2019 Volvo XC40 vs 2019 Toyota RAV4

If any brand is experiencing a revival in terms of both form and function, it's Volvo. The Swedish automaker is experiencing a renaissance, delivering new cars that are not only breathtaking to look at inside and out, but that also provide fantastic technology, safety, and performance.

Volvo was once the Safety Brand, but with the advent of advanced safety technology, many other brands have caught up. Volvo has found its niche in high fashion, backed by continually improving safety technology that rivals the best in the world.

This recent trend started with the XC90 SUV and was followed by the V90 wagon. These are world-class vehicles, but they also fetch high prices.

Enter the 2019 Volvo XC40. It scales down much of what makes those high-end models so great, offering it in a (comparatively) more affordable subcompact SUV package. The XC40 offers ingenious cargo solutions, incredibly advanced technology, and even a new way to go about car ownership. Is that enough to make it stand out compared to other subcompact SUVs? Read on to find out.

There’s a reason small SUVs like the 2019 Toyota RAV4 are among the most popular vehicles on the new car market. Consider the RAV4 and its rivals, the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, and Ford Escape—what do they have in common? To put it simply, these vehicles are asked to do it all. Daily commuter car? Check. Family-hauler to school, practice, and the mall? Check, check, and check. Road-trip vehicle? Yeah, that too. On top of it all, these vehicles have to be affordable, efficient, and reliable. Sales of traditional sedans have been dwindling, but if sedans could do as much as crossovers can, they would still be popular vehicles.

The RAV4 is one of the oldest vehicles in the segment, and its story tells us how these small SUVs became so popular. The previous RAV4 was an extremely competent vehicle for Toyota, covering all the things we ask of compact SUVs. But the new 2020 RAV4 goes a few steps further. It has standout Tonka-truck styling, a surprisingly upscale interior, and something that it had lost since debuting more than two decades ago: a bit of off-road ability. We’ll see whether this makes it better than the RAV4 it replaces, and if it allows the 2020 RAV4 to stand out in a crowded small SUV market.