Volvo Updates XC40, EX40 and EC40 with New Safety Tech and Google Gemini

• Volvo has updated the XC40, EX40 and EC40 with new exterior styling, a bigger 11.2-inch touchscreen and Google Gemini voice assistance.
• New radar and camera hardware brings extra safety features including a door-opening alert for cyclists and an expanded Pilot Assist with lane change support.
• The electric EX40 and EC40 now offer up to 357 miles of range, and order books for the updated 40 series are open now, including a new Black Edition.

Volvo’s Best-Selling Small SUVs Get a Mid-Life Refresh

The Volvo XC40, EX40 and EC40 have been among the brand’s strongest sellers from launch, and Volvo has now given all three a round of updates covering styling, technology and safety equipment. The changes arrive as the small premium SUV class gets more competitive by the month, with buyers able to choose between petrol, hybrid and electric versions of similar-sized rivals from BMW, Audi and a growing list of Chinese brands.

Sharper Looks Inside and Out

The refreshed cars get a new front end, with reworked Thor’s Hammer Matrix LED headlights, an updated grille and a redesigned front bumper, bonnet and wings. At the back, the XC40 and EX40 pick up new LED lights, an upgraded tailgate and a redesigned rear bumper, while the EC40 keeps its existing rear styling. The XC40 also gets new 18-inch, 19-inch and 20-inch diamond-cut wheel options.

Inside, the centre screen grows to 11.2 inches and runs Volvo’s latest software, which the brand says needs fewer taps to reach common functions. The bigger addition is Google Gemini, which replaces the previous voice assistant and is built to hold a natural conversation rather than respond only to fixed commands. Drivers can ask it to plan a route, find somewhere to stop, or manage messages without hunting through menus. New upholstery and trim options include an Arianne Cardamom leather and Brown Ash wood combination on the XC40, a first for that model, alongside Black Ash and aluminium trim choices and updated cabin lighting.

New Sensors Bring Extra Safety Features

The updated 40 series runs on a new sensor and software platform, adding front and corner radars, a new front camera, rear corner radars, twelve ultrasonic sensors and new parking cameras. Volvo says the extra sensor coverage gives the car a clearer read on what is happening around it, and the platform supports automatic emergency steering and automatic emergency braking that can step in if a collision looks likely.

One new feature aimed squarely at cyclists and pedestrians is a door-opening alert, which warns occupants before they open a door into passing traffic, a small change that addresses a common cause of injury in cities. Pilot Assist, Volvo’s driver assistance system, now includes lane change assistance and has been refined to track the road more smoothly on longer motorway journeys. The optional 360-degree camera has also been upgraded to a 3D view, which should make tight parking spaces and low-speed manoeuvring easier to judge.

Electric Range and Availability

For buyers considering the fully electric versions, the EX40 and EC40 now offer up to 357 miles of WLTP range, figures that put them within reach of longer-range rivals in the class rather than trailing behind on that measure. Volvo notes range will vary with conditions, driving style and specification, as it does for any electric car, but the headline figure is a meaningful step up for anyone cross-shopping electric small SUVs on range alone.

The XC40 keeps its petrol and mild-hybrid engine options for drivers not ready to make the switch to electric, giving Volvo a rare position in the small SUV class where the same body style is sold with combustion, mild-hybrid and fully electric powertrains side by side. That spread lets buyers pick a drivetrain based on how they actually use a car, rather than being pushed toward whichever engine the badge on the boot happens to carry.

Order books for the updated XC40, EX40 and EC40 are open now in selected markets, including a new Black Edition trim, with production starting later this autumn. Existing owners will also see some benefit over time: Volvo says the cars continue to gain new software and features through over-the-air updates after they leave the factory.

Akhil Krishnan, interim lead for the 30 and 40 series at Volvo Cars, said the changes were intended to keep the range at the front of the class: “By enhancing the design, technology and safety features of our 40 series cars, we’ve created the best versions of our 40 series yet. These already popular models are now set to continue being among our best-selling cars for years to come.”

Volvo sold more than 710,000 cars worldwide in 2025, with electrified models making up 46% of that total, and the 40 series has been a significant part of that volume in Europe. Updating the range now, rather than waiting for a full model change, keeps the XC40, EX40 and EC40 current against newer rivals without asking buyers to wait for a fully redesigned model that is still some years away.