2028 Volvo XC40 First Look: Hello new tech, goodbye EV

Volvo refreshed the XC40, but it's sadly doing away with the all-electric EX40 in the US.

Volvo is a brand traditionally known for its safety-minded station wagons and the Labrador Retrievers contained within, but lately it has well and truly embraced the SUV wave. While its midsize offering, the XC60, is its primary sales winner in the United States, the compact XC40 is the brand's third-best-selling model here, and second-highest internaionally.

The current-generation XC40 dates back to 2017, joined by the all-electric XC40 Recharge in 2019, which was rechristened in 2024 to become the EX40 to keep up with the company's evolving all-electric nomenclature. That branding includes the EX30 , EX60 , and the EX90 .

For the 2028 model year, both the EX40 and XC40 are getting a major visual refresh plus an injection of extra tech into the software interface and active safety systems. That's the good news. The bad news? Starting in 2028, we'll only get half of that pairing.

The current-generation XC40 got a slight refresh in 2022, but looking back, you'd be forgiven for having a hard time telling the two versions apart, with a slightly reshaped nose and revised headlights.

For 2028, the revisions are a bit more significant, even if the overall shape of the car again remains largely the same. The front, though, is significantly revised. Where the front bumper formerly presented a face with numerous cut-outs and scalloped sections, now everything is far simpler.

It's a distinctly more modern look highlighted by the revised headlights. Yes, Volvo's trademark Thor's hammer design remains, but the various other lighting elements are now largely hidden, creating a stark effect.

The hood and fenders have likewise been resculpted, and things out back have changed to match the revised front end, again all resulting in a cleaner design throughout. Cast a shadow over the new XC40, and you won't spot the differences, but in the daylight the net result is a distinctly more modern-looking SUV.