2021 Volvo XC40 vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a traditional SUV styling with a tall, flat roof and an upright rear hatch, fitting seamlessly into the Volvo lineup with its “Thor’s Hammer” LED headlights and simple oval grille. Gasoline models offered a white contrasting roof for a retro look. The XC40 Recharge featured a blanked-off grille, “Recharge” badging, model-specific alloy wheels, a gloss black roof, and a model-exclusive Sage Green Metallic color. The interior was minimalist yet premium, with real metal trim, Nappa leather, and Nubuck textile upholstery, and a coherent design that melded elements like the portrait-oriented touchscreen and air vents into a pleasing whole.

The 2021 Ford Edge retained much of its styling from the 2019 refresh, integrating the current Ford look with the existing body shell. The Edge Titanium had extra chrome, while the ST trim featured a blacked-out grille, standard 20-inch wheels, and a body kit. The interior, however, showed its age with a design awkwardly tweaked over the years to fit new features like a larger touchscreen. Titanium models had leather upholstery, and ST models boasted sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup. The base FWD T4 had a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while the AWD T5 had 248 hp and 258 lb-ft. The electric Recharge model shared its powertrain with the Polestar 2, featuring one electric motor per axle for AWD, producing a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft, powered by a 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The Recharge could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, the T5 in 6.1 seconds, and the T4 in 8.1 seconds, with all versions electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort, offering excellent ride quality and one-pedal driving capability, with a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2021 Ford Edge primarily used a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, available in FWD or AWD. The Edge ST performance model featured an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 with 335 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane fuel, standard AWD, and model-specific suspension tuning. The ST also offered an option package with upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels with summer tires. The Edge had respectable towing capacities: 3,958 pounds for the base FWD, 4,122 pounds for AWD models, and 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered ST.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had no difference in passenger or cargo space between the Recharge and gasoline models, but it was less spacious than competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Clever storage solutions included a removable trash bin in the center console, a bag hook in the glovebox door, and extra-large door bins due to the Harman Kardon system's speakers being moved to the dashboard. The storage cubby ahead of the shifter was well-shaped for a phone, with an optional wireless charging pad and a standard USB-C port, though second-row occupants lacked phone-charging options.

The 2021 Ford Edge remained competitive on interior space, offering the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. Cargo space was 39.2 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with them folded, trailing only the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. A foot-activated power liftgate was available on higher trims. The rotary shift knob freed up space on the center console, but the narrow width limited its utility, and the storage nook below the raised console was hard to reach and easy to forget.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge featured the Android Automotive OS infotainment system with Google apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps, while gasoline models retained the previous system. The standard setup included a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge also had OTA update capability for any software-controlled vehicle function and lacked a start button, allowing drivers to simply shift out of park with the key fob on their person.

The 2021 Ford Edge was updated with Ford’s latest Sync 4 infotainment system, featuring standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a 12-inch touchscreen. Standard tech included Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST had a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. Four USB ports were available, including two rear USB ports added for 2021. Sync 4’s simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts were user-friendly, and not all competitors offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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. Standard safety features included 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 had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS “Top Safety Pick,” scoring top ratings in all crash tests and for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention tech. It received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, post-collision braking, dynamic brake support, and rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering, along with Evasive Steering Assist, was standard on all but the base SE trim.