Consumer Reports Says 2019 Volvo XC40 Is Fine But Has Some Glaring Faults

For the first time ever, Volvo has a challenger to the likes of the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. It’s called the XC40, slots under the XC60 and XC90, and was officially unveiled last fall.

The Swedish brand’s baby SUV mimics the design of its larger siblings, albeit with a few changes of its own, which help it bring “style and youthfulness” to the segment, says Consumer Reports in their review.

Besides looking good, the XC40 is also one of the roomiest vehicle in this class. It offers good storage solutions scattered all around the cabin, has a flat floor boot that makes loading voluminous or heavy items fairly easy, and a 60/40 split folding rear seat.

The steering won’t impress anyone, as it is vague and lacking feel, but the handling was found to be “safe and forgiving”, so it passes the test, though if you want a sportier ride you might want to look elsewhere.

One serious downside is that, due to the stiff suspension that’s typical of modern Volvos, road undulations make their presence felt in the cabin. Other annoying features of the XC40 are the overtly complex infotainment system and the totally unintuitive gear selector that requires two, instead of one, nudges to select a gear.

In the U.S., the 2019 XC40 has an MSRP of $33,200, which undercuts the entry-level Mercedes-Benz GLA by $750 and the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 by $700.