rear suspension and a squeak in the back seat - will know, Rowan has very much been the driving force behind the XC40’s trip to hospital. I, to be honest, am going with the flow.

Perhaps it’s his younger ears, maybe I need to get mine syringed, I definitely need to pay more attention because none of these bumps, rattles and squeaks have really bothered me. I’ve noticed the buzzing once, but on the move my brain tuned it out and it hasn’t troubled me since. The suspension and the squeak I’ve only noticed when Rowan pointed them out and I was listening specifically. This could be because I mostly drive the XC40 with two shouty children in the back, capable of drowning all manner of problems out… up to and including a door falling off. However, there’s one glaring issue I need to stick my hand up for.

I adore the XC40’s grey fabric seats – Scandi, minimalist, soft, inviting, not made from dead animal skin – they’ve got a lot going for them. However, when I encountered a raisin that had been squashed into the fabric with several tonnes of force, I knew drastic action was required. I scraped off what I could then hit the area with carpet cleaner, scrubbed and allowed to dry, returning to find that what was once a small, concentrated raising coloured stain was now a much larger raisin-coloured stain. Wouldn’t get that with wipe-clean leather. Sorry Volvo, I’m hoping you have some chemicals that can rectify my cack-handed efforts.

So, for a minimum of two weeks, maybe more if diagnosis takes longer (the car’s issues, not Rowan’s OCD), we have an XC40 twin motor to play with. That means four-wheel drive not front-wheel drive, 402bhp vs 228bhp, 0-62mph drops from 7.4s to 4.9s and a bigger 79kWh battery stretches the WLTP claimed range to 270 miles. Not all of this is strictly necessary in a family-orientated crossover of course, but when did necessary ever rule our thinking? And for around £5k more over the single motor version it’s good value for, potentially, more fun. Time to find out if some extra grip and poke is justifiable.