Despite the fact that Volvo isn’t the best seller in the international market, the company keeps developing new cars which are not only safe but look fabulous as well. The entry level premium car market did not consist of any Volvo models earlier, and therefore a few months back the company introduced the Volvo V40. It was an attempt to develop an affordable and practical car for the masses, and to an extent it was successful.
Yesterday the company unveiled the Volvo V40 Cross Country, a new model that could be the toughest competitor to the BMW X1 yet.
While we were speculating the car to be named as XC40 and were expecting it to be a full sized practical SUV, Volvo surprised us by naming it V40 and saying that it is a mild crossover only. Essentially it the V40 hatch with a higher ride height (40 mm higher than the standard V40).
Some of the unique cross country details that distinguish it with the V40 standard, are as follows:
- Wheels with the same size as the Volvo V70, including up to 19-inch rims.
- The front with dark, contrasting bumper, honeycomb mesh grille and upright DRL-lights.
- The sculpted, contrasting sills.
- The contrasting rear bumper with integrated skid plate.
Luggage space is adequate but can be increased by folding the two piece, 40/60 rear seats. Features on the inside include audio system with CD, USB/AUX/iPod connectivity, two cup holders, a 12V power outlet, glove compartment with space for two soft drink cans, Electronic climate control system. Other convenient features are as follows:
- Height adjustable headrests on the front seats and the centre rear seat.
- A sunglass compartment above the driver’s door.
- A penholder in the glove compartment.
- Integrated cup holder in the rear seat.
- Handy storage under the instrument panel, on the front seat cushions, on the front seat backrests and on the outside of the rear seats.
The car features an all wheel drive system that offers class leading driving dynamics. It equips a 2.5 litre T5 turbocharged petrol engine that delivers 254 BHP of max power and 400 Nm of peak torque. It helps the car sprint from 0-100 km/hr in 6.1 seconds and consumers 7.8 litre of fuel per 100 km. There is also a 1.6 litre GTDi T4 engine that offers 180 BHP of max power of 270 Nm of max torque. Fuel consumption for this engine is around 5.5 litres per 100 km. A 2.0 litre 5 cylinder T4 unit is also available in certain markets.
Transmission options include a six speed Powershift automatic gearbox and a six speed manual gearbox. A range of fuel efficient diesel engines are also on offer.
We certainly doubt whether the car could give the X1 a tough competition or not, but considering the features in offers and the looks, it could be brilliant choice for buyers not looking for the very common X1 and Q3.
More details about the car will be disclosed at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. So stay tuned.
