Subaru Solterra vs Volvo XC40

What's the difference?

The new Subaru Solterra AWD gets a lot right and is a well-rounded effort in showcasing an electric medium SUV that has passenger comfort, sharp external styling and is easy to drive.

Once you start comparing it to some rivals, it doesn’t always come out ahead of the pack but I still like it for what it is. My seven-year old thinks its fun and very comfortable. He enjoys the easy practicality of getting in and out without any assistance, too.

The Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Motor is a cute small electric SUV that offers a decent specs list and a sweet urban driving experience. It’s not the nicest ride on a longer journey but it does have a decent range to be able to tackle one, if needed. I didn’t love the interior design but there’s lots the XC40 gets right.

The Solterra has its own vibe compared to the rest of the Subaru family and that’s most likely due to the Toyota partnering.

The tail-lights are sharply pronounced and the many pleats across the body panelling swing more towards Toyota styling than Subaru but it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

The heavy-use of black plastic mouldings on our test model's 'Smoked Carbon' paintwork looks okay but it wouldn't do any favours on a lighter colour.

The exterior on the whole looks bold and fun, and I like the fact that it's not pillowy in its shape as some of its rivals are. Those hunting for a sporty-looking EV will find something charming here.

The cabin is different from anything I’ve seen from Subaru so far. Some of it's fun, like the squared off steering wheel which looks rally car-ish but some of it’s odd, like the way the 7.0-inch digital instrument panel has been pushed back towards the windscreen in its own little nook.

The steering wheel can get in the way of viewing the graphics of the instrument panel and its placement looks disjointed from the rest of the dashboard elements.

The black and grey knit-looking cloth upholstery is warm and inviting and is found across the dashboard, seats and some door panels but there is enough cheap-looking black cloth throughout to detract from the general aesthetic. Had the Solterra not been pushing $70K, that wouldn't bother me, but it is, and it does.

The interior is pleasant but the exterior is definitely the highlight of the design.

The XC40 Recharge sees some design changes from its fuel-based counterparts and that’s mainly seen in the front because you get a body-coloured panel instead of a standard grille. The 20-inch alloys feature a chunkier-looking design but the front still boasts the cool ‘Hammer of Thor’ headlights (which I'm rather fond of).

The interior is where the electric powertrain loses me because the fuel-based equivalent is so much nicer inside with its leather-accented upholstery and trims.

It's lovely that there has been a conscious effort to use recycled materials and non-leather upholstery throughout but I'm left with the strange-feeling that synthetic seats don’t reflect the grade or price level of this car. 

Other than the cool-looking topography inserts on the dash and front doors and the 9.0-inch vertical multimedia system, it’s pleasant but a little basic in the cabin. Which is shame because the exterior is cute as hell.

The practicality of the cabin is good for the class and the 212mm ground clearance means it's an easy car to get in and out of.

The extra-wide centre console makes the front look cramped but it isn't. And the the backseat is huge on space. Seriously decent headroom and legroom for the class and the flat floor means middle seaters will be comfortable, too.

Both the front and rear seats are well-cushioned and comfortable. You could easily do a long trip.

The driver's is the only powered seat (it also has lumbar support) but it's great that all but the middle seat feature a heat function for added comfort.

My seven-year old finds the back row comfortable because of its directional air vents and tall seating position providing a good view out of the wide window.

Individual storage is a bit low for the class but it does feature a handy shelf underneath the centre console which is large enough for a small handbag or the manual and logbook... because there is no glove box in this model!

To be fair, most are too small to be of real use outside of storing the 'ahem' manual and logbook.

Each door gets storage pockets and a skinny drink bottle holder and both rows get two cupholders. The rear gets map pockets too but that's it.

The boot features a tyre puncture repair kit, level loading space and 410L of boot capacity with all seats in use. The capacity is a bit lower than its rivals but has been adequate for my grocery run and the odd errand. It's great both Solterra models have a powered tailgate as standard.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks good and is pulled directly from Toyota so the graphics and accessibility are on-point for everyday use.

You also get built-in satellite navigation which is always handy to have but you miss out on any over-the-air updates or a dedicated Subaru connected services app. 

The rest of the technology is solid with each row getting two USB-C ports and the front also featuring a USB-A socket and 12-volt outlet.

Front passengers enjoy the most space and I have plenty of head- and legroom up front. It’s a really easy car to get in and out of and the individual storage is very good for the class. 

Front passengers enjoy a glove box, middle console with a removeable bin, two cupholders, utility tray and skinny drink bottle holders in the storage bins in the doors.

In the rear, passengers get map pockets on the backs of the front seats, two cupholders in the fold-down armrest and small storage bins in each door.

The synthetic leather-trimmed seats look neat and tidy but are very hard in the cushion, which makes them a tad uncomfortable on longer trips. The rear seats are much the same.

Charging options throughout the car are good with the front enjoying a 12-volt port, two USB-C sockets and a wireless charging pad to choose from. The rear also gets two USB-C ports and there's another 12-volt outlet in the boot.

The rest of the technology is easy to use once you spend some time with it. The 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system features built-in Google Maps, Assistant and Play Store apps, as well as, YouTube.

The 12.0-inch digital instrument panel isn’t customisable but I like the way it pulls through the satellite navigation screen and directions.  

Because of the dual-motor powertrain, your boot capacity drops to 419L from 452L for the single-motor variant. It is large enough for my grocery shop and random errands and you can fold the floor up to create a deep storage well for additional space. Fold the 60/40 split-folding rear seat and available space expands to 1295 litres.

I don’t like the hardened cargo liner, it feels and looks a little cheap, but I do like the powered tailgate. There’s also handy frunk storage of 31L, which is perfectly sized for any charging cables you will have.

There are two powertrain options in the XC40 family, a mild-hybrid or pure electric. The latter gets two variants and we’re in the top-spec Recharge Twin Motor, which is priced from $85,990, before on-road costs. This positions it in the middle of its nearest rivals but in its family line-up it’s a big $23K jump from its Ultimate B4 AWD combustion equivalent.

The standard features list for the XC40 is robust and there are some great premium features, like the electrically-adjustable and heated front seats with extendable under-thigh support and electric lumbar control.

A panoramic sunroof makes the cabin feel light and airy, the rear outboard seats have heat functions and the driver enjoys a heated steering wheel. You also get a premium 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system in the Twin Motor.

Other premium features include pre-entry and after-park climate control (perfect for those super-hot days) and a hands-free powered tailgate.

Technology highlights include a complimentary four-year subscription for the built-in Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play Store which are accessed via the portrait-style 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen.

There's also access to apps like YouTube, which delighted my seven-year old and would be handy on any charging stints for some diversion. It's surprising there isn't wireless functionality for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto but they can be hooked up via cable.

The Solterra AWD has dual electric motors producing a combined 160kW for power and 337Nm of torque. It’s got enough grunt to be fun and zippy, even on the open road, but isn’t as powerful as some of its dual-motored rivals. 

For example, the Kia EV6 GT-Line produces 239kW/605Nm, which looks almost indecent compared to the Solterra's specs.

The XC40 Recharge Twin Motor features two electric motors which are powered by a large 82kWh lithium-ion battery and produce a combined power output of 300kW and 670Nm of torque.

Which is downright fun because it can do a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8-seconds!

The benefit of motors which aren't 'performance' grade means you win out eventually with energy consumption and its here the Solterra AWD shines.

The official combined cycle energy consumption figure is a low 14.1kWh/100km and I averaged 15.2kWh after a week of mostly urban driving.

The consumption is fantastic but the official driving range from the large 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery is only up to 414km (WLTP), which, again, is lower than most of its rivals by a good portion. I would have range anxiety on a longer journey.

The Solterra has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster DC charging speeds (up to 150kW on DC power).

On a 150kW DC system you can go from 0-80 per cent in just 30 minutes. 

On a 7.0kW AC power charger, you can go from 0-100 per cent in 9.5-hours and that drops to 6.5 hours on an 11kW system. Which isn’t as fast as it you might like but still makes it worthwhile plugging in while you're frequently the local shops.

The official energy consumption figure is 19kWh/100km and I averaged 19.2kWh over a fair mix of urban and open-road driving. The energy consumption isn't bad but some rivals do sit closer to that 16.5kWh mark.

The official driving range is up to 485km for this model but I only ever saw a top range of 410km. That's not terribly surprising given I wasn't shy with the power use but there was a little bit of range anxiety on longer trips.

The XC40 Recharge Twin Motor has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster charging speeds. On an 11kW AC charger you can go from 0-100 per cent in eight hours but on a standard three-pin house plug socket expect that wait time to go up significantly.

On a DC fast charger expect to go from 10-80 per cent in as little as 33-minutes.

The Solterra underlines in bold everything you would expect from a Subaru. The power delivery is well balanced, it grips the road and the handling is comfortable.

Even when cornering there’s not a lot of passenger movement and the steering is on the right side of firm. Manoeuvring is nimble and fun thanks to an the 11.2-metre turning circle that also makes it easy to park.

The 360-degree camera system is top notch and you get great visibility out of the windows. Being only 4690mm in length and 1650mm tall even the smallest city carparks shouldn't daunt you.

The ride comfort is very good with suspension that absorbs the bumps well enough that they don’t bother you. There is a little road noise but not enough to annoy and overall the ride is refined.

Like the Polestar 2 there’s no ignition button on the XC40. You shift into drive to ‘turn on’ and after you park, you simply get out to turn it off. It takes a little while to get used to but it’s a cool feature. 

The twin motors deliver a hefty kick and you never worry about not having ‘enough power’. In the city it’s zippy but on the open-road you also feel comfortable getting up to speed or overtaking because the power distribution is so well-balanced because it’s an AWD.

I customised my steering wheel ‘feel’ to firm and it makes the handling crisp and direct. You feel like you’re in total control whenever you have to tackle be it tight streets or small car parks.

The blind-spot visibility is compromised by how wide the B and C-pillars are and I find that I'm relying a lot more on the blind-spot monitoring system to compensate.

The XC40 loses a few points for me in terms of ride comfort. As mentioned, the seats aren't terribly comfortable but the suspension is hard enough that you notice every bump, as well.

Road noise is also quite pronounced and it doesn’t sound refined when you drive at higher speeds, which is a shame. The flip-side, though, is that you don’t notice those things as much on short, urban trips.

The standard regen braking isn’t customisable and you don’t notice it until you switch over to a 'one-pedal' function. I found this function uncomfortable to use as it’s very aggressive and creates a jerky driving experience. 

Because of its 4440mm length and tiny 11m turning circle, you won’t struggle in a car park! The 360-degree view camera system and front and rear parking sensors make it easy to navigate a tight spot.

This is a joy to park. It’s so easy.

The XC40 has a long safety features list but a standout is the Volvo designed 'Side Impact Protection System' (SIPS) that reinforces the car's steel framework at the sides and disperses energy in a side collision.

Other standard features include full LED external lights, daytime running lights, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, forward collision warning, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, intelligent seatbelt reminders, traffic sign recognition, 360-degree camera system, front and rear parking sensors.

The XC40 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2018. It has seven airbags, including a driver's knee bag and features high individual scoring for adult and child occupant protection at 97 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively. 

The XC40 has AEB with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection and is operational from 4.0-210km/h. It's usual to see that top speed sit closer to 180km/h, so that's very good.

A cool feature for any parents out there is the second key which you can program to limit stereo volume levels and set a maximum speed allowance. It's even coloured bright orange so there are no chances of a sneaky switcheroo!

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points for any families out there but two seats will fit best.

The Solterra comes with a usual warranty term of five-years/unlimited km and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty term.

However, one of the best things about the Solterra has to be the free servicing (yes, you read that right) for five years or up to 75,000km.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12 months or 15,000km. But, hey, free is free!

The ongoing costs are pretty solid with the XC40 coming with a usual five-year/ unlimited warranty term but the drive battery is covered for eight years/160,000km.

You can pre-purchase a five-year/150,000km servicing program for a flat $3000 or an average of $600 per service, which is a bit expensive for the class. Servicing intervals are great at every two-years or 30,000km, whichever occurs first.

You get complimentary roadside assistance for five-years through Assist Australia and if you meet certain criteria, you can extend that by a further three years, which is handy.