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I have previously tested the petrol engine Volvo XC40 and the plug-in-hybrid 2021 Volvo XC40 and now I have got the 2022 Volvo XC40 fully electric EV Recharge! This is very exciting for me because I really enjoyed the other XC40 models and I LOVE how electric cars drive so I am hoping the combination of the two is going to be great with the XC40 EV! Let's find out as I put it through our BabyDrive testing…

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Well the fully electric 2022 Volvo XC40 EV does not disappoint! Like the other models it is a modern little SUV, with a neat and minimal interior that is a pleasure to spend time in. The biggest thing to get used to in the XC40 EV is there is no start button or ignition! You just sit in the drivers seat and select your gear and off you go! It takes a bit of getting used to and I worried if my daughter sat in the front she could easily knock it into gear.

The Volvo XC40 EV is a great drive, intact that is my favourite thing about this car! I am testing the twin motor variant and it is super fast! It does 0-100km in just 4.9seconds. The ride is smooth and quiet too which makes it a pleasure to drive with my family of four, everyone is cocooned from any exterior traffic noise and I can drive my girls to school and to sleep knowing that I charged it at home using the power of the sun, which feels pretty good!

The XC40 EV has a ‘Range Assistant' screen within the media screen which shows you your estimated battery range etc and you can use the ‘Range Optimiser' option which I used to get me somewhere and it really helps with minimising the cars battery usage.

When it comes to family practicality the Volvo XC40 EV is just as good as the PHEV and petrol models. The interior space has not changed. I can fit two Infasecure child seats forward-facing or rear-facing in the cars outer seats really nicely. I installed the Infasecure Aspire More forward-facing and the Achieve More rear-facing. Occasionally I have squeezed the Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster seat between the other two child seats when I need to carry a school friend but I would not recommend it as an everyday solution.

2022 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge EV with 2 child seats installed in the back row

We can fit a 180cm passenger in-front of a rear-facing child seat or a 170cm driver. With forward-facing child seats installed we can fit a 186cm+ driver or front passenger.

Storage in the back of the Volvo VC40 EV is quite minimal. The rear door bins are nicely carpet lined so nothing rattles around in them but they will only fit a small water bottle. There are net map pockets and two cup holders in a fold down in the central seat back.

Storage in the front is god with cup holders, a wireless phone charging dock and a generous size central console box.

The glove box has enough space for my wallet with the manual and has a handbag bag hook in the front of it too.

The door bins in the front are more practical holding a refillable water bottle and wallet and iPad.

The boot of the XC40 Recharge EV is the same size as the PHEV and petrol models, holding twelve shopping bags from empty. That is two more than the Kia Niro holding 10 bags and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 holds 15 shopping bags.

2021 VOLVO XC40 PHEV boot space for shopping with two rows of seats in use

The boot floor of the XC40 EV has a folding method which allows you to hold shopping bags in just the rear of the boot so they do not roll around the boot floor and these three bag hooks too which you can hook school bags onto!

2022 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge EV space for shopping with two rows of seats in use

Twin, tandem or double prams and strollers fit in the boot with a few shopping bags too.

2022 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge EV space for twin side by side stroller pram and shopping with two rows of seats in use

Don't forget the frunk! This is where the charging leads are kept and you have a little storage there too.

The media screen in the XC40 PHEV is portrait orientation and it has Google Maps available in there too.

You can also add Apps and access your own Spotify account too which we love while driving.

The 360degree birds-eye-view camera image is very clear and easy to see.

However for the reversing camera image is shark mouth shaped and distorts the visibility.

The Volvo XC40 EV has rear air-conditioning vents which are good to keep little passengers cool in the back. The heated rear seat buttons and USB are located below the rear vents and out of the way of little passengers who might be tempted to fiddle with them!

Overall the Volvo XC40 EV Recharge is a fantastic car for families of four or less. The EV is a pleasure to drive and the internal practicality for fitting child seats and prams is good.

The Volvo XC40 also  gets a five-star ANCAP safety rating and has seven airbags as standard.

 

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Tace Clifford
About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.

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