Volvo EX40 Reviews

Volvo’s incoming electric car, the new sibling to its popular XC60 mid-size SUV, comes with the cold claim of ‘ending range anxiety’.The 2026 Volvo EX60 is set to be revealed later this month, but the Swedish brand has already confirmed a few of its details, including its claimed 810km electric driving range.Volvo points out that means the mid-size electric SUV could travel from Stockholm to Oslo in its home region, but for us here in Australia a more relatable distance is Melbourne to Adelaide - that’s about 750km.Given EVs aren’t at their most efficient on highways, you’d probably still want a quick top-up of the likely rather large battery. Fear not, Volvo says a 400kW fast-charger can add up to 340km of range in just 10 minutes.Volvo says this means the EX60 will have not only “the longest range of any fully electric Volvo”, but it also charges faster than any previous electric Volvo.“The EX60 is designed to be a gamechanger,” says Anders Bell, Volvo’s Chief Technology Officer. “With our new electric vehicle architecture, we directly address the main worries that customers have when considering a switch to a fully electric car. The result is class-leading range and fast charging speeds, marking the end of range anxiety.”Volvo, under its China-based parent company, will use ‘mega casting’ in the building process of the EX60, a first for a Volvo. The process means large sections of the car are constructed at once rather than in small body panels or parts of the frame.Built on the brand’s “most advanced” EV architecture so far, dubbed SPA3, the EX60 will make the most of its 800-volt electrical system to run the in-house software developed by Volvo for its cars.The full reveal of the EX60, which has until now only been teased in images, will be on January 21, less than three weeks from this story’s publication.

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Speaking at Volvo Cars’ most recent investor briefing in Stockholm, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Erik Severinson confirmed the upcoming EX60 mid-size EV SUV (scheduled for global launch on January 21, 2026) will be priced at the same level as an equivalent plug-in hybrid (PHEV).Severinson identified charging time and a purchase price premium as two of the strongest impediments to large scale EV adoption and claimed the all-new EX60 addresses both issues comprehensively.“With the EX60 (on a road trip) you will have a car where you will need to go to the toilet long before the battery runs out," he said.“And when you’re back from the toilet, the car is charged. “There will be no penalty for that one per cent journey you take two times a year to the Mountains. It will be as convenient as driving a combustion engine vehicle or a plug-in hybrid,” Severinson said. And in terms of pricing, Severinson added: “People will not get more money to buy cars just because we want to sell them electric cars. “The most sold variant for Volvo Cars in Europe right now is a XC60 T6 PHEV. We know there is a customer demand at those price points. So we will price this vehicle at parity where we are pricing our current best sold cars.“We need to find price points that are equivalent to where we are buying cars today and this car will be priced as a PHEV,” he said. For reference, in Australia the Volvo XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid starts at $92,900, before on-road costs for the Plus grade, rising to $101,990 BOC for the top-spec Ultra model.At the same time Volvo Chief Engineering & Technology Officer Anders Bell referenced some of the tech advancements he said will help facilitate the EX60’s aggressive price position.“My job is to lead Volvo Cars Engineering through the most profound technology shift in the history of automotive.  “On January 21 Volvo will launch the best electric vehicle in the world. An historic moment for us. Arguably the most important launch in the history of the company.“We believe SPA3 (underpinning the EX60) is the best electric vehicle platform in the world,” he said.Bell confirmed the EX60 project is “on time, on cost and on quality” allowing the brand to “scale all the company’s business needs in a completely new way from the smallest electric vehicle to the biggest electric vehicle”.“Whatever needs the (Volvo) team here will have in terms of size, price position (and) markets in the electric vehicle world, we have made a platform that we can deploy to meet those needs in a very clever way” Bell added the EX60’s ‘mega cast’ SPA3 platform replaced 100 welded parts and can be upgraded continuously over time.He said the integrated battery pack reduced cost by 25 per cent, it’s 20 per cent more energy dense and has a 15 per cent shorter charge time.The drive unit is claimed to be 18 per cent cheaper to produce while generating 35 per cent more power and being 11 per cent lighter than Volvo’s previous generation motor.And the software ‘track’ is now uniform across EX90, ES90 and the upcoming EX60 with all new Volvo models, including Gen 2 plug-in hybrids, run from the same ‘software master’.

Volvo's backflip on its plan to only sell electric cars in Australia by 2026 won’t be accompanied by a new target date.Despite the carmaker believing it’s the right thing to do, it says Aussie buyers aren’t ready to go EV only.Speaking to CarsGuide at a brand event, Volvo Australia Managing Director Stephen Connor explained the brand’s decision to step back from its 2026 commitment.“We’re still committed to a fully electric strategy,” he said. “What we identified in this journey is that it can’t be a switch on and switch off kind of view.“Why? Because infrastructure isn’t ready for it, consumers are also not ready for it.“What does the consumer want as opposed to what we want? We’re still committed to being climate neutral by 2040, so those milestones are still there but it may take us a little longer to be fully electrified."Connor detailed how Volvo will eventually reach its goal in Australia.“Every new model that we bring out is fully electric from now onwards. But that doesn’t stop us from refreshing our current line-up, because that’s what the consumer is telling us they really need.“I’d love to tell you today we’ll be there by 2027 or 2028, but it’s not a race, and we can get there gradually and when it suits consumers.“We could have forced it through, no doubt. We’ve got the product to do it, but is it necessarily the right thing for the brand today? Probably not.“It’s the right thing to do, but the world, I think, has shifted so much in the last three-to-four years.”Volvo wants to continue to record solid sales numbers of its popular combustion cars, which it now intends to keep updating. According to Connor, the XC40, XC60, and XC90 SUVs are “big volume cars” that are “selling really well in the marketplace".He confirmed the mid-size EX60, arriving in 2026, will mark Volvo's next step on its electrification journey, adding that the brand may re-assess its progress on electrification at that point as its range of core vehicles will have electric versions.“As soon as that arrives we can sit back and go ‘Okay, what’s the product cycle?’ Then we can redefine whether it’s 2028, 2029, or 2030,” he explained.How does Volvo know its consumers aren’t ready? Connor highlighted the growth in plug-in hybrid sales, as well as feedback at a corporate and dealer level that “not everyone wants to go straight from a petrol or mild hybrid to a fully electric car".“Who would have thought we’d be here talking about plug-in hybrids as the next big thing?“We could have been egotistical and pushed it through, but that’s not Volvo and it’s not who we are.”He said the growth of PHEVs in particular came as a bit of a surprise, given the brand has offered them for some time. However, it seems the shift to longer electric driving range has been a turning point for buyers.“What’s actually changed as part of that surprise is that when we first launched PHEVs the range was probably like 35 to 40km in the real world, now the average range of most PHEVs is more like 70 and then the next generation coming through would be up to 100 to 150km."So what’s really changed is the technology evolving so quickly. All of a sudden, it really makes sense.”There is also an element of what Volvo’s Gothenburg, Sweden head office makes available to the Australian division, which weighs into the equation.“When we made that original announcement, the weren’t going to be made available.” he said.“But because we’re nimble and agile, head office decided to re-invest back into the two staple cars that we’d loved and known, so that also gave us the ability to redefine what we want to do. “That decision though is made at a local level. If we don’t want XC90, we don’t have to take it, but because they refreshed it, we went ‘Yeah, it’s a great car, why wouldn’t we take it.’”In addition, he added HQ offering updated versions of the brand’s core combustion range came at the perfect time, as the scale-up of the EX90 - which the brand had hoped would be a volume seller immediately - was impacted globally by software-related delays and the announcement of an upgraded 800-volt version which will allow faster charging than the current 400-volt version.Volvo sales are down 21 per cent year-on-year in Australia to the end of September, although the company has managed a significant percentage of its yearly volume in just the last month as deliveries start of updated and new models.Next for the brand will be the arrival of the ES90 electric sedan, with the EX60 mid-sizer arriving in 2026.

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This could be the future of car multimedia.Officially launched in May this year, Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of Apple CarPlay, a smartphone mirroring platform that’s enjoyed by millions of iPhone users every day.Yep, Android owners, this review isn’t for you – unless you’re considering making the switch to Apple’s iOS mobile software.It’s the Apple CarPlay many have come to know and love, but it takes control of all of your vehicle’s screens, as opposed to just its central display.It also assumes control of (nearly) all of your vehicle’s functions, including its climate, camera and radio controls, plus all other general settings.Point being, it’s a complete Apple takeover, which is good news if you’re a fan of its ecosystem.And let’s face it, many car brands’ default multimedia systems are underwhelming for a multitude of reasons, including bad user interfaces and limited functionality.Apple CarPlay and even its Android Auto competitor don’t suffer from those issues as they are literal mirrors of the user-friendly and highly capable smartphones that we love to use every day.Most users will say their primary reason for preferencing Apple CarPlay or Android Auto over their vehicle’s default multimedia system is access to their favourite satellite navigation platform, be it Apple Maps, Google Maps or a third party.Several car brands have either launched or are in the process of rolling out new default multimedia systems based on Android Automotive, which is a car-specific derivative of Android Auto with Google Maps and Google Play built in.Much like Apple CarPlay Ultra, Android Automotive takes over all of a vehicle’s screens and functions – and sometimes even still offers Apple CarPlay support – but it differs by being the default multimedia system.Apple CarPlay Ultra sets itself apart as it can be wirelessly streamed on demand to any vehicle that supports it.Apple CarPlay Ultra’s first problem is availability. The first model to support it was the highly attainable Aston Martin DBX707 large SUV. It’s priced from a lazy $462,500, plus on-road costs, for reference. And yes, I am being sarcastic.You would’ve thought that car brands beyond Aston Martin would’ve jumped at the opportunity to offer the latest smartphone mirroring platform, but they haven’t for several reasons.Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, Renault, Rivian and Lincoln have either cancelled or said they have no plans to support Apple CarPlay Ultra, with some saying they are not impressed with its first version due to the level of control it gives to Apple.General Motors’ Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC brands are also unlikely to support Apple CarPlay Ultra in its new electric vehicles due to its controversial decision to not even support regular Apple CarPlay.That said, Hyundai, Kia, Porsche and Genesis, as well as Aston Martin, remain committed to adding support for Apple CarPlay Ultra in the 12 months from its launch, meaning they should start to release their versions by May 2026.Nissan, Honda, Land Rover, Jaguar, Infiniti and Acura also announced plans for Apple CarPlay Ultra support when it was previewed at Apple’s WWDC 2022 event, but it remains to be seen if they’ve changed like so many others have.Another sticking point for car brands is the implementation of Apple’s user interface and experience, which differs greatly from their own.However, Apple is open to working with car brands to put their own design spin on their version of Apple CarPlay Ultra, with Aston Martin being the first example.To work out what this actually means, I got the keys to a MY25 Aston Martin DBX707 to give it a red-hot go.First thing’s first, getting Apple CarPlay Ultra set up is a very similar process to that of regular Apple CarPlay, but you have to wait a little bit longer.Once you’re in, the central display has a very familiar look to it, but the home screen features three new apps: Climate, Radio and Vehicle.As mentioned, the Climate and Radio apps do exactly what you think they will and well.But it’s the Vehicle app that is the most interesting, as in the case of the DBX707, it features everything from Individual drive mode customisation to clock settings.That said, while the DBX707’s delightful Bowers & Wilkins sound system has its own setting menu, if you click on it, it will ironically boot you out to an inset version of the default multimedia system to make your adjustments. The same goes for its ambient lighting.Presumably this happens because Apple and the car brand (Aston Martin in this instance) haven’t configured some of these more bespoke settings.And for that reason Apple CarPlay Ultra doesn’t quite live up to the hype for me. Don’t get me wrong, it is very, very exciting for a tech nerd like myself, but it’s also very clearly a first version.When it inevitably becomes all encompassing with a future iOS update, it will be a true game changer due to its ease of use, particularly as drivers move from one car to another.But wait, there’s more! Apple CarPlay Ultra also takes control of the DBX707’s digital instrument cluster and it’s really where Aston Martin gets to flex its design muscle in conjunction with Apple.Different themes for the driver display are available, with the ‘traditional’ one featuring a speedometer and tachometer, which are split by an even more customisable section. It features either maps, current media, adaptive cruise control, the trip computer, tyre pressures or more.The colours and layouts are at the discretion of the car brand, with Aston Martin using its signature hues (think green) in the DBX707.The British marque also goes a step further with the aforementioned tachometer, which features very subtle ‘Handbuilt in Great Britain’ lettering in the top right corner.Another interesting thing about the Apple CarPlay Ultra experience is that every time you turn your vehicle’s ignition on, it automatically activates – but it takes a decent amount of time to do so, during which you get to experience the default multimedia system.It’s still very early days for Apple CarPlay Ultra, but the early signs are very promising. It offers iPhone users an interface that they’re familiar with and an experience that they’ll likely love.But Apple CarPlay Ultra’s success will mainly be dictated by the support of car brands, which need to play ball to roll it out. Also, it’s got a few more vehicle settings that it needs to fully integrate.But there’s no doubt that Apple CarPlay Ultra’s potential is very high.