2021 Volvo XC40 vs 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite its decade-old design, maintained a timeless appeal. It showcased traditional Jeep styling cues like a 7-slot grille and trapezoidal fenders, presenting a balanced appearance suitable for both rugged trails and upscale settings. This versatility made it attractive to a diverse range of buyers. Prices for the Grand Cherokee started at $32,150 for the Laredo and went up to $52,495 for the Summit, with high-performance SRT and Trackhawk versions priced at $68,895 and $87,400, respectively. The tested Grand Cherokee Limited X, priced at $53,275, featured a Slate Blue Pearl paint, a ventilated hood design, a sport-themed front bumper, and 20-inch aluminum wheels, giving it a mild-custom appearance.

However, the interior of the Grand Cherokee, especially models priced over $50,000, was a letdown. While premium materials were used, they were applied over a foundation that lacked substance, making the abundance of hard plastic more noticeable and irritating. This was a significant drawback for an SUV in this price range.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a more traditional SUV styling with a tall, flat roof and upright rear hatch, fitting well with the rest of the Volvo lineup. The XC40 Recharge, the electric variant, was distinguished by a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. It also featured a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a different rear bumper, and a model-exclusive color—Sage Green Metallic. The charging port was located where the fuel filler would normally be. These minor differences made the XC40 Recharge a good option for those who preferred a subtle electric vehicle.

Underneath, the XC40 was built on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, designed to accommodate both gasoline and electric powertrains. The interior was minimalist yet premium, with real metal trim on the dashboard and a combination of Nappa leather and Nubuck textile upholstery. The design was coherent, with elements like the portrait-oriented touchscreen and air vents blending seamlessly. Unlike many competitors, Volvo did not compromise on interior design to meet a specific price point.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee came standard with a 295-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, providing satisfying acceleration and an EPA-rated 21 mpg in combined driving. However, the test vehicle achieved only 19.4 mpg. For those seeking more power, three V8 engines were available: a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 in the SRT with 475 hp and 470 lb-ft, and a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the Trackhawk with 707 hp and 645 lb-ft, capable of 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

The Grand Cherokee offered various 4WD systems, with the Limited X featuring the Quadra-Trac II 4WD with a 2-speed transfer case. It performed well off-road, aided by the Selec-Terrain traction control system and hill descent control technology. On pavement, the driving dynamics were mixed, with impressive grip but excessive suspension movements. The steering and brakes were average, attempting to balance daily driving and off-roading needs.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge on top. The gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 had 187 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge, sharing its powertrain with the Polestar 2, had 402 hp and 486 lb-ft from its dual electric motors, powered by a 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack.

The Recharge could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds, while the T5 and T4 took 6.1 and 8.1 seconds, respectively. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort over performance, with excellent ride quality even on rough roads. It also featured one-pedal driving using regenerative braking and had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered seating for five and cargo space of 36.3 cubic feet behind the backseat, expanding to 68.3 cubic feet with the backseat folded. The front seats were heated and 8-way power-adjustable, but the Limited X lacked ventilated seats. The thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel was comfortable, and the armrests were softly padded. Rear passengers, including children, found the seats comfortable, with adequate legroom and rear air conditioning vents and USB ports.

Interior storage was decent, with a handy tray in the center console and sizable door-panel bins. However, the bin under the center armrest and the glovebox were small. Grocery bag hooks on the front seatbacks were a thoughtful touch.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had no difference in passenger or cargo space compared to the gasoline models. However, it had less legroom and headroom than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, and a smaller cargo area. The frunk was also small, with much of the space occupied by powertrain hardware.

The gasoline XC40 was more competitive in interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Volvo compensated for the lack of space with clever storage solutions, such as a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was well-shaped to hold a phone, with an optional wireless charging pad and a standard USB-C port. However, second-row occupants lacked phone-charging options.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee featured the Uconnect infotainment system, known for its speed, graphics, and ease of use. However, the bouncy ride could make it hard to select virtual buttons on the display. The voice recognition system was user-friendly. The Limited X trim included an 8.4-inch touchscreen, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM satellite radio, and SiriusXM Guardian connected services. A 4G LTE WiFi data plan was available, supporting up to eight devices. The test vehicle had a 9-speaker Alpine premium sound system, though a 19-speaker Harman Kardon system was available in higher trims.

A unique feature of Uconnect was the Off-Road Pages app, providing information related to off-roading, such as altitude, GPS coordinates, and power distribution. The SRT and Trackhawk models had Performance Pages for tracking performance metrics.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, with Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps built-in. The system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. The standard setup had a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Graphics and menu layouts were top-notch, but the Google interface might not appeal to everyone.

The Recharge also had OTA update capability, allowing for updates to any vehicle function controlled by software. It lacked a start button, with the car starting automatically when the driver shifted out of park. The related Polestar 2 would soon get a Digital Key feature, but it was not confirmed for the XC40.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered three collections of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). ProTech I, standard on all trims, included a reversing camera, parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. ProTech II added low-speed forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Advanced ProTech II included full-speed forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, semi-autonomous parking assist, and rain-sensing wipers.

The Grand Cherokee received a 4-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a 3-star rollover resistance rating. The IIHS gave it a Marginal rating for driver protection and a Poor rating for front passenger protection in the small overlap frontal-impact test. The headlights rated Poor unless upgraded to the Acceptable HID headlights in the Premium Lighting Group.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. These ratings did not apply to the electric XC40 Recharge, but Volvo expected it to perform well in crash tests due to a safety cage around the battery and a redesigned front crash structure.

The XC40 came with a long list of standard safety features, including lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and hill-descent control. Optional features included traffic-sign recognition, reverse automatic emergency braking, a driver-alertness monitor, run-off road mitigation, oncoming lane mitigation, and Volvo’s Pilot Assist driver-assistance system.

The Recharge model also had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids, and capable of pulling data from the cloud to improve performance.