Well the 2021 Volvo XC40 PHEV did not disappoint! It's a modern feeling little SUV that is great to drive, with enough room for my family of four AND I charged it using the power of the sun, which felt pretty fantastic for my purse and the planet!
I hardly used any fuel in my week with the XC40 PHEV because I charged it using the solar panels on my home which kept it topped up for most of my driving throughout the week with school and daycare runs or weekend shopping and beach trips.
That said, it did have to use petrol for motorway trips to Brisbane and you can choose to use part of the petrol power to charge the battery up during longer journeys so you can run on electricity once you are in a town or city (or need to stop with the aircon running while your little ones finish their sleep).
The media screen in the XC40 PHEV is portrait orientation and it does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
You swipe left to access the radio, Spotify, Apps etc. I do find the media system is a little harder to use than other more minimal systems, mainly because the icons are so small it's hard to see them at a quick glance while driving.
You swipe right to access the battery and charging screens and all the cars settings, like lane departure etc.
…and the carpet lined door pockets which stop anything in them from rattling while driving.
Storage wells next to the rear seats are also handy when you have kids water bottles etc.
There is also a handy extra storage shelf in the front for a phone on the side of the central console and a wireless phone charging well in the front.
The Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV I tested had rear air-conditioning vents which are really needed when you have little passengers in the back. The heated rear seat buttons are located below the rear vents and out of the way of little passengers who might be tempted to fiddle with them!
There is room for two child seats in the back of the Volvo XC40 PHEV. It is really spacious back there but the rear seat base has a gap at either end, which the VW Tiguan has too, that I understand is designed to give some distance between the second-row occupants and the rear doors in the event of a side-impact collision.
I could fit two forward-facing or two rear-facing child seats in the outer seats really nicely but found there was not really enough room for me to squeeze between them and I'm 162cm.
Legroom is good in the Volvo XC40 PHEV and we could fit a 184cm driver or passenger in front of a rear-facing child seat.
The boot of the XC40 PHEV is also a practical size, holding twelve shopping bags from empty. That's the same as the VW Tiguan, one more than the Jaguar E-Pace and one more than the BMW X1 or Audi Q3.
The previous model XC40 I tested had a fold-down boot floor to allow for extra storage depth but the PHEV had a space-saver tyre instead.
I could still fit the same amount of shopping bags and a twin stroller still fits but with less depth of space for if you are carrying bassinets for example.
Overall we find the 2021 Volvo XC40 PHEV is a practical and enjoyable family car for our family of four. The boot space and cabin space are ample for transporting us and the relevant equipment for two kiddies. The media system is not the orientation I enjoy using but the camera quality and Apple CarPlay mean it has everything I need.
The most enjoyable part for me is using so little fuel when driving the XC40 PHEV. I loved that I was charging it using solar power and doing most of my daily driving using the electric motor and hardly using any fuel. The transition between the electric motor and engine was smooth and quiet and I could choose when I was recharging the battery when driving through the media screen.
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV?
The 2021 Volvo XC40 PHEV has a very generous size boot. From empty, I could fit 12 shopping bags in there, which is the same as the VW Tiguan, one more than the Jaguar E-Pace and one more than the BMW X1 or Audi Q3.
The 2019 petrol XC40 I tested previously also holds 12 shopping bags in the boot but the boot floor drops down approximately 10cm giving more depth for storage which especially helps when fitting prams with bassinets.
I found in the PHEV without that extra depth all the prams still fit but the tandem pram fits with one less shopping bag beside it as I couldn't stack the second seat on top.
The twin stroller fits with one shopping bag.
The tandem stroller fits with two shopping bags.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The single stroller fits with four shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fitted with eight shopping bags beside it.
Or you could fit a large size dog in there!
The boot floor is flat, which is good for an emergency nappy change. There are storage wells on either side behind the wheel arches, a 12V socket on the right-hand side and a bag hook on either side.
Underneath the boot floor is a space-saver tyre (which explains why you can't drop the boot floor down).
How good is storage inside the 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV?
Storage in the cabin of the XC40 PHEV is excellent, in the front there are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a re-usable or disposable coffee cup and a large refillable water bottle fits in them too. In front of them is a wireless phone charging well plus one 12V socket and two USB ports.
The central console storage box is quite small but I found it useful for my sunglasses as there is no glasses case in the ceiling.
The glove box is quite small, it would just hold my wallet with the manual, the iPad would not fit.
There is a fold out bag hook in the glove box which I LOVE and used frequently, so my handbag wasn't in the passenger footwell or on the passenger seat constantly! There is also a storage well in the side of the central console by the front passenger's right knee.
The door bins in the front will hold a large refillable water bottle and an iPad easily fits in them too. The door panels are lined with carpet fabric so things don't rattle in the door bins.
In the back, the door bins are smaller and will only hold a 600ml water bottle.
We found we used the little space at either side of the rear seat base to store the kids drink bottles.
There are net map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold but not conceal an iPad.
In a fold-down armrest in the central seatback are two cup holders. They will hold a disposable or reusable coffee cup or a large refillable water bottle fits in them too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV?
The 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is a lovely quiet BabyDrive, the electric motor means it starts silently and the transition from electric to petrol engine is pretty subtle. The XC40 is a smooth drive and you are cocooned from a lot of the usual exterior road noise and stimulation when driving which is great.
The media system in the Volvo XC40 is a large portrait touch screen which controls most things in the car that would usually be controlled by buttons and dials on the dashboard and central console. It does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which was great.
Although I have driven the XC40 previously, again I didn't find the touch screen intuitive to use at first, but it didn't take me too long to remember where all my regularly used functions were located and it became much easier.
Swiping left for radio, app etc.
Right for the battery charging and turning on and off car settings like lane keep assist.
The reversing camera image is great, it is a very clear and crisp image but does show some of the car bodywork.
You can also change the volume of the parking sensor beep too using the regular volume controls and turn them on and off on the screen. There is also a 360-degree camera with excellent visuals.
Lane keep assist is silent in the XC40 it doesn't beep, just kept me within the lines on the road nicely.
The indicators are nice and quiet in the XC40 and didn’t disturb my sleeping baby.
Fatigue warning in the XC40 is a gentle bell chime, just enough to alert you without disturbing any other passengers.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
One button in the driver's door control panel locks the doors and windows and I found both the doors and windows are really nice and quiet and would not disturb small sleeping passengers when opening and closing them. You can come to a stop with the engine still running and get out of the car without sounding any alarms.
Since becoming a mum I spend A LOT of time parked up somewhere with a nice view while my daughter is asleep in the back! If it's hot I need to leave the engine running and the aircon on but I do like to get out and drink my cuppa tea in the fresh air while enjoying the fact my limbs are free from said dangling child!!
So this is a very important test as I have found that sometimes I have been held hostage by a cars BEEEEPING alarms when I have taken off my seatbelt or opened the door while the engine is still running!! (I only stand outside the car, I am not a bad mother!!)
The XC40 PHEV is especially nice and quiet to drive, it feels robust on the road but the ride is lovely and smooth.
There is a seatbelt removal alarm and a really good visual comes up on the screen in front of the steering wheel to let you know exactly which passenger has removed their seatbelt for both rows of passengers. If the driver seatbelt is undone while driving, the cruise control automatically turns off too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV?
There are three top tether anchorages in the back of the XC40 PHEV's rear seat backrests. The outer two are clearly marked and although not within plastic guides they are nice and easy to connect to.
The central top tether anchorage is below the hatch door and not marked but nice and easy to connect to.
There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats. They are within plastic guides and nice and easy to connect to.
The rear seats are lovely and big and flat, they stop short of the rear doors in order to give a safer space in the event of a side impact.
So two child seats fit in the back of the Volvo XC40 PHEV and I couldn't easily or comfortably squeeze between the two child seats either.
With a rear-facing child seat installed in either rear outer position, we found a 182cm passenger could sit in front of it.
Posting bub into their child seat from outside the car is really nice and easy in the XC40 PHEV and there is room to reach in and do up harnesses comfortably too. From inside the ceiling is high enough that posting Bub into their seats from inside is good too. There are no handles above the second-row doors though so nowhere to hang a child's toy. There is a coat hook but it is too far forward.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV? And How good is the 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV to drive?
In the front of the Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV, the seats are very comfortable, they are black leather with minimal fuss in stitching and panelling, so they are easy to wipe clean. Both the front and rear seats are heated in the model I tested.
The headrests are not adjustable and I found I couldn't have a ponytail in the driver's seat.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with bub, the seats are comfortable at the sides but in the central seat I could feel the hardness of the drop-down armrest.
There is a low hump in the central footwell, although it is easy to straddle with your feet. I found the back of the XC40 PHEV very comfortable to travel in and it felt spacious for an SUV of this size.
For the first year of my baby’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel was fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
Cruise control is incredibly accurate in the Volvo XC40 PHEV, it is how all cruise control should be! It held the exact speed at low speeds on undulating roads, around town and on the motorway at higher speeds. The controls are on the left on the steering wheel and are nice and simple to use.
There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard; two central ones and a round one at either end.
There are also air vents in the back of the central console box for rear passengers as well, that I found I could reach those to adjust them while driving.
The controls for the aircon are within the media screen, unlike many screen-based aircon controls they are quite easy to reach and use while driving.
The rear interior lights are located centrally in the ceiling but too far back to reach them from the driver's seat while driving!
I have found my babies do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.
Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!
It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
There are no handles above the rear doors so there is nowhere to hang a child's toy. I found I had to hang them off the top tether strap.
Visibility in the Volvo XC40 PHEV is good, I didn't encounter any problems with visibility in my week of driving even when loaded up with two child seats.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the XC40 was easy to park.
Aesthetically the Volvo XC40 looks and feels like a great SUV. It is very practical for families as well as being modern and fun.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2021 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV?
The Volvo XC40 scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2018.
Scoring a total of 97% or 37.2 out of 38 for adult occupancy. Broken down into 7.42 out of 8Â for the full-width frontal crash test, 7.98 out of 8Â for the frontal offset test. Full marks for the side impact test and the pole test.
For Child Occupancy protection the Volvo XC40 scored 41.6 out of 49 which is 84%. Broken down into 16/16 for the dynamic front, 8/8 for dynamic slide. Child restraint installation scored 11.62 out of 12 and onboard features score 6 out of 13.
ANCAP said of the testing: In the frontal offset and side impact tests, protection of the 10 year and 6 year dummies was GOOD and the Volvo XC40 scored maximum points in these tests.
The Volvo XC40 is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on therear outboard seats and top tether anchorages on all rear seats. Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed that most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, with the centre rear seat failing two of ANCAP’s installation assessments.
Seven airbags come as standard; there is a driver’s knee airbag as well as dual frontal airbags and front side airbags and side head curtain airbags for the front and the rear side passengers.
As standard, all models of the Volvo XC40 come with seat belt pre-tensioners in both the front seats and rear outboard positions, anti-lock braking system (ABS), autonomous emergency braking (AEB) for the city, Interurban and VRU, automatic headlights, automatic high beam, blind spot monitoring (BSM), daytime running lights (DRL), hill launch assist, electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic data recorder (EDR), electronic stability control (ESC), emergency brake assist (EBA), emergency stop signal (ESS), fatigue reminder and fatigue detection, forward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW), lane keep assist (LKA), pre-crash systems, rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), reversing collision avoidance camera, roll stability system, secondary/multi-collision brake, speed assistance auto/intelligent/manual speed limiter, speed sign recognition and warning and trailer stability control and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) all come as standard.
Optional extras are adaptive cruise control (ACC), and adaptive headlights.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Tulsi’s asleep!
Would you know if the current Volvo XC60 could fit 3 baby seats? It has build-in booster seats thus very interesting for a family.
Still waiting for one available to test!