Volvo XC40

 Volvo’s smallest SUV packs a big punch!

- Abhay Verma

As a luxury car manufacturer Volvo has successfully overhauled its image in the recent past. Its new generation offerings boast more panache than their German rivals thanks to their Scandinavian design, generous equipment levels as also the rich feel they offer. And with the XC40, Volvo is taking that battle to what is the volumes segment as far as luxury cars are concerned, the compact luxury SUV segment. The XC40 did impress us when we first drove it, in Spain, and it’s now time to tell you what the smallest Volvo SUV yet feels like to drive on Indian soil.

Style and substance

The XC40 looks typically Volvo though the lines are not as curvy as the XC60 or the XC90’s. It is in fact one of the few cars that look nearly identical to their concept form. That said, it gets the trademark Volvo grille and ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED daytime running lamps.

Its unladen ground clearance of 211mm hints at its SUV status as does the upright stance and high-set clamshell bonnet. The XC40 also looks very distinctive from the sides with its gloss black roof and sharply angled rear window sill.

Volvo’s design team has taken its time perfecting the SUV’s styling, something that is apparent at the rear, where the trademark Volvo tail lights get a makeover and looks fresh and distinctive. The tailgate looks simple yet elegant while dual exhausts add a hint of sportiness, as do the 18-inch alloy wheels. On the whole the design is a mix of youthfulness, and the stylish elegance Volvo’s new age designs are known for, which is in line with the fact that Volvo is targeting millennials with this SUV.

What’s inside?