Should you buy one?

In isolation, the Volvo EC40 is an attractive and recommendable electric SUV. Performance and battery range are impressive and the interior – while starting to show its age – is still a relaxing and sound place to be. It’s teeming with quality touches and feels indestructible as all good Volvos should.

The only major quibbles are body roll, poor rear headspace and a crashy ride at low speeds. Sounds like a great package right? The problem is there are lots of electric SUV coupes, and they do better overall job. The Tesla Model Y is faster and has a better range, and the Kia EV6 is nicer to drive.

Then there’s the swathe of blue-collar marques offering trendy EV coupes. The Skoda Enyaq Coupe and the Ford Capri are comparable to the EC40, but a fair bit cheaper if you don’t care for badge snobbery. The EC40 does at least outclass the Polestar 2 on account of it’s superior ride quality.

The final point worth raising is the Volvo EX30. Yes, it’s smaller and yes, it’s not a swanky coupe SUV. But it does feel and look a lot fresher than the EC40. With a few more tweaks to keep things fresh, the EC40 would be a lot more recommendable.

What we like

It is a beauty both inside and out even if the foundations are getting on a bit. Battery range and performance are respectable, even in the cheapest configuration. And if you’re after hilarious acceleration, the Twin Motor example delivers in spades.

What we don’t like

The ride is poor at low speeds, especially on larger 20-inch alloys. It isn’t the most agile of SUVs in the corners either. Rear visibility is also woeful.