Swedish brilliance

The new small Sports Utility Vehicle, the XC40, that Swedish manufacturer Volvo intends to bring to India soon is loaded with technology and will put up a strong challenge to bigger players

Until now most new Volvos have been large, stately sedans and SUVs. The smallest car in their range was the V40 hatchback. But when Chinese carmaker Geely bought over Volvo, they invested a lot of money on new platforms for vehicles and engines. The V40 was never a bestselling car and seemed rather incongruous, albeit a very nice car. But it was clear that Volvo needed a new small-vehicle platform and after seeing the success of vehicles like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, they needed a small SUV. And now Volvo has one. The new XC40, well, it won’t come to India anytime before the middle of 2018 but it was quite nice to experience it in an around Barcelona.

First off the bat, this is an attractive-looking small SUV, it has a great stance and looks really impressive. The kink at the rear of the window-line and the resultant massive C-pillar does remind you of some other cars on the market but suits the smaller XC40. While there is a family resemblance outside, especially with the “Thor’s Hammer” headlight design, I would not hesitate to say that this is one the best looking small SUVs out there.

In the inside, there is a much more modern Volvo feel to the car, similar touchscreen control pad but there are little hints that you are in the baby (and cheapest) car in the range. The audio system does not have the sound envelopment systems of the bigger cars, and does palpably feel smaller inside. Then again, after driving the gigantic 90 series of modern Volvos, the 40s would feel smaller. However, none of this means that the XC40 isn’t funky. The R-Design variant in white with its red carpeting definitely has a 70’s vibe to it. And the dashboard inserts and seats are all excellent. I didn’t get a chance to try out the rear seats for an extended period of time but it seemed spacious enough and the XC40 will easily transport the luggage of a family of four for a weekend out. But in terms of overall fit and finish, if Volvo brings in a high-specification vehicle, it will give the competition a lot of trouble because as an urban small SUV in terms of comfort and features, it is pretty darn good. I’m not sure Volvo will bring in all the features into India but it is pretty solid.

So it will come down to performance. The versions that I got to try out were the diesel D4 variant with 190hp of power and the T5 petrol which had 247hp. The diesel is actually quite nice and the XC40 has an equivalent amount of power as bigger competitors. Yes, the car does have a slight clatter to it. But on the highway cruising along at 100 km an hour the car trundled along nicely. You could select dynamic driving mode and make the car more exciting or you could get the petrol, which is a hoot to drive. But you can’t help thinking that Volvo could have put slightly smoother engines on board. But with the onboard computers controlling everything and cruising along at highway speeds on Catalonian highways around Barcelona, you never felt any lack of power. Indeed, if pushed, the petrol can be quite good fun.

On the face of it, the XC40 should be the best car in its class to buy. It has a combination of space, power, design and technology that makes it outscore all its rivals. So is there a reason to not buy one? Well, yes. Volvos are all priced at a premium compared to the competition. Look at the XC60 that was just launched, it costs three lakhs more than the recently launched Audi Q5, which is a bit.

The XC 40, when it comes to India, will cost around the 40 lakh mark, and even without discounts just by virtue of the tech onboard, would have a 3-5 lakh premium over its competitors. Now if you are just searching for a badge, then the XC40 is not for you. You will get better value on many other cars, you don’t need everything the car has to offer, but if you like driving and like technology, the XC40 is an awesome car and I can’t wait to drive it in India.