Get STARTING AND DRIVING -> Gearbox and Drive modes Guide for Volvo XC40 SUV Second Generation (2022-2026)

STARTING AND DRIVING

The function remains deactivated until it is

reactivated.

Activating and deactivating the

automatic brake at a standstill

The automatic brake function at a standstill is

activated using the button in the tunnel con-

sole.

•

Help when starting on a hill

Hill start assist (HSA⁵) prevents the car from

rolling backwards when starting on an uphill

gradient. When reversing uphill, it prevents

the car from rolling forwards.

When the function is deactivated, hill start

assist (HSA) remains active to prevent the

car from rolling backwards when starting

on an uphill gradient.

The function means that the pedal pressure in

the brake system remains for several seconds

while the driver's foot is moved from brake

pedal to accelerator pedal.

Related information

Automatic braking when stationary

(p. 415)

•

The temporary braking effect releases after

several seconds or when the driver starts to

drive away.

The Hill Start Assist is activated when stop-

ping on a sleep slope. The function is available

even when the automatic braking when sta-

tionary (Auto hold) function is deactivated.

Related information

–

Press the button in the tunnel console to

activate or deactivate the function.

Automatic braking when stationary

(p. 415)

•

> The indicator in the button illuminates

when the function is activated. Acti-

vated function remains even when the

car is started next time.

Foot brake (p. 409)

•

Applicable when switching off

If the function is active and holds the

car with the foot brake (A-symbol

illuminated in the driver display), the

brake pedal must be depressed at

the same time as the button is depressed in

order to deactivate.

416

STARTING AND DRIVING

Auto braking after a collision

Regenerative braking*

Gearbox

In the event of a collision in which the activa-

tion level is reached for the pyrotechnic seat-

belt tensioners or airbags, or if a collision

with a large animal is detected, the car's

brakes are automatically applied. This func-

tion is to prevent or reduce the effects of any

subsequent collision.

The car recovers kinetic energy during brak-

ing in order to reduce fuel consumption and

emissions.

The gearbox is part of the car's powertrain

(power transmission) between engine and

drive wheels. The function of the gearbox is

to change the gear ratio depending on speed

and power requirements.

The battery symbol is shown in the

driver display when the car is gener-

ating power for the battery⁶.

There are two main types of gearbox, manual

and automatic.

After a serious collision there is a risk that it is

no longer possible to control and steer the car.

In order to avoid or mitigate a possible further

collision with a vehicle or an object in the vehi-

cle's path, the auto braking system is acti-

vated automatically and brakes the car in a

safe manner.

The function is available in all drive modes

together with gear position D or M.

The manual gearbox has six gears and the

automatic gearbox has eight. The number of

gear changes means that the engine's torque

and power range can be used effectively. In

the automatic gearbox, two of the gears are

overdrive gears that save fuel when driving at

constant engine speed.

Activating brake regeneration

Brake regeneration is activated by gentle pres-

sure on the brake pedal or during engine brak-

ing.

Regeneration increases during engine braking

when manual gearshift mode M is selected.

Brake lights and hazard warning lights are

activated during braking. When the car has

stopped, the hazard warning lights continue to

flash and the parking brake is applied.

It is also possible to select gears manually

with the automatic gearbox. The driver display

shows the selected gear position.

Related information

Drive modes* (p. 424)

•

Related information

If braking is not appropriate, e.g. if there is a

risk of being hit by following traffic, the sys-

tem can be overridden by the driver depress-

ing the accelerator pedal.

Changing gear with automatic gearbox

(p. 419)

•

Automatic gearbox (p. 418)

Manual gearbox (p. 418)

Gear shift indicator (p. 423)

•

The function assumes that the brake system is

intact after the collision.

Related information

Rear Collision Warning* (p. 349)

•

BLIS* (p. 350)

Brake functions (p. 409)

5

Hill Start Assist

* Option/accessory. 417

STARTING AND DRIVING

Manual gearbox

Reverse gear inhibitor

Automatic gearbox

The reverse gear inhibitor hinders the possibil-

ity of mistakenly attempting to engage reverse

gear during normal forward travel.

With a manual gearbox, the driver selects a

suitable gear manually, according to speed

and power requirements at the time.

Gears are selected automatically so that you

can drive as energy-efficiently as possible.

The gearbox also has a manual gearshift

mode.

Follow the shifting pattern on the gear

lever and start from neutral position before

moving it to the R position.

•

Changing gear

Engage reverse gear only when the car is

stationary.

•

During parking

WARNING

Always apply the parking brake when park-

ing on a slope - leaving the car in gear is

not sufficient to hold the car in all situa-

tions.

Overview of gear lever and shift pattern in the driver

display.

Overview of gear lever and shift patterns.

Related information

Neutral position (N)

The driver display shows the selected gear

position:

Gearbox (p. 417)

•

The manual gearbox has six gears; the shifting

pattern is shown on the gear lever.

Automatic gearbox (p. 418)

Gear shift indicator (p. 423)

Related information

Depress the clutch pedal fully during each

gear change.

•

Changing gear with automatic gearbox

(p. 419)

•

Take your foot off the clutch pedal

between gear changes.

•

Changing gear with steering wheel pad-

dles* (p. 421)

•

Gear selector inhibitor (p. 422)

Kick-down function (p. 422)

•

6

The symbol is valid for cars with 48V battery.

418

* Option/accessory.

STARTING AND DRIVING

Launch function* (p. 423)

Gear shift indicator (p. 423)

Manual gearbox (p. 418)

•

Changing gear with automatic

gearbox

Change gear position by pressing the spring-

loaded gear selector forwards or backwards,

or sideways for manual shifting.

Gear positions

Parking – P

Symbols and messages for automatic

gearbox (p. 423)

Changing gear

Overview of gear lever and position P.

Parking is activated with the P button located

next to the gear selector.

The gearbox is mechanically blocked when the

P position is engaged.

Overview of gear lever and gear positions.

Select position P for parking. The car can start

in position P. The car must be stationary when

the P position is selected.

To park - first apply the parking bake and then

select P position.

}}

* Option/accessory. 419

STARTING AND DRIVING

||

In M position, it is possible to change gear

manually. The car engine-brakes when the

accelerator pedal is released.

Neutral – N

WARNING

The car freewheels in position N. The car can

start in position N. Apply the parking brake if

the car is stationary with the gear selector in

the N position.

Always use the parking brake when park-

ing on an inclined surface. Engaging a gear

or the automatic transmission's P position

is not sufficient to hold the car stationary in

all situations.

Position M is selected by moving the gear

selector backwards from the D position.

In order to change from N position to another

gear position, the brake pedal must be

depressed and the ignition position must be II.

Some gearbox variants require the engine to

be running.

Press the gear selector to the right to "+"

(plus) to change up one step and release

it.

•

NOTE

Press the gear selector to the left to "–"

(minus) to change down one step and

release it.

To be able to lock the car and arm the

alarm, the gear position must be in P.

Drive position - D

D is the normal driving position. Shifting up

and down takes place automatically based on

the level of acceleration and speed.

Press the gear selector backwards to

Help functions

return to the D position.

The system will change to the P position auto-

matically:

The gearbox automatically shifts down if the

speed decreases to a level lower than appro-

priate for the selected gear, in order to avoid

jerking and stalling.

The car must be stationary when changing

gear from R position to D position.

if the car is switched off in position D or R.

•

Manual position – M

if the driver unfastens the seatbelt and

opens the driver's door when the car is

running in a mode other than P.

Related information

Automatic gearbox (p. 418)

•

To park a car without wearing the seatbelt and

with the door open - exit the P position by

selecting R or D again.

Gear selector inhibitor (p. 422)

Changing gear with steering wheel pad-

dles* (p. 421)

If the car is switched off in N position there is

no automatic change-over to P position. This

makes it possible to wash the car in an auto-

matic car wash.

Kick-down function (p. 422)

•

Reverse – R

Select position R to reverse. The car must be

stationary when the R position is selected.

Overview of manual gear position in the driver dis-

play.

420

* Option/accessory.

STARTING AND DRIVING

In M position the steering wheel paddles are

automatically activated.

Changing gear with steering wheel

paddles*

The steering wheel paddles are a comple-

ment to the gear selector and make it possi-

ble to change gear manually without releas-

ing hands from the steering wheel.

The function is available in position D or M.

Driver display when changing gear with steering

wheel paddles.

Driver display when changing gear with steering

wheel paddles in manual gearshift mode.

Deactivating the steering wheel

paddles in position D

Activating the steering wheel paddles

in position D

To be able to change gear with the steering

wheel paddles, they must be activated:

Manual deactivation

–

Pull the right-hand paddle (+) toward the

steering wheel and hold in place until the

number in the driver display extinguishes.

"-": Selects the next lower gear.

"+": Selects the next higher gear.

> The gearbox returns to position D.

–

Pull one of the paddles toward the steer-

ing wheel.

Automatic deactivation

The steering wheel paddles are deactivated

after a short time if they are not used. This is

indicated by the number in the driver display

extinguishing. The exception is during engine

braking - then the paddles are activated for as

long as engine braking is in progress.

> A figure in the driver display indicates

current gear.

Switch

To change gear:

–

Pull one of the paddles backwards -

towards the steering wheel - and release.

A gear change occurs at each pull of the pad-

dle, provided that the engine speed does not

leave the permitted range. The driver display

shows the current gear.

}}

* Option/accessory. 421

STARTING AND DRIVING

||

Related information

Gear selector inhibitor

Kick-down function

Kick-down⁷can be used when maximum

acceleration is needed such as for overtaking.

When the accelerator pedal is pressed all the

way to the floor (beyond the position normally

regarded as full acceleration) a lower gear is

immediately engaged. This is known as kick-

down.

Automatic gearbox (p. 418)

•

The gear selector inhibitor prevents acciden-

tal changing between different gear positions

in an automatic gearbox.

Changing gear with automatic gearbox

(p. 419)

•

Gear shift indicator (p. 423)

•

Automatic gear selector inhibitor

The automatic gear selector inhibitor has spe-

cial safety systems.

From park position – P or neutral position –

N

In order to move the gear selector from P or N

position to another gear position, the engine

must be running.

If the accelerator is released from the kick-

down position, the gearbox automatically

changes up.

Safety function

To prevent over-revving of the engine, the

gearbox control program has a protective

downshift inhibitor.

If the gear selector is in the N position and the

car has been stationary for at least 3 seconds

(irrespective of whether the engine is running)

then the gear selector is locked.

The gearbox does not permit downshifting/

kick-down which would result in an engine

speed high enough to damage the engine.

Nothing happens if the driver still tries to shift

down in this way at high engine speed – the

original gear remains engaged.

Message in the driver display

If the gear selector is inhibited a message is

shown in the driver display e.g. Gear lever

Press brake pedal to activate gear lever.

On kick-down the car can shift down one or

more steps at a time, depending in engine

speed. The car shifts up when the engine has

reached is maximum engine speed in order to

prevent engine damage.

The gear selector is not inhibited mechanically.

Related information

Automatic gearbox (p. 418)

•

Changing gear with automatic gearbox

(p. 419)

•

Related information

Automatic gearbox (p. 418)

•

7

Only possible with automatic gearbox.

422

STARTING AND DRIVING

Launch function*

Symbols and messages for

automatic gearbox

If a fault should occur in the gearbox, a sym-

bol and a message are shown in the driver

display.

Gear shift indicator

Launch can be used when maximum acceler-

ation is required from stationary. The function

is available in the following drive modes:

Dynamic, Comfort and Individual.

The gear shift indicator in the driver display

shows the current gear during manual gear-

shifting and when it is appropriate to engage

the next gear for optimum fuel economy.

For eco-driving during manual gear changing,

it is important to drive in the right gear and to

change gear in good time.

IMPORTANT

Activate Launch

Make sure the car is stationary and the wheels

are pointing straight forward.

To prevent damage to any drive system

components, the working temperature of

the gearbox is checked. If there is a risk of

overheating, a warning symbol illuminates

in the driver display and a text message is

shown - follow the recommendation given.

With manual gearbox

1. Move to gear position D.

2. Depress the brake pedal fully.

3. Then fully depress the accelerator pedal.

4. Release the brake pedal within 2 seconds.

Symbol Specification

NOTE

An error has occurred in the

transmission.

If the Launch function does not work, wait

a few minutes and let the drivetrain cool

down to working temperature before retry-

ing.

Read the message in the driver

display.

Hot or overheated gearbox.

An up-arrow indicates a recommended

change to a higher gear, and a down-arrow a

recommended change to a lower gear.

Read the message in the driver

display.

IMPORTANT

The drivetrain is subject to wear and tear

when using Launch and therefore the func-

tion is only available a limited number of

times.

Temporary fault on drivetrain.

Read the message in the driver

display.

Related information

Automatic gearbox (p. 418)

•

}}

* Option/accessory. 423

STARTING AND DRIVING

||

With automatic gearbox

All-wheel drive*

Drive modes*

All-wheel drive (AWD⁸) means that the car is

driving all four wheels at the same time,

which improves traction.

Selection of drive mode affects the car's driv-

ing characteristics in order to enhance the

driving experience and facilitate driving in

special situations.

Using the drive modes it is possible to quickly

have access to the car's numerous functions

and settings for different driving needs. The

following systems are adapted to maintain

driving characteristics that are as good as pos-

sible in each drive mode:

To achieve the best possible traction, the

motive force is distributed automatically to the

wheels with the best grip. The system contin-

uously calculates the need for torque to the

rear wheels, and can immediately redistribute

up to half of the motor's torque to the rear

wheels.

Steering

Engine/gearbox⁹/all-wheel drive*

•

All-wheel drive also has a stabilising effect at

higher speeds. Under normal driving condi-

tions, the majority of power is transmitted to

the front wheels. When stationary, the all-

wheel drive is always engaged in preparation

for maximum traction during acceleration.

•

The gear shift indicator shows the current gear

in the driver display and indicates recom-

mended shifting to a higher gear by a flashing

plus sign.

Brakes

Shock absorption

Driver display

All-wheel drive characteristics vary depending

on the selected drive mode.

Start/stop function

Climate settings

Related information

Automatic gearbox (p. 418)

•

Manual gearbox (p. 418)

•

Related information

Select the drive mode adapted for the current

driving conditions. Remember that not all

drive modes are available in all situations.

Drive modes* (p. 424)

Low speed control* (p. 435)

Gearbox (p. 417)

•

Selectable drive modes

When the car starts, it is in Comfort mode

and the start/stop function is activated. The

drive mode can be changed when the car has

been started, e.g. to the Individual mode.

8

All Wheel Drive

Applies to automatic gearbox.

9

424

* Option/accessory.

STARTING AND DRIVING

control (HDC¹⁰) are activated. Start/Stop func-

tion is deactivated.

When the Individual mode is selected, it is

possible to make adjustments for specific

preferences, e.g. to show the tachometer.

The Dynamic mode is also available in the

Polestar Engineered version*.

The drive mode can only be activated at low

speeds and the speedometer shows the range

for speed limitation. If this speed is exceeded,

Off Road mode is suspended and another

drive mode is activated.

Comfort

The Comfort mode is the car's normal mode.

These settings mean that the car feels com-

fortable, the steering is light, the shock

absorption is soft and body's movement is

smooth.

In the Off Road mode the driver display has a

compass between the speedometer and tach-

ometer.

This drive mode is the certification mode for

carbon dioxide emissions.

NOTE

Eco

Adapt the car for more energy-efficient

and environmentally-conscious driving

with the Eco mode.

•

The driving mode is not designed to be

used on public roads.

Dynamic

The drive mode means, for example, that the

Start/Stop function is activated and the output

of certain climate settings is reduced.

Dynamic mode means that the car has

sportier characteristics and faster

response to accelerating.

•

When driving in Eco mode, the driver display

shows an eco-meter that indicates in real time

how economical your driving is.

The gear changes become faster and more

distinct, and the gearbox prioritises a gear

with greater traction.

Off Road

Steering response is faster and shock absorp-

tion is harder¹¹which means that the body fol-

lows the roadway in order to reduce roll during

cornering.

Maximise the car's traction when driving

in difficult terrain and on poor roads.

•

The steering is light, the all-wheel drive* oper-

ation and low speed function with hill descent

Start/Stop function is deactivated.

10

Hill Descent Control

Applies to Four-C.

11

}}

* Option/accessory. 425

STARTING AND DRIVING

||

3. In Presets, select a drive mode to start

from: Eco, Comfort, Dynamic or

Polestar Engineered*.

Individual

Adapting a drive mode according to indi-

vidual preferences.

•

Select a drive mode to start from, and then

adjust the settings according to the desired

driving characteristics. These settings are

saved in the active driver profile and are availa-

ble each time the car is unlocked with the

same remote control key.

Possible adjustments apply to settings for:

Driver Display

•

Steering Force

Powertrain Characteristics

Brake Characteristics

Suspension Control

ECO Climate

An individual drive mode is only available if it is

first activated in the centre display.

Start/Stop.

Related information

Changing drive mode* (p. 427)

•

Drive mode Eco (p. 427)

Economical driving (p. 438)

Start/stop function (p. 430)

Low speed control* (p. 435)

Hill descent control* (p. 436)

All-wheel drive* (p. 424)

Settings view¹²for individual drive mode.

1.

Press Settings in the top view.

2. Press My Car Individual Drive Mode

and select Individual Drive Mode.

Driver profiles (p. 124)

Regenerative braking* (p. 417)

12

The figure is schematic - parts may vary depending on car model.

426

* Option/accessory.

STARTING AND DRIVING

2. Select the drive mode in one of two ways:

Changing drive mode*

Drive mode Eco

Select the drive mode adapted for the current

driving conditions.

Drive mode Eco can help you with more eco-

friendly driving, with greater fuel economy.

Use this drive mode to save fuel and the envi-

ronment.

Tap the desired drive mode directly on

the touchscreen to select and activate

the drive mode.

•

Change the drive mode using the button in

the centre console.

Remember that not all drive modes are availa-

ble in all situations.

Press the DRIVE MODE button again

to move the cursor to the desired drive

mode. The selected drive mode is acti-

vated after a short delay.

•

The following properties are adapted for Eco

mode:

Gearbox gearshift points¹³

.

To change drive mode:

•

Related information

Engine management and response from

the accelerator pedal.

Drive modes* (p. 424)

•

The Eco Coast¹³freewheel function is

activated and engine braking is deacti-

vated when the accelerator pedal is

released at speeds between

Activating and deactivating drive mode

Eco with the function button (p. 429)

•

Activating and deactivating low-speed

driving* using a function button (p. 435)

65 and 140 km/h (40 and 87 mph).

Activating and deactivating hill descent

Some of the climate control system's set-

tings work at reduced power or are deacti-

vated.

•

control* with the function button (p. 437)

The driver display shows information in an

ECO gauge which facilitates environmen-

tally-conscious and fuel-efficient driving.

1. Press the DRIVE MODE button.

> A pop-up menu is opened in the centre

display with the active drive mode high-

lighted.

Free-wheel function Eco Coast¹³

The freewheel function Eco Coast means in

practice that engine braking ceases, meaning

in turn that the car's kinetic energy is used to

freewheel for longer distances. When the

driver releases the accelerator pedal the gear-

box is automatically disengaged from the

13

Only cars with automatic gearbox.

}}

* Option/accessory. 427

STARTING AND DRIVING -> Gearbox and Drive modes for Your Volvo XC40 SUV Second Generation (2022-2026)

Related Topics

STARTING AND DRIVING

Popular Owner Manuals

Latest Owner Manuals