Compare the2023 Volvo XC40 RechargeVS 2023 Kia EV6

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC40 Recharge have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia EV6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The XC40 Recharge’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The EV6 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The XC40 Recharge has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The EV6 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC40 Recharge has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The EV6 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the XC40 Recharge. But it costs extra on the EV6.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the XC40 Recharge’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The EV6 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the XC40 Recharge and the EV6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC40 Recharge its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 95 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The EV6 has not been tested, yet.

The XC40 Recharge’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the EV6’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 Recharge for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EV6.

The XC40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 235 more horsepower (402 vs. 167) and 228 lbs.-ft. more torque (486 vs. 258) than the EV6 Light’s standard electric motor. The XC40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 177 more horsepower (402 vs. 225) and 228 lbs.-ft. more torque (486 vs. 258) than the EV6 Wind/GT-Line’s standard electric motor. The XC40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 82 more horsepower (402 vs. 320) and 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (486 vs. 446) than the EV6’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo XC40 Recharge is faster than the Kia EV6 electric motors:

The XC40 Recharge can travel longer on a full charge than the EV6 GT (223 miles vs. 206 miles).

For better stopping power the XC40 Recharge’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the EV6:

The XC40 Recharge stops much shorter than the EV6:

For better traction and acceleration, the XC40 Recharge has larger rear tires than the EV6 (255/45R19 vs. 235/45R20).

The XC40 Recharge’s standard 235/50R19 front and 255/45R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the EV6’s standard 55 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the XC40 Recharge’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the EV6’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The XC40 Recharge’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the EV6 GT’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC40 Recharge has a greater minimum ground clearance than the EV6 (6.9 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the XC40 Recharge to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The XC40 Recharge is 9.5 inches shorter than the EV6 Light/Wind, making the XC40 Recharge easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XC40 Recharge has .3 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the EV6.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XC40 Recharge. The EV6 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The XC40 Recharge’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the EV6’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

Optional Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the XC40 Recharge uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The EV6 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The XC40 Recharge’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The EV6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the XC40 Recharge the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the EV6 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC40 Recharge to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The EV6 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC40 Recharge has a standard rear wiper. The EV6 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The XC40 Recharge offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The EV6 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XC40 Recharge Ultimate has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The EV6 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The XC40 Recharge Ultimate also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The XC40 Recharge’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The EV6 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.