The passenger compartment of the XC40 remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings showed good protection of all critical body areas apart from the lower leg of the passenger, protection of which was adequate.  Volvo showed that good protection would be provided to the knees and femurs of occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of the chest of the rear passenger dummy was rated as marginal, based on dummy readings of chest compression.  The protection of all other critical body regions was rated as good for both dummies.  In the side barrier and the more severe side pole tests, protection of all critical body areas was good and the XC40 scored maximum points in these tests.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection of the neck against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.  Volvo City Safety is standard equipment on the XC40.  This autonomous emergency braking system performed well, avoiding collisions in all test scenarios of typical city driving.

Protection of both the 6 year and 10 year dummies was good in both the frontal offset and side barrier tests.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  All of the restraint types for which the XC40 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the vehicle.

The bonnet provided good or adequate protection to the head of a struck pedestrian over most of its surface, with poor results only on the stiff windscreen pillars.  The bumper scored maximum points for its protection of pedestrians' legs, with good results at all test locations.  Protection of the pelvis was more mixed, with areas of good and poor protection.  The autonomous emergency braking system performed well in all daylight tests against a pedestrian target.  In darkness, the system performed well in detecting a pedestrian walking in the same direction but was weak in tests with a target crossing the vehicle's path.  The same system performed adequately in daylight tests with a cyclist target.

The XC40 has a seatbelt reminder system for the front and rear seats.  A standard-fit speed assistance system identifies the local speed limit and allows the driver to set the speed accordingly.  The system performed adequately in Euro NCAP's tests.  The autonomous emergency braking system worked well in all test simulations of highway scenarios, losing only a fraction of a point.  The standard-fit lane assistance system comprises Lane Keep Assistance, which warns the driver when the car is drifting out of lane and gently applies the steering to correct the path, and Emergency Lane Keeping, which intervenes much more aggressively in emergency situations, to keep the car on the road or from hitting another vehicle.