Compare the2023 Volvo C40 RechargeVS 2023 Kia EV6

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo C40 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 C40 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 C40 Recharge has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The EV6 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The C40 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 C40 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 C40 Recharge. But it costs extra on the EV6.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the C40 Recharge’s standard Off-Road Mode allow you to creep down safely. The EV6 doesn’t offer Off-Road Mode.

Both the C40 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 C40 Recharge its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The EV6 has not been tested, yet.

The C40 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 C40 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 C40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 235 more horsepower (402 vs. 167) and 229 lbs.-ft. more torque (487 vs. 258) than the EV6 Light’s standard electric motor. The C40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 177 more horsepower (402 vs. 225) and 229 lbs.-ft. more torque (487 vs. 258) than the EV6 Wind/GT-Line’s standard electric motor. The C40 Recharge’s electric motors produces 82 more horsepower (402 vs. 320) and 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (487 vs. 446) than the EV6’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo C40 Recharge is faster than the Kia EV6 electric motors:

The C40 Recharge can travel longer on a full charge than the EV6 GT (226 miles vs. 206 miles).

For better stopping power the C40 Recharge’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the EV6:

The C40 Recharge’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the EV6 are solid, not vented.

The C40 Recharge stops shorter than the EV6:

The C40 Recharge Core’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the EV6’s standard 55 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the C40 Recharge’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the EV6’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The C40 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 C40 Recharge has a greater minimum ground clearance than the EV6 (6.7 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the C40 Recharge to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The C40 Recharge is 9.5 inches shorter than the EV6 Light/Wind, making the C40 Recharge easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The C40 Recharge has .4 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the EV6.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the C40 Recharge easier. The C40 Recharge’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 24.8 inches, while the EV6’s liftover is 28.6 inches.

The C40 Recharge’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the EV6’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the C40 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.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the EV6, the C40 Recharge has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The C40 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 C40 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 lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the EV6 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the C40 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 C40 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 C40 Recharge offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The EV6 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the C40 Recharge offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The EV6 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The C40 Recharge also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The C40 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.