2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC vs 2021 Volvo XC40

Introduced for the 2019 model year, the Volvo XC40 enters 2021 with one major change—the addition of an all-electric powertrain option. The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge is the Scandinavian automaker’s first mass-market pure electric vehicle, in fact.

The Recharge will be sold alongside gasoline versions of the XC40, which carry over largely unchanged, and compete against small luxury crossovers like the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, and Lexus UX. With its electric powertrain, the Recharge is a de facto Tesla Model Y competitor. It’s also priced similar to high-end versions of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, although the two electric crossovers have somewhat different philosophies.

In addition to that zero-emission powertrain, the Recharge gets an Android-based operating system, over-the-air (OTA) software update capability for all vehicle systems, and some updates to driver-assist tech. These changes don’t apply to gasoline 2021 XC40 models, but Volvo does plan to add the Android operating system to more vehicles in the future.

Since the Recharge is the main new thing for the 2021 XC40, that’s what we focused on for this review. While the gasoline XC40 is available in three trim levels—Momentum, R-Design, and Inscription—with standard all-wheel drive (AWD) in Canada, the Recharge is only offered in a single trim level.

The modern compact luxury SUV market is an embarrassment of riches. Shoppers have more options than ever before, and all of them are terrific vehicles. There’s the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Acura RDX, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, and even the newcomer Lincoln Corsair. Not to be left out of this dizzying list is one of the segment’s most popular options, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC.

While the X3 arguably kicked off the small luxury SUV craze, the bar was raised with the GLC’s predecessor, the GLK. But even the GLK felt like a stopgap compared to a fully realized vehicle like the GLC. It encapsulates everything that buyers are looking for in a compact luxury SUV—an upscale cabin, cutting-edge infotainment and safety technology, and driving dynamics that are equal parts athletic and comfortable. Many vehicles in the aforementioned list have some or all of these things, but few combine them all as elegantly as the GLC. Mercedes-Benz happily boasts the GLC is its best-seller, and with good reason. But should you count yourself among one of their customers? Read on to find out.