2021 Volvo XC40 vs 2022 Ford Explorer

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a traditional SUV styling with a tall, flat roof and an upright rear hatch, fitting well within the Volvo family thanks to its “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and simple oval grille. Gasoline models offered a white contrasting roof for a retro look. The electric XC40 Recharge was distinguished by a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. It also featured a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a slightly different rear bumper, and a model-exclusive color—Sage Green Metallic. The interior was minimalist yet premium, with real metal trim and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery, creating a coherent and high-quality design.

The 2022 Ford Explorer offered a variety of models, including the rugged Timberline and luxurious King Ranch trims. Our test vehicle, the King Ranch, featured 4WD, Rapid Red paint, a Premium Technology package, and a twin-panel sunroof, bringing the MSRP to $59,880. Visually, the King Ranch was similar to other Explorer models, with King Ranch emblems, shiny 20-inch wheels, and quad exhaust outlets. The Explorer’s rear-drive platform allowed for a long and tall hood, short front overhang, and a rakish roofline, giving it an athletic appearance. Inside, the King Ranch featured exclusive Del Rio leather seating, King Ranch branding, and a mix of quality and questionable materials, mostly justifying its near $60,000 price tag.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge at the top. The gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 produced 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge shared its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featuring one electric motor per axle for AWD, delivering a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft. The 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack provided electricity, with 75 kWh of usable capacity. The Recharge accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, the T5 in 6.1 seconds, and the T4 in 8.1 seconds, with all versions electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort, with excellent ride quality even on rough roads, and was capable of one-pedal driving. It also had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2022 Ford Explorer offered three powertrains. The base, XLT, ST-Line, Limited, and Timberline trims came with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine producing 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic and RWD, with 4WD available. This engine had a maximum towing capacity of 5,300 pounds and provided up to 24 mpg in combined driving. The hybrid drivetrain, available for the Limited and Platinum trims, combined a 3.3-liter V6 engine for a total of 318 hp and 322 lb-ft, towing up to 5,000 lbs and achieving up to 27 mpg. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, standard on the ST, Platinum, and King Ranch trims, produced 400 hp and 415 lb-ft, with a towing capacity of 5,600 lbs and a maximum gas mileage of 21 mpg. Our King Ranch 4WD test vehicle averaged 20.6 mpg. The Explorer offered a robust ride, capable off-road performance, and athletic handling, especially in the sport-tuned ST trim.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had no difference in passenger or cargo space compared to gasoline models, but it was less spacious than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. It had less legroom and headroom and a smaller cargo area. The frunk was also small due to powertrain hardware. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive in interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Volvo compensated for the lack of space with clever storage solutions, including a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was well-shaped for a phone, with an optional wireless charging pad and a single USB-C port, though second-row occupants lacked phone-charging options.

The 2022 Ford Explorer offered plenty of comfort for families of four, with the option to carry five people with a second-row bench seat. However, the third-row seat was only suitable for children due to the rear-drive platform, low rear roofline, and tapered tail. The King Ranch trim featured triple-zone automatic climate control, a power-adjustable heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row captain’s chairs, and massaging front seats. The front seats were exceptionally comfortable, suitable for long-distance driving, while the second-row seats were nearly as accommodating. The third-row seat was difficult for adults to access and uncomfortable for long periods. Practical storage space within the cabin was limited, with missed opportunities for additional storage. The King Ranch had a hands-free power liftgate, revealing 18.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat, 47.9 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum of 87.8 cubic feet with both rear rows folded.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, with Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps. It also included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. The standard hardware setup included a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge was the first XC40 variant to get OTA update capability, covering any vehicle function controlled by software. Recharge models lacked a start button, instead allowing the driver to simply get in and shift out of park. The Polestar 2’s Digital Key feature was expected to be available for the XC40 in a future OTA update.

The 2022 Ford Explorer offered two versions of the Sync 3 infotainment system, with either an 8-inch or a 10.1-inch touchscreen. The smaller screen was well integrated, while the larger screen looked like an afterthought. Our test vehicle had the full menu of Sync 3 technology, including FordPass Connect services, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, Ford+Alexa functionality, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, and a navigation system. The King Ranch trim included wireless smartphone charging, a surround-view camera system, and a 14-speaker Bang and Olufsen premium sound system. The Sync 3 system had limitations, particularly with voice recognition and operating features using spoken commands. The King Ranch also featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and Active Park Assist 2.0, with an available rear-seat entertainment system.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA. These ratings did not apply to the electric XC40 Recharge, but Volvo expected it to perform well in crash tests due to a safety cage around the battery and a redesigned front crash structure. The XC40 came with a long list of standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and hill-descent control. Optional features included traffic-sign recognition, reverse automatic emergency braking, a driver-alertness monitor, run-off road mitigation, oncoming lane mitigation, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver-assistance system. The Recharge model also had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2022 Ford Explorer earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS for all versions. The NHTSA had not published complete crash-test ratings for the 2022 Explorer, but the 2021 model earned five-star ratings except for rollover resistance, which received four stars. Every 2022 Explorer came with Ford Co-Pilot360, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Co-Pilot360 Assist+ added adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, and evasive steering assist. The Explorer also had a standard post-collision braking system and MyKey programmable vehicle functions. Co-Pilot360 and Co-Pilot360 Assist+ operated smoothly and accurately, though the steering wheel sensitivity to the driver’s hands was sometimes lacking.