[PraNeel]

In a comparison with BMW X1, Audi Q3 the XC 40 comes out as a breath of fresh air. As soon one looks at it with others and those smashing interiors and clever tech it feels like money well spent (I wish I had the money though ).
Volvo has a winner here, they should focus on availability and good dealer experience to make BMW and Audi sit up and notice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KXplRpoA_k

[volkman10]

Volvo XC40 Momentum, Inscription launched.

Bookings are already underway for both Momentum and Inscription variants, with the booking amount being set at Rs 2 lakh and deliveries expected to begin toward the end of August.

Two new variants - a base model and a top-of-the-line trim - are now part of the baby XC range; R-Design edition prices go up.

two weeks on from the launch, all 200 examples of the XC40 R-Design have been booked. As a result, the R-Design is now pricier, and Volvo has added two more variants to the XC40 line-up – Momentum and Inscription.

The XC40 Momentum is priced at Rs 39.9 lakh, the R-Design (launched at an introductory price of Rs 39.9 lakh) now costs Rs 42.9 lakh and the top-of-the-line Inscription variant is priced at Rs 43.9 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).

Link

[volkman10]

Volvo XC40 Secures 5 Star Euro NACP rating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEk1GHbPfVQ

[volkman10]

Volvo, the brand synonymous with SAFETY is at it again.

Volvo XC40 is amongst the top five cars for this aspect of safety tested by Euro NCAP in the last three years.

Meanwhile not surprising it also gets 5 star rating in ANCAP tests too.

[docsr]

Hello.
Have been going through the specs of the various models of the Volvo XC40.
Between the R-Design and Inscription, besides the various cosmetic differences, the suspension set up seems to be different - one has the 'R-Design " suspension and the inscription a "4C" suspension. From what I understand, reading on the net, the 4C suspension provides some variety of dampening based on the speed of travel and other inputs.
I have a few queries about this 4C setup:
1. Will this adjust the suspension stiffness based on drive mode selected?
2. Is it similar to the Frequency Selective Dampening of the Jeep Compass?
3. How is this different of the suspension setup in the more expensive siblings such as the XC60?
4. Will it make much real-world difference in usual driving conditions.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by docsr

Hello.
I have a few queries about this 4C setup:
1. Will this adjust the suspension stiffness based on drive mode selected?
2. Is it similar to the Frequency Selective Dampening of the Jeep Compass?
3. How is this different of the suspension setup in the more expensive siblings such as the XC60?
4. Will it make much real-world difference in usual driving conditions.

From what I understand, the suspension on the inscription will be electronically adjustable steel springs. These will probably be linked to drive modes.

The xc60 sold in India has air suspension. Xc40 will have steel springs.

Jeep's terminology is just marketing speak. It is not adaptive in terms of stiffness and nor is it comparable to this.

How much difference? Can't really say as no one has driven an xc40 inscription here.

[Brishti]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Jeep's terminology is just marketing speak. It is not adaptive in terms of stiffness and nor is it comparable to this.

The FCA people were really pushy about the FSD technology so did a bit of my own research and it turns out all that tech is from KONI

http://media.fcanorthamerica.com/pdf.do?id=17954

and

http://www.koni.com/Cars/Technology/ACTIVE_Technology/

"In general suspension terms, the conflict between comfort and handling can be split in two different frequency areas:

For comfort, with the suspension moving in a high frequency area (± 10 Hz), it is neccessary for low damping forces for the vehicle to remain comfortable.

For handling, with the suspension moving in a low frequency area (± 1 Hz), it is neccessary for high damping forces for the vehicle to remain safe and in control.

Conventional dampers are unable to solve the conflict in terms of comfort and handling, however if you are able to create a damper which can change the damping force level in relation to the frequency of the movement, you will be able to solve this conflict."

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by Brishti

Conventional dampers are unable to solve the conflict in terms of comfort and handling, however if you are able to create a damper which can change the damping force level in relation to the frequency of the movement, you will be able to solve this conflict."

There exists a perfect solution to that problem - it's called magnetic ride or whatever which uses some form of ferrofluid to damp vibrations. This is what is used on many sports or high performance cars.

What is present in Jeep exists in pretty much every decent modern near luxury car or better to some extent. I can feel the same in my v40 - the damper becomes rock hard on highways but at slow speeds, the ride is supple.

However a real adaptive damper allows one to select the behavior of the damper based on user input or setting. This is sold as an option on many luxury cars.

Beyond this for higher end luxury cars, there is air suspension or airmatic or whatever the brands call it that offers the ultimate in ride quality. These compromise on the handling to some degree however to provide that cushy ride.

[V.Narayan]

I test drove this car today. If ever a hybrid version were to come out it would be in my sights. The 8-speed automatic gearbox is very smooth. Smoother than my XC60 and close to the Lexus ES300 hybrid. The interiors are a whole step above the old XC60 I have. The interiors could give Mercedes competition. Its interiors are better than those of the S90 I evaluated 20 months back and other than the wood finish even better than my Lexus ES300h. Volvo have really upped the game. The luggage area aft has some interesting useful features like low slung hooks to keep shopping bags from getting tossed around. The pax seat moves forward a lot giving the left rear pax more leg room than in my XC60. The front screen is finally a touch screen. Numerous safety features which I did not have time to test or fully understand. Apparently each dealer was allotted 18 units and almost all got sold out in a week. 18 is not a large number but I am pleased to see Volvo getting its act together. This car is so good looking it deserves another test drive.

The present variant is called 'R' priced at 39 odd. The next will be Momentum one notch lower which will then take this price slot and the present 'R' will be priced up by Rs 42L. The Inscription, the highest variant, will then come with at Rs 44L.

[kaviprem]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The next will be Momentum one notch lower which will then take this price slot and the present 'R' will be priced up by Rs 42L. The Inscription, the highest variant, will then come with at Rs 44L.

Are you sure about this? As per a few posts in this thread, this change in price has already happened. Rather, its not the change in price, but the 39L and odd is only for the "not yet launched" Momentum variant!

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by kaviprem

Are you sure about this? As per a few posts in this thread, this change in price has already happened. Rather, its not the change in price, but the 39L and odd is only for the "not yet launched" Momentum variant!

I put down what the dealer told me.

[deepjaju]

Originally Posted by kaviprem

Are you sure about this? As per a few posts in this thread, this change in price has already happened. Rather, its not the change in price, but the 39L and odd is only for the "not yet launched" Momentum variant!

This happened almost few weeks back itself. I had also posted the spec sheet for the different variants on offer.
Can check the pricing here:
https://www.cardekho.com/volvo/xc40

The Momentum now costs the same as the 'introductory' R Design @ 39.90L.
The R Design now costs 42.9L and Inscription 43.9L
From the specs sheet the basic difference between the Inscription & R-Design is the interior trim and Inscription has Four-C chassis (not sure whether it has adaptive suspension).

One more thing, only the R-Design variant in the entire Volvo range come with paddle shifters. None of the other variants do, of which I don't understand the logic.

[GTO]

Drove the XC40 over the weekend. I must say, Volvo's designs are just W-O-W. The car grabs attention wherever you go. And that's just the exterior. I found the cabin styling to be even more impressive.

Solid build. Sweet cabin. Engine + gearbox tuning is okay (not as good as BMW & ZF or Audi & DSG). Features are top class. Rear seat a level too low and seatback (front seats) is rock hard. Suspension is typical Euro stuff. Lots of small innovative ideas in the car. Controls aren't intuitive (anyone who has owned a German car will have to relearn some things).

[nd4$pd]

I test drove the R Design on Saturday.
Features that blew me away:

• Adaptive cruise control - I used this in Bangalore traffic. Set it to 50kph. The car basically slowed down and ultimately stopped when the bus in front also stopped. Didn't need to touch the pedals

• Intellisafe Autopilot - The car steered itself around a small, well marked section of road. It was raining so the road markings were difficult to see. It worked for around a minute before disengaging (guess it could not see the road markings)

• Digitial Dashboard - In this price range this is an awesome feature. It was super high res (not sure of the resolution, but looked very sharp) and very easily configurable to show different drive information.

• Comfortable front seats - the front seats are extremely comfortable and adjustable.

The things that we did not like

• Back seat comfort - My wife likes seats to be more upright that usual. The non-adjustable backseat backrest meant she could not get comfortable - unlike the X1. I found the backseat to be low, I was sitting in a knees up position. Also the backseat is narrower than the width of the car would indicate. A lot of space between the door pads and the start of the seat is wasted.

• Engine - This is not a disappointment - but for an engine that's almost as powerful as the X1's it sure didn't seem as sprightly. This could be down to the gearbox and weight

• Ride and NVH - The ride was kind of middle of the road. Not as harsh as the X1 on runflats, not as cushioned as the GLA 220d 4Matic in comfort mode. The engine noise also filtered through a lot more than in the GLA

In my opinion the XC40 is head and shoulders above its competition. In price too since there are no discounts and the wait for the R-Design is 4-5 months.

[ChiragM]

Originally Posted by nd4$pd

Intellisafe Autopilot - The car steered itself around a small, well marked section of road. It was raining so the road markings were difficult to see. It worked for around a minute before disengaging (guess it could not see the road markings)

Did you take your hands off the steering wheel? If you take your hands off the wheel, the car gives you a warning initially and asks you to place your hand on the wheel (shows on the MID along with an audible warning). If there is no input from the driver, the system automatically disengages forcing the driver to take control of the steering.