Volvo XC40 Mild Hybrid B4 Plus (A) Facelift Review

We have seen many different iterations of the Volvo XC40 since the car first landed onto our hands in 2018. The most recent two of these, which you can read about here and here, have endowed the luxury crossover with electrified drivetrains that put generous amounts of power onto the road.

But this new Volvo XC40 B4 is a little different. Instead of a plug-in hybrid or an all-electric drivetrain, this car instead makes do with a mild hybrid one. And power output here has also dropped to a sensible 197bhp. So, should you get this particular XC40?

Strong

If it is a quiet drive you're after, you won't be missing out much to the XC40's more powerful siblings in this new B4 variant. Step in, press that engine start button, and the first thing that strikes you is how well-insulated the cabin of the XC40 is.

That 2.0-litre unit hums only at a near-perceivable level at idle, and even after you've driven off, still remains remarkably muted, even if its vocals do become coarse at higher rpms. Road and wind noise, meanwhile, are also remarkably well suppressed.

You won't find yourself wishing for more power in this Volvo XC40 B4 either. With a total of 300Nm to deploy, even hurried acceleration feels effortless. Driven eagerly, the engine will even reward with just a discreet amount of turbocharging whistle.

Head for the highway and you'll also find that this mild hybrid powertrain really eager to kill the engine rpms and let the car simply sail along, further adding to the overall sense of quiet and refinement, and contributing to a respectable fuel economy as tested of 10.1km/L.

Comfortable

And this Volvo XC40 B4 has the ride to match its refined drivetrain as well.

Well judged, the suspension here keeps interruptions to the serenity of the cabin at an absolute minimum, while still offering enough damping to arrest unnecessary body movement over repeated undulations.

And that means you can take your attention off constantly trying to avoid all those pesky potholes and manhole covers and instead soak in more of this car's excellent interior.

Which you will want to do, because while those air-conditioning controls are still buried within the 9.0-inch infotainment system - making them a hassle to use - everything else here is excellent.

Well-built

From the way the indicator stalks and window switches are damped, to the weight behind all four doors, all the contact points and switchgear within this XC40 just feel like they have been built to withstand years of hard use.

And when you're not adjusting the air-conditioning settings, the infotainment layout is an intuitive number.

Now equipped with a voice-activated Google Assistant, you simply need to bark out your location in order to get navigation instructions, and can ask it to perform tasks such as converting miles to kilometers. These all come in handy when you've got your eyes and mind on the traffic around you.

There's also enough space for four in here to get comfortable, coupled with a sizeable 452-litre boot. Although I think the driver's footrest should have been just a little wider, but that's really me trying to nitpick a well-rounded car.

Sensible

So, it this the XC40 to get? At $239,000, this XC40 B4 is keenly priced against the sole 138bhp variant of the soon-to-be replaced BMW X1 currently available here in Singapore (yours from $246,999), as well as the Mercedes-Benz GLA200, which offers a total of 161bhp (which is asking for $281,888).

However, if you have easy access to charging, there's also a new variant of the all-electric XC40 Recharge to consider.

Unlike the 402bhp vehicle we tested earlier this year, this XC40 Recharge produces a total of 231bhp, and comes with an asking price of just $246,000 (all prices as of 3 October 2022).

If this all-electric XC40 is as well-built and refined as the mild hybrid car we have tested here, it certainly would be the luxury crossover to go for.

Looking for a luxury crossover? There's also these options to consider:

The Lexus UX is stylish, luxurious and delightfully comfortable

The Audi Q3 is also punchy, and comes with a smile inducing drive

The MINI Cooper S Countryman is charming and future oriented