Exterior Design and
Features of Volvo XC40
The all-new Volvo XC40 is the company’s first SUV to be
based on the Compact Modular Architecture platform which is shared with its
parent company Zhejiang Geely Holding of China. To put thing in the right
perspective, Volvo is a Swedish car maker with Chinese owners. But who cares? Today,
everything that is beautiful and brilliant is made in China.
In India this premium compact SUV will be pitted against the
likes of the Audi Q3, the Mercedes Benz GLA and the BMW X1. The Volvo XC40 will only be offered in one variant initially
which is a fully loaded one called R-Design.
When you first get to see the Volvo XC40, you are definitely
reminded of the XC 90 and the XC 60. You get to see the signature front grille
with the logo in the centre but here there are horizontal slats, unlike the
vertical slats that are there in the XC60 and XC90. Not to miss are the
headlamps with the Thor’s hammer LED DRLs. The grille area has no chrome inserts;
rather it’s all blacked out to give the vehicle very sporty look. The XC 40
stands grand on 18 inches twin-5 spoke alloy wheels shrouded in 235/55 Pirelli
tyres. In fact the side profile of the vehicle looks sporty with its roof
rails, prominent wheel arches and black cladding at the bottom. The vehicle has
a ground clearance of 211mm. The vehicle comes with a huge panoramic sunroof.
It’s déjà vu as you move back. The rear tail-lamps, the dual
chrome exhausts along with the integrated spoiler gives the XC 40 a distinct
Volvo appeal.
Interior Design and
Features of Volvo XC40
As you step in, it is elegance everywhere. Everything inside
which includes the dashboard and doors with silver trims, the steering wheel,
the digital instrument cluster, the vertical air vents bordered in chrome, the well-crafted
knobs and the 9 inch vertical touchscreen which is so tab like, all have a rich
flair about it. The car will be offered in a choice of three colours. Within
the cabin there will be a choice of either a black or a lava orange colour in
the bottom section. I personally would stick to black because orange will get
all dirtied too soon as you step in and out. The plastics used in the cabin are
of decent quality.
The 9-inch touchscreen controls all the functions of the car
and features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Harman Kardon audio system does
justice in this vehicle. Features like an electric tailgate, driving modes,
auto LED headlamps, panoramic sunroof, four heated seats, dual zone climate
control, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, are all standard on
the XC40 R-Design.
As for the seats, they are a mix of fine leather and Alcantara
with distinct white stitching. Those who don’t know, Alcantara material is composed of polyester and
polyurethane. This composite is
basically a substitute for suede. The front seats are electrically adjustable
and the driver’s side comes with a memory function.
The rear seats offer adequate headroom and legroom. It
could, however, be a squeeze for a third person sitting in the middle because
of the raised floor and also because of the front arm rest module jutting into
the rear space. Within the cabin there is huge space for storage, especially
with the huge inner panel door cavities. The woofers on the door have been
shifted out enabling more storage on the door panels. There is ample storage in the front area with
even a slot to charge your mobile phone wirelessly. The armrest console is
large and there’s also a cleverly designed removable dustbin in there with a
spring-loaded lid. Tucked away storage areas include one under the driver’s
seat, where one can keep a tab or some emergency money stashed away. The rear seats are 60:40 splits and bringing them
down creates ample storage space. The boot can accommodate 460 litres of
luggage and there is also an additional storage space between the boot floor
and space-saver spare wheel area.
Safety and
Performance of Volvo XC40
The XC40 is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel
engine that churns out 190hp and peak torque of 400Nm. The engine is mated to
an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Power delivery is smooth and the turbo kicks in
very early, enabling the car to accelerate swiftly. The engine feels very
pepped up, to say the least. The sound from the diesel mill is minimal in the
cabin and a lot of the diesel sound is muffled by the wonderful insulation all
around. From the 9-inch touch panel in front one can choose the different drive
modes which include Eco, Comfort, Off Road, Dynamic and Individual. The
throttle response changes according to the drive mode you choose. Climbing to
speeds above 200km comes very easy.
One can also opt for the paddle shifters for a quicker
getaway. As for the suspension, these have been tuned perfectly for the smooth
and the bumps expected on the Indian roads. The brakes are very accurate and
instill a lot of confidence in the driver in this all-wheel drive vehicle. There
are a plethora of safety features in the Volvo XC40 like the radar-based ones
that include lane-keeping assist,
blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control, pilot assist, emergency braking
etc. Other safety features include ESP, traction control and hill descent
control. The car comes with multiple airbags. There’s also a feature for auto
park-in and park-out, which helps steer the vehicle in and out of a parking.
Verdict
Since Volvo Cars have always been setting new benchmarks
with its cutting edge technology and safety standards, it is bound to do so
once again with its XC40 in the luxury compact SUV segment. No other model in
this segment currently offers such a fine combination of top notch technology,
dove-tailed in absolute comfort and brilliant performance as the new Volvo
XC40.