You’re coming around to the whole EV thing. You’re still a tad nervous about range, but you know logically that you (statistically) only travel about 400 kilometres in a week, basically never need to do it in one shot, and never having to go to a gas station again vastly outweighs that, anyway. You’re ready to get on board, except… all of these electric vehicles seem really EV-y. They’re all nerdy and weird, trying too hard to be futuristic; why can’t they just be like normal cars? The 2026 Volvo EX40 may be the solution for you.
Style
With the exception of a blocked off grille panel (...which I forgot about, honestly) and a tiny Twin Motor badge on the back, the Volvo EX40 is exactly identical to its normal, gas-powered sibling, the Volvo XC40. There’s no blue trim, no blob styling, it’s not completely covered in LED lights, it’s the same clean, handsome, well-proportioned little Volvo that we all know and love. This EX40 Ultra’s machined-face 20-inch wheels, two-tone roof, and ever-so-slightly purple-hued Aurora Silver paint give it an extra little premium pop.
Cabin & Tech
All Volvos have gorgeous interiors, full-stop. They’re a masterclass of minimalist design, brought to life with quality materials and thoughtful ergonomics. Even this compact EX40 has lots of storage, a generous back seat (I can comfortably sit behind my six-foot self), and lots of cargo space. The seats are excellent, visibility is good, the driving position is very comfortable, and this tester’s Harmon Kardon sound system is surprisingly punchy thanks its dedicated subwoofer and 600 watts of power.
For 2026, the EX40 receives a significant update to its user interface, now running on an updated version of Android Automotive that we’ve seen on other Volvos. It’s a huge step forward over the old system, with a smart, configurable homescreen, much more cohesive appearance, and snappier performance. It’s housed on the same nicely integrated 9-inch portrait display as before, with crisp resolution and good contrast, and it’s one of the few vehicles on the market that doesn’t feel like a screen overload.
Motors and battery
All EX40s (in Canada) are all-wheel-drive dual motor models, producing 402 horsepower and 494 foot-pounds of torque - which translates to the EX40 being quick. It’s able to scoot to 100km/h in just over four seconds, a number that would embarrass a lot of sports cars, let alone comfy commuters, gas or electric.
A 79 kWh lithium ion battery pack provides the power, and is rated for 418 kilometers of range. Our fair-weather energy use came in at 18.8kWh/100km, which is pretty decent, and almost exactly lines up with Volvo’s range estimate. The EX40 has a CCS charge port that’s friendly with most at-home/Level 2 chargers, but now comes standard with a NACS adapter, enabling use of Tesla’s Supercharger network, so you’ve got lots of options to juice up quickly. On a Level 2 charger, it can charge at a rate of approximately 56 kms per hour; 8 hours from 0 to 100%.
Driving impressions
It feels very normal, and it drives very much like a normal, nice car, that coincidentally happens to be silent, impeccably smooth, and has loads of completely effortless power if you lean on the skinny pedal. In typical Volvo fashion, the ride is comfortable and compliant (if just a hair on the firm side with the battery’s added mass), with good body control and confidence inspiring handling and responses to your inputs.
If you want to try something a little different that’s unique to EVs, you can disable the simulated “creep” of normal gas cars, turn up the regenerative braking, and use one-pedal-driving. It sounds strange at first, but it feels like the most natural thing in the world in short order, and makes urban driving a breeze. Volvo’s Pilot Assist full-speed adaptive cruise control and lane tracing can handle that for you quite effectively as well, and takes a lot of the tedium out of traffic.
Money
The 2026 Volvo EX40 starts at $63,600, and our loaded Ultra tester with its panoramic roof, fancy wheels, heated rear seats, banging sound system, Pilot assist, ambient lighting, surround view cameras, jumps up to $75,850. Personally, I’d think the mid-level Plus model is probably the sweet spot of the lineup, offering most of those niceties for about ten grand less.
Competition from within & conclusion
For the time being, the EX40 is bracketed by the smaller and much more affordable EX30, and the upcoming larger EX60 picks up where this leaves off, starting in the mid-seventies. The EX40 is an older platform and nearing the end of its life, but I wouldn’t say it’s done and dusted yet.
Compared the EX30, the EX40 is much more spacious in a marginally larger footprint, I can’t sit behind myself in an EX30, it’s real snug. And, while the cabin is nice in a way that only Volvo can do, there are some cost-cutting measures that the EX40 doesn’t have - it feels a little nicer.
I can’t speak much to the EX60 as we’ve not driven one yet, but it is more money - potentially quite a bit more. Perhaps more importantly, both the EX30 and EX60 look and feel very tech-centric and EV-futuristic, which may not be for everyone. The 2026 Volvo EX40’s appeal is that it has the same serene style and practical packaging that Volvo has had for years, and doesn’t feel like a departure from what you may already love about them - it just happens to be electric.