Swanky, Safe, And More Affordable

The Volvo XC40 T3 with its turbocharged three-cylinder engine brings a less pricey entry point to the XC40 range.

- Glenda Williams

Picture this. A luxury train perched on a bridge over a gorge, the water below alive with crocodiles, the banks teeming with buffalo. A plume of dust in the distance signals the approach of a convoy of Volvo XC40s and XC90s making their way to Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge, in the Kruger National Park. I am one of the lucky devils driving one of those cars. My choice, the Volvo XC40 T3 Inscription.

With the newly-launched XC40 T4, top-of-the-range XC40 T5, or big brother XC90 T8 hybrid on offer, why, you may ask, the choice of the entry-level 3-cylinder XC40? The reason is sound, I assure you.

Back in the day, more cylinders equated to more power, but turbo technology has meant that the number of cylinders has become somewhat irrelevant. So, three-cylinder engines have been making a comeback.

These engines are smaller, flexible across multiple platforms and more lightweight than their four-piston counterparts. That equates to cheaper manufacturing costs.

Being the smallest, most affordable engine offered, the T3 is the entry point to the XC40 range, Volvo’s premium compact SUV.

The Volvo XC40 is the company’s top-selling model globally. And it is South Africa’s most successful premium compact SUV. “The XC40 had an 8.4% share of its segment in 2019; that grew to 14.7% last year,” says Greg Maruszewski, managing director at Volvo Car South Africa.

Volvo’s more affordable three-cylinder offering, the XC40 T3, is available in three specification levels: Momentum, Inscription and R-Design.

Style and creature comfort in spades