2022 Chevrolet Suburban vs 2021 Volvo XC40

The 2021 Volvo XC40 had a more traditional SUV styling compared to other small luxury crossovers, featuring a tall, flat roof and an upright rear hatch. It seamlessly fit into the current Volvo lineup with 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. The XC40 Recharge distinguished itself with 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 interior was minimalist yet premium, with high-quality materials, real metal trim, 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 into a pleasing whole.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban shared its exterior styling with the shorter Tahoe SUV and the Silverado 1500 pickup, giving it a supersized appearance with a tall hood, long proportions, and large wheels. The Suburban was available in six trims, each offering different grille, fascia, and wheel designs for customization. Our RST test vehicle featured a Cherry Red Tintcoat exterior, 22-inch bright-machined black-painted wheels, and a monochromatic black grille with Black Ice accents, giving it a sporty look. Inside, the Suburban offered a spacious cabin ranging from economically comfortable on the base LS trim to plush on the top-spec High Country. The RST trim had 10-way power driver and front passenger seats, bright sill plates, and Jet Black perforated leather seats with Victory Red stitching. However, the predominantly black interior made the cabin feel a bit dark despite the nice touches.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 offered a three-tiered powertrain lineup, with the electric Recharge at the top. The two gasoline options included a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The base FWD T4 had 187 horsepower and 221 pound-feet 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, enabling AWD and a combined 402 hp and 486 lb-ft. The 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack provided electricity, with 75 kWh of usable capacity. Volvo quoted zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds for the Recharge, 6.1 seconds for the T5, and 8.1 seconds for the T4. All versions were electronically limited to 112 mph. The Recharge emphasized quiet and comfort, with excellent ride quality even on winter-ravaged roads. It also offered one-pedal driving and a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered three engine choices: a 5.3-liter V8, a 6.2-liter V8, and a new-for-2022 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-six, all paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The 5.3-liter V8 produced 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque, while the 6.2-liter V8 produced 420 hp and 460 lb-ft. The 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel offered 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, providing excellent fuel economy and a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The Suburban's maximum towing capacity was 8,300 pounds. Our RST test vehicle had the 6.2-liter V8, part of the $3,815 Sport Performance package, including Magnetic Ride Control and dual exhaust tips. The extra power made towing a late-model Chevrolet Impala sedan on an open car-hauler trailer a stress-free experience.

The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge had no difference in passenger or cargo space compared to gasoline models. However, it had less legroom in both the front and rear seats than the Tesla Model Y or Ford Mustang Mach-E, and a smaller cargo area. The frunk was also very small. The gasoline XC40 was more competitive on 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 a wireless charging pad optional and a single USB-C port standard. However, second-row occupants didn’t get any phone-charging options.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban excelled in space, offering room for up to nine occupants with the optional front-row bench seat. Most Suburbans offered seven- or eight-passenger seating. The third row was livable for adults, with adequate headroom, knee room, and legroom. The Suburban had 41.5 cubic feet of space behind the third row, expanding to 144.7 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded flat. The second-row seats could slide forward or backward up to 5.5 inches, and both rows folded flat with a lever or button. The optional power-sliding center console provided additional storage space and a hidden storage drawer. However, the Suburban's size made it challenging to maneuver and park in tight spaces, and it might not fit in some garages due to its height. The redesigned model also switched to electronic push-button transmission controls.

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 hands-free phone connectivity. The standard hardware setup included a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Recharge also had OTA update capability for the infotainment system and other vehicle functions. It lacked a start button, allowing drivers to simply get in and shift out of park. The related Polestar 2 would soon get a Digital Key feature, but Volvo hadn’t confirmed it for the XC40.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban offered a surprising level of tech, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster standard on LT and above. Google built-in, including Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play Store access, was also standard on LT and above. The number of available camera views increased to 13. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System with an 8-inch touchscreen was standard on the LS, including Bluetooth audio streaming, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and voice recognition. The LT and above had a 10.2-inch Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium System with Google built-in and satellite radio. Wireless device charging was standard on the LT and above, and a WiFi hotspot was standard across the board. The LS had a basic six-speaker audio system, while the LT had a nine-speaker Bose audio system. The Premier and High Country had a Bose 10-speaker Surround with CenterPoint audio system.

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. The electric XC40 Recharge had not been rated, but Volvo expected it to perform well in crash tests. 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 also had Volvo’s latest sensor suite, scalable for future advanced driver aids.

The 2022 Chevrolet Suburban came with standard safety features as part of the Chevy Safety Assist suite, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, front pedestrian braking, rear park assist, following distance indicator, automatic high-beam headlights, and an HD rear-vision camera. For 2022, front park assist, lane-keeping assistance, and lane-departure warning were added. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, HD surround vision, rear pedestrian alert, reverse automatic braking, lane-changing assistance, blind-spot monitoring, and a head-up display. The Suburban received an overall rating of four out of five stars from the NHTSA, with four stars for front crash protection, five stars for side crash protection, and three stars for rollover resistance.