Compare the2026 Land Rover Discovery SportVS 2026 Volvo XC40

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Discovery Sport. But it costs extra on the XC40.

Both the Discovery Sport and the XC40 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Land Rover vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 50 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Land Rover higher than Volvo.

The Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 55 more horsepower (249 vs. 194) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (269 vs. 221) than the XC40 B4’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 2 more horsepower (249 vs. 247) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (269 vs. 258) than the XC40 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Discovery Sport has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the XC40 (17.7 vs. 14.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Discovery Sport higher (6 out of 10) than the Volvo XC40 (4). This means the Discovery Sport produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XC40 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Land Rover Discovery Sport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the XC40.

The Discovery Sport has a standard full size spare (not available on 7-Passenger) so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the XC40; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Discovery Sport offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The XC40’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Discovery Sport’s wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer than on the XC40 (107.9 inches vs. 106.4 inches).

The Discovery Sport Landmark handles at .82 G’s, while the XC40 B5 Plus AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Discovery Sport Landmark executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XC40 B5 Plus AWD (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Discovery Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XC40 (8.4 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Discovery Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Discovery Sport offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the XC40 can only carry 5.

The Discovery Sport has .5 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room and 2 inches more rear legroom than the XC40.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Discovery Sport’s middle row seats recline. The XC40’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Discovery Sport’s cargo area provides more volume than the XC40.

The Discovery Sport’s cargo area is larger than the XC40’s in every dimension:

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Discovery Sport’s optional second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The XC40 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Discovery Sport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XC40’s (4409 vs. 3500 pounds).

Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) is standard on the Discovery Sport, using the Dynamic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the XC40.

The Discovery Sport has a much higher standard payload capacity than the XC40 (1515 vs. 1200 lbs.).

The Discovery Sport has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the XC40 (1670 vs. 1219 lbs.).

The Discovery Sport offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The XC40 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Discovery Sport offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The XC40 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Discovery Sport has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The XC40 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The Discovery Sport has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the XC40.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Volvo charges extra for Homelink® on the XC40.