Volvo XC40 Recharge - Twin AWD Ultimate

The XC40 is one of the best family SUVs, but is the electric version as good to live with? Let’s find out

- Claire Evans

WHEN YOU SOMETIMES watch cars being crashed into each other as part of your day job, and you spend a large chunk of your time writing about models that have suffered a litany of costly faults, the importance of safety and reliability are really brought to the fore.

So, while I love a car that'll pirouette around roundabouts and raise a smile on a winding country lane, I think it's more important to go for something that actively minimises my risk of being involved in an accident, and which isn't likely to leave me stranded at the roadside.

A Volvo XC40 should be a great choice on both of those counts, because it comes with a suite of sophisticated active safety systems and has a solid reputation for dependability. But there are plethora of other things to like, too. Indeed, the XC40 is such a good all-rounder that we named the D4 diesel variant our overall Car of the Year back in 2018.