Compare the2023 Volvo XC40 RechargeVS 2023 Toyota bZ4X

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 bZ4X doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 Recharge and bZ4X have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 Recharge has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The bZ4X’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

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 bZ4X doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the XC40 Recharge. But it costs extra on the bZ4X.

Both the XC40 Recharge and the bZ4X have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 bZ4X has not been tested, yet.

The XC40 Recharge comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The bZ4X’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The XC40 Recharge’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the bZ4X’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 Recharge for 1 year and 11000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the bZ4X (3/36,000 vs. 2/25000).

The XC40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 201 more horsepower (402 vs. 201) and 290 lbs.-ft. more torque (486 vs. 196) than the bZ4X’s standard electric motor. The XC40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 188 more horsepower (402 vs. 214) and 238 lbs.-ft. more torque (486 vs. 248) than the bZ4X’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo XC40 Recharge is faster than the Toyota bZ4X electric motors:

The XC40 Recharge can travel longer on a full charge than the bZ4X Limited AWD (223 miles vs. 222 miles).

For better stopping power the XC40 Recharge’s brake rotors are larger than those on the bZ4X:

The XC40 Recharge stops shorter than the bZ4X:

For better traction and acceleration, the XC40 Recharge has larger rear tires than the bZ4X (255/45R19 vs. 235/60R18).

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 bZ4X XLE’s standard 60 series tires. The XC40 Recharge’s optional 235/45R20 front and 255/40R20 rear tires have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile than the bZ4X Limited’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC40 Recharge has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the bZ4X XLE.

The XC40 Recharge handles at .84 G’s, while the bZ4X Limited AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the XC40 Recharge’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the bZ4X’s (37.4 feet vs. 40 feet).

The XC40 Recharge is 9.8 inches shorter than the bZ4X, making the XC40 Recharge easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XC40 Recharge has 3.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the bZ4X (98 vs. 94.4).

The XC40 Recharge has .3 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 9.8 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the bZ4X.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the XC40 Recharge’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The bZ4X doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XC40 Recharge. The bZ4X doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The XC40 Recharge has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The bZ4X has no towing capacity.

The XC40 Recharge uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The bZ4X uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

When two different drivers share the XC40 Recharge, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The bZ4X doesn’t offer a memory system.

The XC40 Recharge’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The bZ4X’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 bZ4X 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 bZ4X 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 bZ4X 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 bZ4X 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.

When the XC40 Recharge is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The bZ4X’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 bZ4X has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.