THE new Volvo XC40 is the Swedish carmaker’s answer to the popular premium compact SUV segment in South Africa.
Launched in April last year, the new SUV is creating yet another stir for the Volvo brand in South Africa where the XC90, S90 and V90 Cross Country have paved the way for new-era Volvo cars.
The new Volvo XC40, which is a Women’s World Car of the Year 2018 and European Car of the Year 2018 award winner, brings a breath of fresh Swedish air to the premium compact SUV segment.
It throws away the rulebook to create a new motoring experience where individual style meets a functional and supremely minimalist driving environment.
A new evolution of Volvo’s latest design language has resulted in an expressive and unique exterior, while a bespoke interior inherits all of Volvo’s latest design elements, including the revered nine-inch Sensus Connect touch screen and digital instrument cluster.
New design elements like the optional contrasting black or white roof, white mirror caps and wheels, Oxide Red leather and ‘Lava’ carpets, which are made from 100% recycled materials, will allow XC40 customers to express a more individualistic style than in other Volvo cars.
Functional practicality has also been a major focus on the inside of the XC40, where smart features like a removable rubbish bin, a cubby hole hook, a dedicated smartphone storage area with wireless charging, and a multi-adaptable boot floor, transform a typically cluttered and sometimes messy car interior into a place of serenity and organised efficiency.
Connectivity and infotainment
All new Volvos are now connected, thanks to Volvo’s connectivity and infotainment system called Sensus.Sensus Connect gives you access to apps for entertainment, navigation and service in the car.
Entertainment apps include TuneIn , Record & Send and Spotify, while the navigation apps are
Local Search, Send to Car, Weather, WikiLocations Internet map and Glympse.
The portrait-oriented touch screen enables easy and fast access to a host of functions and features. Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also available.
Powertrain technology
The XC40 is powered by Volvo’s Drive-E petrol and diesel engines, mated to an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission. The XC40 is the first Volvo model to use the company’s new three-cylinder engine, the first in the company’s 91-year history and based on the same modular design as its four-cylinder engines.
Power output ranges from 150hp to 252hp.
Safety and driver assistance
The XC40 brings a new standard of safety to the small SUV premium segment, as the car takes on board the award-winning safety technologies known from Volvo’s 90 and 60 Series cars.
Safety and driver assistance features offered on the XC40 include Volvo’s pilot assist system, the latest generation of city safety, run-off road protection and mitigation, cross traffic alert with auto brake and the 360° camera that helps drivers manoeuvre their car into tight parking spaces. These and other technologies make the XC40 one of the best-equipped small premium SUVs.
Volvo’s City Safety technology, standard on all Volvo models, combines automatic braking functionality and collision avoidance systems to cover a range of potential accident scenarios.
City Safety is the only system on the market that detects pedestrians, cyclists and large animals.
As at April 1, pricing of the Volvo XC40 will range from R511 100 to R676 500. The XC40 comes with Volvo’s five-year/100 000km warranty and maintenance plan.
