MOTORING
It’s official. The launch of the new XC40 has been Volvo’s most successful
in the UK…ever. Tees Life’s motor man Graham Courtney tells us more
MEET THE
CAR
V
olvo’s new compact SUV is selling at
an average of 2,000 cars a month and
has already racked-up a host of top awards
including being named European Car of the
Year and What Car? Car of the Year.
Those remarkable sales figures are
especially significant because the XC40 is
Volvo’s first ever compact SUV, and it is
already stealing sales from other premium
brands.
There are three levels of trim: Momentum,
Inscription and R-Design. Prices start at
£27,610. You can also get Pro Edition models
of each trim which add extra goodies.
Our favourite is the R-Design. To be
honest, R-Design is our favourite across
most of the Volvo range. You get a stylish,
sporty body kit which makes the car really
stand out. There are smart alloy wheels,
sports suspension, leather upholstery, folding
mirrors and parking sensors.
This is on top of a really good level of
standard equipment. Every XC40 comes
with sat nav, air con, DAB radio, auto wipers
and lights, electric windows and, of course,
a fabulous level of safety equipment which
of the
YEAR
makes it one of the safest cars in the world.
The interior is really smart with some neat,
funky touches around the cabin. Everything
is solid and feels good. Outside, the XC40 is
very, well, un-Volvo.
OUR CHOICE
Best model
XC40 R-Design -
from £29,460
Best engine
D4 AWD 2.0 litre
auto (£34,970)
Power 190hp
0-60 7.5 seconds
Top speed 130 mph
MPG 56.5 mpg
It stands out on its own and doesn’t look
as though it morphed from the bigger XC60/
XC90 models. It’s a handsome animal.
Roomy, too.
It’s also incredibly good to drive. Apart
from the entry level models, you get AWD
as standard. This makes the XC40 feel
wonderfully surefooted. It’s a car that will
happily trundle around town, blast along
the motorway or enjoy being hustled along
country lanes.
Engines are familiar to any Volvo fans with
a mixture of punchy D3 and D4 diesels and
smooth T3, T4 and T5 turbo petrol units.
Volvo was a late arrival into the small SUV
market in the UK. They’ve plainly taken
advantage of looking at the competition and
making sure they hit the bullseye with their
new baby.
If you want a premium, compact SUV, the
Volvo XC40 is the one to go for. It’s brilliant.
FACTFILE
PRICES for XC40 R-Design models
Petrol
T3 Manual
£29,460
T4 AWD auto
£33,920
T5 AWD auto
£35,420
Diesel
D3 manual
D3 auto
D3 AWD auto
D4 AWD auto
£30,860
£32,410
£34,120
£34,970
35