Volvo V40 vs Tesla Model S

What's the difference?

VS
Volvo V40
Volvo V40

—

2018 price

Tesla Model S
Tesla Model S

—

2017 price

Summary

2018 Volvo V40
2017 Tesla Model S
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L
Electric motor type
Multi-Motor – Mixed Types
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol
Vehicle type
Battery Electric
Fuel Efficiency
5.6L/100km (combined)
Electric range
613 km
Energy consumption

20.0 kWh/100km
Battery capacity

100.00 kWh
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Small boot
  • Limited rear legroom
  • No Apple CarPlay

  • Sadly, it's not a sports car
  • It's a lot of money
  • Lack of convenient charging
2018 Volvo V40 Summary

I miss my old phone. Sure, my new phone has a bigger screen and it’s smarter and faster, but my previous phone was smaller and easier to use, and now when I go to do a screen shot I accidentally hit the volume button every time. 

What I really want in a phone is a new version of the old one – and I have a feeling people may feel the same way about the 2018 Volvo V40. 

Some time next year the completely new generation V40 is expected to arrive and there will be some things I’ll miss about the old one. So, this really is your last chance to buy a new ‘old’ Volvo V40.

In a last-hurrah review, I road tested the V40 in the Inscription grade with the T4 petrol engine. What’s so 'missable' about it? Read on to find out.

View full pricing & specs
2017 Tesla Model S Summary

If you have even a passing interest in the Tesla Model S, you'll have seen the endless internet videos where someone has lined up a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or another fast exotic car you could name, to race against it.

There's a long build-up, usually involving men who can't operate a baseball cap, a drag strip and idiotic words in the headline like "destroys" or "rips", or whatever. There's usually a bunch of honking bros with bad haircuts watching on, already planning their next viral video where they set a perfectly good mobile phone on fire.

It's facile and idiotic and doesn't give you any real clue as to the depth of whatever supercar it has "humiliated" or, just as importantly, the depth of the Model S and its spectacular engineering.

So, I won't be spending the next thousand words building up to the conclusion that the Model S P100D with Ludicrous Mode is up there with the world's fastest production cars from 0-100km/h, because I'll tell you now that it is, and it does it in a claimed 2.7 seconds.

Now that's out of the way, there's quite a bit more to the Model S than a "broken" Nissan GT-R owner weeping into their bento box.

View full pricing & specs

Deep dive comparison

2018 Volvo V40 2017 Tesla Model S

Change vehicle