Volvo XC40

Three things the American market never received. The D3 and D4 diesels were offered in Europe until the end of 2020 and a diesel XC40 has never existed in the US. The six-speed manual came with the base T3 and D3 in Europe, and every American XC40 is an automatic. And the T4 and T5 Recharge plug-in hybrids, with a three-cylinder petrol engine, were a European hit America has never seen.

The petrols divide by drivetrain. The T4 with 190 hp is front-drive only in America, while in Europe it was offered with all-wheel drive as well. The T5 with around 250 is the reverse — in the US it comes with four-wheel drive as standard. The B4 and B5 mild hybrids after 2022 and the fully electric versions are identical in both markets.

The equipment favours the American car, and by a clear margin. The American base Momentum leaves the factory with 18- or 19-inch wheels, leather and dual-zone climate control as standard. The European base XC40 is often on cloth, with single-zone air conditioning and without the powered tailgate that is standard in America.

The reverse holds for the suspension and for the looks. Adaptive Four-C is exceptionally rare on this model in America, because buyers there avoid the maintenance cost once the warranty expires. And the contrasting roof, a common European order, was almost never specified by American dealers — a two-tone American XC40 is a rare car.

Two small things you feel daily. European cars use a rigid folding parcel shelf that stows under the boot floor; many American ones leave with a soft roll-up cover or with nothing at all. And the ride height: some European front-drive sports versions are factory-lowered, while American cars keep the maximum of about 21 cm, because there the car is marketed as the more capable one.