Volvo has become somewhat of a giant killer of late, what with launching a number of award winning models, such as the XC 90 & and XC 60. Now they have landed the exciting compact SUV , the XC 40 in SA. And it has definitely made waves amongst the motoring scribes who attended the launch in Fourways Jhb.

And it already has a high profile award to its name, being made the 2018 European Car of the Year.
The new Volvo XC40 brings a fresh breath of Swedish air to the premium compact SUV segment, throwing away the rulebook to create a new motoring experience where individual style meets a functional and supremely minimalistic driving environment.

The latest model has come with a very edgy and stylish exterior look, and an interior that promises high end look and feel as well. including the revered 9-inch Sensus Connect touch screen and digital instrument cluster. New design elements like the optional contrasting black or white roof, white mirror caps and wheels, Oxide Red leather and ‘Lava’ carpets, which are made from 100% recycled materials, will allow XC40 customers to express a more individualistic style.

Features like a removable rubbish bin, a cubby hole hook, a dedicated smartphone storage area with wireless (inductive) charging, and a multi-adaptable boot floor, make this SUV stand out from the crowd.

Exterior Styling.

The contrasting roof with the body, especially in black & white really pops. The Volvo XC40 looks like a sculpted athlete, with lots of angles and concave design cues. The LED lights have the Thor hammer signature in the front, with the front air intakes and grille setting a muscular pose. At the rear the classic Volvo rear lights climb from midway of the boot to close to the roof. It gives a classic look with the twin exhausts. 18 inch and 19 inch aluminium wheels give the Volvo a sporty air.

Interior.

The interior is very Swedish style all around. With R-Design upholstery in a myriad of colours, the leather is upmarket. It also has R design door inlay. A sporty gearknob with perforated leather and sporty pedals are a sporty knod. A R design steering wheel and sports floor mats complete the look. The media centre is geared for Andriod and AppleCarplay as most modern cars are these days.

A number of key features in the operation of the car are available.

CITY SAFETY WITH FRONT COLLISION WARNING AND FULL AUTOBRAKE
City Safety is included as standard in the new XC40. This system senses potential collisions, even when it is dark, and can activate the brakes automatically should you not react in time. City Safety provides three levels of intervention; warning, brake support and full autonomous braking, and uses a combination of instruments and sensors to constantly monitor surrounding conditions.

PEDESTRIAN, CYCLIST AND LARGE ANIMAL DETECTION
The ground-breaking Pedestrian, Cyclist and Large Animal Detection technology detects and automatically brakes the vehicle in the event of a pedestrian, cyclist or large animal (such as cattle) stepping/swerving/jumping out in front of the car. The advanced sensor system scans the area ahead and will prompt you to act with a flashing warning light, along with an audible alarm. If you do not react to the warning, and a collision is imminent, the car immediately brakes with full braking force.

REAR COLLISION WARNING WITH BRAKING AT STANDSTILL
Rearward facing radar detects if a rear impact is imminent, and safety belts are tightened in advance in order to protect the occupants. Lights also start flashing to warn the driver behind and brakes are activated to help reduce the impact movement.

LANE KEEPING AID
Lane Keeping Aid is a standard-fitted system that helps the driver keep the car in its lane by gently steering the car back if it is about to cross a lane marking, and if the car senses that the driver is not driving actively, or for example, not using their indicators. If the supplied steering intervention is insufficient the driver is alerted by vibrations in the steering wheel. The system is active between 65-200 km/h.

ROAD SIGN INFORMATION SYSTEM
The new XC40 can also help you stay informed by displaying real-world road sign information within your instrument display. This function also has the ability to warn the driver should the vehicle exceed the current road speed limit. At Volvo we understand that you have a lot on your mind sometimes.

PILOT ASSIST
Optionally available, is Volvo’s next generation of semi-autonomous technology. The Adaptive Cruise Control feature maintains the desired set vehicle speed but utilises radar to monitor the vehicle in front and automatically slows down or speeds up as necessary. In an evolution of this, Pilot Assist also takes care of the steering (up to 130 km/h and when lane markings are clearly visible) by continually monitoring the area in front of the vehicle, making the necessary steering, accelerator and brake inputs as required to keep to the desired speed, distance and within the lane markings.

BLIND SPOT INFORMATION SYSTEM WITH CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT
The Blind Spot Information System uses sensors to alert the driver to vehicles within the mirror blind spots, on either side of the vehicle. Cross Traffic Alert uses radar to provide information to the driver about vehicles approaching from the side – for example when reversing out of a parking space. New in the XC40, Cross Traffic Alert now also includes braking support, which allows the car to brake on its own if an impact from either side is imminent.

PARK ASSIST PILOT
This function allows the car to take over steering control in difficult parallel or perpendicular parking spots. The driver is prompted to control the throttle, braking and gear inputs. The “park out” function also assists in exiting tighter spots.

VISUAL PARK ASSIST 360º CAMERAS
During low speed manoeuvres, the Visual Park Assist 360º Cameras provide the driver with additional information relating to the car’s surroundings. A birds-eye view of the car is provided via four hidden cameras, digitally stitched together to create a seamless image on the centre screen.

RUN-OFF ROAD MITIGATION AND RUN-OFF ROAD PROTECTION
Run-off road accidents are amongst the largest cause of single vehicle accidents. To combat this, Volvo Cars has developed two support systems aimed at helping to avoid a run-off road accident from taking place, or protecting the car’s occupants in the case of an unavoidable road departure.

DRIVER ALERT CONTROL
Distraction, lack of concentration, and falling asleep are major reasons for accidents. In 2007 Volvo Cars introduced a world-first technology to combat this danger. Driver Alert Control keeps track of the car’s path in relation to lane markings on either side, by means of the camera in the windscreen. If the system detects that the car is being driven in an erratic manner the driver gets an alert in the form of an audible signal as well as a text message and a coffee cup symbol in the driver display, that indicate it is time to take a break.

Engines.

The Volvo XC40 launches in SA with a choice of two trim levels (the sporty R-Design and elegant Momentum), two engines (D4 diesel or T5 petrol), and all-wheel drive on all models. Top-of-the-range Inscription derivatives arrive later in 2018, as well as the T3 front-wheel drive version.

The T3 is 1477 cc and puts out 115kw @5000 rpm with 265 Nm of torque,it gets to 200 km/h and 0 to 100km in 9,4 secs. The T5 is a 2.0 L that pushes out 185 kw @5500 rpm and 350 Nm of torque. The D4 geartronic AWD is a 2.0 L that pushes out 140 kw and 400 Nm of torque. They are pretty zippy, but my choices would be the D4 and the T5.

The new Volvo XC 40 is a super looking SUV and is a head turner for sure. It starts at R485 000 and is R640 000 for the top models. It comes with standard with 5 year/100 000km Volvo plan.

Summing up, its another great car from Vovo that will definitely challenge for Wesbank Car of the Year 2019 .