2020 Volvo XC40 T5 Review - Style, Substance, Etcetera

I’m almost certain there is an unwritten code for automotive reviewers that TTAC has generally avoided, if not openly mocked. You’ve seen the fruits of this code on newsstands, where every other month either a Camaro or a Mustang asks the other, in bold print, to STEP OUTSIDE. Another example is the inevitable requirement for someone reviewing a Volvo to somehow reference the awful Dudley Moore flick Crazy People and the “boxy-but-good” tagline.

We won’t talk about the faux Jaguar ad here. This is a family joint. For more discussion, select “private mode” on your browser of choice and look for TTAC After Dark.

Seems the good folks in Gothenburg were affected by the lighthearted fictional criticism, as since the late 1990s Volvo has been applying styling to its previously staid machines. The current-generation models are all stunners, from the largest wagons (swoon) to the smallest crossover, like this 2020 Volvo XC40 T5.

But is the beauty more than skin deep?

This is indeed the second XC40 I’ve reviewed in the past year or so. The first, in more budget-friendly front-drive T4 flavor, impressed me with excellent highway manners and fuel economy for its class. This all-wheel drive model in the Momentum trim has both more power and more plush.

Yeah, it’s clear that I dig the styling of the XC40. Inside and out, it’s as handsome as a crossover can get. I could live without the flat black plastic cladding on the lower surfaces of the vehicle, but that’s seemingly a requirement for the class. I love the detail on the LED headlamp that Volvo refers to as Thor’s Hammer – it’s at once playful and functional.

The red leather – Volvo calls it Oxide Red – is unusual these days, though growing up in the Eighties I recall many cars with velour in a shade my dad curiously referred to as “Whorehouse Red.” My wife isn’t a fan, but I love the splash of color that keeps everything from looking dull. I’d buy the XC40 for these seats alone, as they feel nearly perfect for me and my rear.

Rear seats are equally as comfortable, with plenty of leg and headroom even for me “sitting behind myself,” with the front seat adjusted for my 6’4” frame. This is still a compact crossover, but I could easily haul four adults of my size in plenty of comfort.

I love driving the XC40. No, it’s not a sports car, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s a small, agile crossover that’s easy to maneuver in tight city streets. If you’ve ever tried to park in the narrow cobblestoned-and-potholed alleys of Columbus’ German Village, you’ll appreciate a compact vehicle that gives excellent visibility; it’s also exceptionally stable and reassuring on long highway journeys. Expansion joints on the highway aren’t noticeable – the Volvo gives a quiet, jar-free ride.

[Get Volvo XC40 pricing here!]

I’m not sure I could justify the eleven thousand dollars’ worth of options tacked onto my tester. Easy trims to cut the cost would be the $645 metallic paint (though the choices would be limited to non-metallic black or white, while the extra-bucks paint offers grey, red, and silver), the $1,100 leather, the $1,475 panoramic moonroof, and the $1,000 20-inch alloy wheels.

My budget XC40 T5 would be in non-metallic black, with the blond textile seating, $600 convenience package (power passenger seat and automatic climate control), $750 heated front seats and steering wheel (Ohio weather sucks), and the $1,900 premium package, as it includes a keyless entry system, blind spot information system, parking assist, and wireless charging. I’d waffle a bit on the $1,750 Advanced Package – adaptive cruise control is a marvelous feature, but I’ve driven most of my life without it.

That gets me most of the way to my test car for $39,195 delivered — a compelling package for the price. Forty thousand isn’t cheap – I still blanch at the thought of a monthly payment over three hundred dollars! — but considering what you get from both mainstream and luxury competition in this segment, the Volvo is priced reasonably.

It may no longer be boxy, but it’s still quite good.

[Images: © 2020 Chris Tonn/TTAC]