Buick Enclave vs Volvo XC40

Heavily updated for the 2025 model year, the Enclave three-row crossover SUV enters 2026 unchanged. It shares a platform with the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, carving out its own niche with a greater emphasis on luxury and comfort than ruggedness and active-lifestyle pretensions.

Verdict: The 2026 Buick Enclave finds a middle ground between standard three-row SUVs and their more expensive luxury-branded counterparts. While it's not particularly exciting to look at or drive, it gets the fundamentals right with a spacious cabin in all three rows, a large cargo capacity, high levels of comfort, and easy-to-use tech.

In Volvo speak, “40” denotes an entry-level model. While the Swedish automaker no longer rosters the S40 sedan or V40 wagon in the United States, the XC40 subcompact crossover remains to compete with the likes of the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Lexus UX, and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class for aspiring luxury-car owners’ dollars.

The XC40 was unveiled in 2017, arriving in the U.S. as a 2019 model, and hasn’t undergone a redesign since. An all-electric Volvo XC40 Recharge variant joined the lineup as a 2021 model. Volvo’s other current EV, the C40 Recharge, is also broadly similar to the XC40 models, but with a coupe-like body style.

For 2023, Volvo gave the XC40 several notable updates, including new mild-hybrid powertrains, revised styling, and the Android-based infotainment system previously seen on the XC40 Recharge and other Volvo models.

The mild-hybrid lineup includes base Core, mid-level Plus, and top Ultimate trim levels, with B4 front-wheel drive (FWD) and B5 all-wheel drive (AWD) drivetrains. This Volvo XC40 review is based on the Ultimate trim in B5 AWD spec.