Looks harmless, doesn’t it? A little square sand dune-colored (that’s the actual paint color name – “Sand Dune”) box labeled “Volvo,” powered by electrons instead of dead dinosaurs.
This is the Volvo EX40 Twin Motor Ultra. Twin Motor means there are two electric motors, one for the front axle and another for the rear axle. Between them, they make 402 horsepower and 494 pound-feet of torque and put it straight to all four wheels at once.
In the real world, that translates to 60 miles per hour from a standing stop in 4.1 seconds. That’s quicker than the Ford Mustang GT (“On the Road,” June 2024) and quicker than the Audi S3 (“On The Road,” March 2023).
If you’re of a certain age and your point of reference is 1960s muscle cars, it’s quicker than all of them. Even the 1965 Shelby Cobra 427, which needed 4.3 seconds.
It does all that without drinking a drop of gasoline or putting a particle of tailpipe pollutants into the Peninsula air.
And, apart from a futuristic combination of whine and whoosh, it does it silently.
I don’t need a big car to go vroom. I like a little car that goes fast without attracting undue attention.
Range per charge is 260 miles, and it can recharge from 10% to 80% in 28 minutes on a DC fast charger.
The EX40 is classified by the EPA as a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), and it sports compact exterior dimensions – roughly similar to the MINI Countryman (“On the Road,” March 2025). It’s a size class smaller than the popular Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V (“On The Road,” August 2023).
There’s 16 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 57.5 cubic feet with the second row folded flat. Rear seat passengers get 36.1 inches of legroom. And the interior is stylish and done in high-quality materials with the attention to fit, finish and detail the phrase “Swedish automobile” would suggest.
The EX40 Twin Motor Ultra is a premium vehicle. And, unsurprisingly, it carries a premium price, $60,750. That brings with it a lot of standard equipment, though: a comprehensive suite of active safety features, a laminated panoramic sunroof with power sunshade, power front seat with driver seat memory, four-way lumbar support for the front seats, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control with air purifier, keyless entry, power tailgate, power-folding rear headrests, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, a surround-view camera, LED headlights, a 12.3-inch digital driver display, four USB ports and a Harman/Kardon premium audio system with Google built-in, Google Assistant, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The 2025 Volvo EX40 Twin Motor Ultra is a one-price deal. The destination charge is $1,295, so the as-tested price is $62,045.
Easy to drive, easy to park and a whole lot of fun – all in a package that’s practical and stands out from the crowd.
Mike Hagerty, past vice president of membership for Western Automotive Journalists (waj.org), has been writing about cars since 1997. Read more of his reviews at MikeHagertyCars.com.
