2021 Volvo XC40 vs 2020 Lincoln Navigator

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator stood out with its luxurious design, featuring chrome and brightwork that differentiated it from the Ford Expedition, on which it was based. The Lincoln Embrace lighting system sequentially illuminated the SUV to welcome its owner, while the lattice-type grille insert and illuminated star logo added a touch of elegance. The Navigator also boasted unique design elements like fender vents, full-width taillights, and black roof pillars, giving it a wraparound glass appearance. The Reserve Monochromatic Package, available in White, Ceramic Pearl, and Infinite Black, further enhanced its custom look with body-color grille and side mirror enhancements, along with 22-inch black-painted wheels.

Inside, the Navigator exuded luxury with its Dark Slate leather interior, 30-way Perfect Position front seats, and mid-century modern styling cues. The dashboard featured digital instrumentation, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, and piano-key transmission controls, setting it apart from the Ford Expedition. A panoramic glass roof bathed the interior in natural light, and high-quality materials were used throughout. The test vehicle, a standard-length Navigator Reserve with 4WD, was priced at $92,385, including the destination charge.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a more traditional SUV styling with a tall, flat roof and upright rear hatch, fitting nicely with the rest of the Volvo lineup. It featured familial styling cues like “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and a simple oval grille. Gasoline models offered a white contrasting roof for a retro look, while the XC40 Recharge had a blanked-off grille, subtle “Recharge” badging, and model-specific alloy wheels. The Recharge also had a gloss black roof and mirror caps, a different rear bumper, and a model-exclusive Sage Green Metallic color. The charging port was located where the fuel filler would normally be.

Under the sheet metal, the XC40 used 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 melding together seamlessly. Unlike many competitors, Volvo did not dumb down the interior design to meet a specific price point.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator featured a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, outperforming the Ford Expedition's most powerful version. A 10-speed automatic transmission transferred power to the rear wheels, with an option for four-wheel drive. Lincoln Drive Modes tailored the powertrain to various driving conditions, including Conserve, Normal, Excite, Slippery, Deep Conditions, and Slow Climb with the towing package. The Navigator's maximum towing capacity was 8,700 pounds with rear-wheel drive and 8,300 pounds with four-wheel drive, aided by Pro Trailer Backup Assist.

Acceleration from the twin-turbo V6 was strong, with a subtle yet aggressive engine note. However, fuel economy was a downside, averaging 16.4 mpg on the testing loop, with an EPA rating of 18 mpg in combined driving. The Navigator's 22-inch wheels and adaptive damping suspension struggled with impact harshness over imperfect pavement, especially in Excite mode. Despite its size, the Navigator's body motion control was excellent, lending it a hint of athleticism. Around town, the Navigator felt huge, but a tight turning radius, parking assist system, and numerous camera views improved maneuverability.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge on top. The base FWD T4 had a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The Recharge shared its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featuring one electric motor for each axle, providing AWD and a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft. The 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack had 75 kWh of usable capacity, divided into modules under the floor and in the transmission tunnel space.

Volvo quoted zero to 60 mph times of 4.7 seconds for the Recharge, 6.1 seconds for the T5, and 8.1 seconds for the T4, with all versions electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge was quicker than the Tesla Model Y Long Range and Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium but slower than the Model Y Performance and Mach-E GT Performance Edition. The XC40 Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort over speed, with excellent ride quality even on winter-ravaged roads. It also offered one-pedal driving using regenerative braking and had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds when properly equipped.

Entering the 2020 Lincoln Navigator required climbing up into the SUV, akin to ascending a short flight of stairs, though available power running boards helped. Once inside, passengers enjoyed ample room to stretch out in comfort. The test vehicle's 30-way Perfect Position front seats, part of the optional Luxury Package, were exceptionally comfortable, though finding the perfect settings took time. The second row offered a choice between a three-person bench or two captain’s chairs, with the latter option including a large center console with audio controls. Triple-zone climate control ensured comfort across all three rows, and the test vehicle had heated rear seat cushions.

The Navigator's third-row seat provided class-leading legroom and thigh support, making it comfortable for most passengers. Cargo volumes were also class-leading, with the standard-length model offering 19.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and a maximum of 103.3 cubic feet. The longer Navigator L increased these measurements to 34.3, 73.3, and 120.2 cubic feet, respectively. However, the upcoming 2021 Cadillac Escalade was expected to match the Navigator in terms of passenger comfort and cargo space.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had no difference in passenger or cargo space compared to gasoline models. However, it was less spacious than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E, with less legroom in both front and rear seats, less headroom than the Tesla, and a smaller cargo area. The Recharge's frunk was also small, with much of the space under the hood occupied by powertrain hardware. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive on interior space compared to rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, highlighting the low bar for utility in this segment.

Volvo compensated for the lack of space with clever storage solutions. The center console included a removable trash bin, and a bag hook was built into the glovebox door. The Harman Kardon audio system's speakers were moved to the dashboard, allowing for extra-large door bins. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was shaped to hold a phone securely, with an optional wireless charging pad and a standard USB-C port. However, second-row occupants lacked phone-charging options.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator's Sync 3 infotainment system was its least impressive technology, taking time to load content. However, it offered Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Lincoln Connect services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, 911 Assist, a Lincoln Way smartphone and smartwatch app, and wireless device charging. "Phone As A Key" technology allowed the smartphone to function as the vehicle key. Sync 3’s voice recognition system worked reasonably well but required specific command pathways.

The Reserve’s Luxury Package included a 20-speaker Revel Ultima audio system with three listening profiles—Stereo, Audience, and On Stage—with Stereo being the preferred choice. Additional technologies included a surround-view camera system and a head-up display. The test vehicle did not have the optional Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system, which featured dual 10-inch displays, wireless headphones, Slingbox access, Roku media streaming, and compatibility with Apple and Android devices.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system, introduced on the Polestar 2, while gasoline models continued with the previous system. Android Automotive OS used Google apps, including Google Assistant and Google Maps, and allowed Android phone users to sync their personal Google accounts. The system also included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, with a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

The Recharge was the first XC40 variant to get OTA update capability, covering any vehicle function controlled by software. This allowed for new features or bug fixes without visiting a dealership. Recharge models lacked a start button, requiring only the key fob to shift out of park. The related Polestar 2 would soon get a Digital Key feature, allowing a smartphone to replace the key fob, but this feature was not yet confirmed for the XC40.

The 2020 Lincoln Navigator came with the standard Lincoln Co-Pilot360 collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), including forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assistance, a blind-spot warning system with trailer coverage, a rear cross-traffic warning system, and automatic high-beam headlights. The Reserve trim added adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability.

The Navigator’s adaptive cruise control operated with refinement, reacting to traffic changes smoothly. The lane-keeping assistance system was subtle yet effective, while the lane-departure warning system produced a hard-to-detect vibration in the steering wheel. The Navigator’s nearly three-ton curb weight made it a safer vehicle in collisions, supported by a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. However, the RWD model had a three-star rollover resistance rating, and the IIHS had not tested the 2020 model.

The gasoline 2021 Volvo XC40 received the highest “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall crash-test rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal-crash and side-crash tests, and four stars in rollover crash tests. 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, which combined adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering. The Recharge model also had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.