2019 Volvo XC40 Makes Ingenious Use of Its Small Space

CARS.COM — Volvo’s newest and smallest SUV, the XC40, gives up little in practicality to its larger XC60 and XC90 siblings thanks to ingenious use of space to add utility.

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These aren’t the flashiest details of the small Volvo SUV, but they could make a big difference in how satisfying it is as your daily driver. They also help distinguish it in the crowded field of similar compact luxury SUVs that now includes entries from all the major European and Japanese premium brands.

The most obvious use of found space is the carve-outs that take back space from the door panels. The largest are bins that run the length of the front doors, made possible by moving the audio system’s speakers from the doors to behind the dashboard.

The center console bin, meanwhile, is big enough for a tissue box, and the console also houses a removable, flap-lidded trash receptacle to handle all the detritus than typically ends up in the cupholders. The front of the console includes an unusually large device bin with power ports and a wireless charging pad. The dash also has a card holder to handle a spare credit card, parking passes and the like, to the left of the driver as well as a one hidden out of sight above the console device bin. The glove box cover is equipped with a flip-out hook on which to hang a takeout food bag or a purse up to 4.5 pounds.

The rear of the XC40 includes more usable luggage space behind the backseat than in many of these small SUVs. And its cargo floor conceals a shallow space in which to hide some items. The floor also can be folded fully back for deeper space, or folded origami-style to stand vertically to corral groceries or other items. The top of upright folded lid reveals hooks to hang bags. The hard upper cargo cover stores under the floor when you need to use all the cargo space, which folds to a fully flat floor measuring more than 5 feet long by more than 3 feet wide.

But impressions of the XC40 aren’t just about space. Among other standout details is the material used to line the large door cutouts, as well as the floor and console sides. The feltlike covering is actually sheets of a material made from 97 percent recycled water bottles. That might make you feel good about it, but it doesn’t feel that good when you touch it. But Volvo’s not hiding it, even offering it in a flamboyant, for Volvo, Lava orange color as well as black. Bold or bonkers? You be the judge.

Front seat comfort is up to the standard for which Volvo already is known in its largest vehicles. The rear seat is adequate for two adults, with good space for this SUV class and more than in several rivals, such as the also-new Jaguar E-Pace. But the rear seat cushion is a bit low and the non-reclining back too vertical for real long-distance comfort.

The XC40’s overall look is properly upright and SUV-like, rather than the hatchback/wagon profiles of the rival Mercedes-Benz GLA or BMW X1. And in line with its stated aspiration for more youthful buyers, Volvo has a little more flair than with its larger SUVs in details such as the kicked-up C-pillar and side sculpting, and the “floating” roof design in white or black.

That distinction is even more true inside, where, beyond the available orange accent, the matte wood serenity of big Volvos gives way to dashboard trim with a machined metal look and prominent air vents. There is more molded plastic than in the more expensive Volvo SUVs, but the look and feel still is upscale. Not so much, though, with the covering for the cargo area, which feels more mainstream SUV, thanks to more of the recycled plastic covering.

The little Volvo SUV has the same 9-inch vertical center display as its big brothers and the same about 12-inch screen for the instrument display. The center screen, angled slightly toward the driver, has the same sharp looks and nice graphics – and raises the same concern about driving distraction because of all the functions it controls and the steps required to do so. A few intuitive physical knobs or buttons would help.

My favorite coy touch: The XC40 lays claim to its Swedish design and engineering heritage with a little rubber Swedish flag tag at the hood corner, despite being built in Belgium by a company owned by China’s Geely.

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