Compare the2024 Volvo XC40 RechargeVS 2023 Subaru Solterra

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 Solterra doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 Recharge and Solterra have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 Recharge Ultimate 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 Solterra’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.

Both the XC40 Recharge and the Solterra 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 all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC40 Recharge the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 207 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Solterra has not been fully 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 Solterra’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 Solterra’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 Recharge for 4 years and 40,000 miles. Volvo will pay for cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Solterra.

The XC40 Recharge Single Motor’s standard electric motor produces 33 more horsepower (248 vs. 215) and 61 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors. The XC40 Recharge Twin Motor’s optional electric motors produces 187 more horsepower (402 vs. 215) and 245 lbs.-ft. more torque (494 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors.

The XC40 Recharge can travel longer on a full charge than the Solterra on a full charge:

The XC40 Recharge has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Solterra doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

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

For better traction and acceleration, the XC40 Recharge has larger rear tires than the Solterra (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 Solterra Premium’s standard 60 series tires. The XC40 Recharge Ultimate’s 235/45R20 front and 255/40R20 rear tires have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile than the Solterra Limited/Touring’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 Solterra Premium.

The XC40 Recharge is 10.4 inches shorter than the Solterra, making the XC40 Recharge easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XC40 Recharge has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Solterra (98 vs. 95.7).

The XC40 Recharge has .3 inches more front hip room, .3 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 Solterra.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the XC40 Recharge’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Solterra 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 Solterra doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the XC40 Recharge’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Solterra doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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

The XC40 Recharge uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Solterra 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.

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 Solterra’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The XC40 Recharge’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Solterra Premium’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Solterra 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 Solterra 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 Solterra doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Solterra Limited/Touring’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The XC40 Recharge Ultimate’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo XC40 Recharge has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Solterra.

The XC40 Recharge is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Solterra doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Volvo XC40 outsold the Subaru Solterra by over three to one during 2023.