2019 Volvo XC40 vs 2020 Land Rover Defender

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.

The Land Rover Defender didn’t have to leave, but as the saying goes, it couldn't stay here. In 1996, after only two model years, the United States banned the Defender 90 because it didn't have airbags, a proud feature this crusty old truck boasted from 1990 until its final breath in 2016. Around the world, the Defender—and the Series I, II, and III models that were nearly the same since 1948—has been Britain's answer to the American Jeep, the German Gelandewagen, and the Japanese FJ. It was a farming vehicle built on warrior bones that served millions, including armies, without a whiff of prestige or wealth.

Today, Land Rover is a luxury manufacturer of extreme off-road vehicles that can and do go everywhere on earth. The new Defender isn't anything like the old Defender, and thank God. But don't think the Defender has gone too soft, because at its core, it's just a cushier, way pricier Wrangler.