[shreephadnis]

It is all wheel drive

[zavegur]

I test drove this machine (Inscription- top end) a week back and I am completely floored with the myriad little things that are only possible by Vovlo.

To drive- I found it simply awesome, yes it was sluggish (its only a relative word) but boy it brought that grin remember its a 2.3 ton monster. Where its at home is on highways and pothole ridden roads. Seating position and the driver aids available on the tap of a screen are just awesome.

I believe this is a new design language and will hold good for about 5 years. I believe the engine is BS6 proof- has a space for urea tank by the diesel inlet cap. Which is also well thought.

I wasnt able to test the intelligent radar and the park assist as I was already mind blown seeing and driving it. But I am sure these are bug free and work pretty straight forward.

I think its a good proposition for buyers who look at X1, Q3, LR or even the sedans around this price range. I can surely say that this is the best we can get in terms of technology.

Few little thinks I loved:
1. there is a small coin compartment to the side of rear passenger seat
2. Coat hook is different- its got holes in it for you to fit your hanger
3. safer than a house- the windows are basic bullet proof (not sure of the spec though)
4. Can not topple over- I wouldnt bet that against our 'drivers'
5. The boot can actually be a bench- flat and seat 2.
6. the boot can convert so conveniently two partitions, hooks, charging etc etc
7. The front seats- oh wow

Plenty more as such - in few words- its a complete car.

Z

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by zavegur

I believe this is a new design language and will hold good for about 5 years. I was the engine as well is BS6 proof- has a space for urea tank by the diesel inlet cap. Which is alos well thought.

Z

I dont think the engine can be retrofitted to BS6 economically. The space is there for the versions that are configured for BS6

4. cannot topple over- i wouldnt bet that against our 'drivers'

Any car can topple over, it all depends on how you want to challenge gravity! The only car that won't topple is a Citroen 2CV since it has interconnected suspension and and engine hardy powerful enough to force it to challenge gravity !

[zavegur]

Thanks Ajmat, may be true the sales person was mentioning that they would recall the car to make it compliant. May be a sdales pitch. Will question them more on this.

Topple comment- again a sales pitch I am sure.

But this car is on a huge demand globally- it is said that only 4 cars are allotted to India every month that too is given to a customer who has paid or substantially paid for the machine.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by zavegur

I
3. safer than a house- the windows have basic bullet proof (not sure of the spec though)

This is the first time I am hearing this. And I am sure this is just more crap from your SA like the statements above about BS6 and car not toppling over.

5. The boot can actually be a bench- flat and seat 2.

Again a first for me. In a car which advocates safety like no other, you are thinking of making 2 people cramp up inside that boot on the flat seat!

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

This is the first time I am hearing this. And I am sure this is just more crap from your SA like the statements above about BS6 and car not toppling over.

Yes this is SA spewing BS. However while it may not be bulletproof but all Volvos do have significantly thicker than average laminated glass all round unlike most vehicles which have laminated glass only in the front. Lots of us have had issues with Fasttag not working properly because of this. Almost always the chap has to come and read the tag via a handheld scanner as the one on top doesn't work.

[dash2385]

Hi,

I recently had the opportunity to test drive and check out the XC40 in Mumbai. We were considering an entry-level luxury car for the first time. The shortlisted ones were X1, XC40 and Skoda Kodiaq.

We did not consider the Q3 because the model was too old, also not a fan of the looks and the GLA was simply too small for the back seat.

The XC40 completely blew us away except for two things (will come to that later).

The attention to detail in the car is amazing. What we loved:
Wireless Charging
Overall fit and finish of the entire cabin, feels very premium.
The tech inside the car, for example, the console is very upscale and modern, none of the other cars come close. The XC40 gets the same display as the XC60 and 90.
The safety features - Auto braking, active cruise control, lane assist, etc. (I am on the highway a lot, so these features set this car apart for me).
The USB-C charging at the back.
The overall build quality of the car also felt very very good.
Driving wise it was not as exciting as the BMW but it does do a great job at being an allrounder. Does not feel sluggish or slow. You feel safe once you are inside.
The front seat comfort is great, very ergonomic.
The trashbin, my wife loved it, as she always puts one in all our cars.
The back seat also has a decent room, I read somewhere that the X1 has more space, it surely does not feel that way. I can say this with confidence as X1 is the one we finally purchased.
The Digital instrument cluster also looks stunning.

Dislikes:
The first major issue is that the rear seat is very upright. I personally sit at the back a lot and here it seemed like there is no way to sit back and relax. I don't know if this can be modified later but for me it is was a big downer. Also, there are absolutely no adjustments on the rear eat, which other cars do offer. The seats are not uncomfortable, there is good room and cushioning but it's like sitting in attention.

The second is the price. This is the primary reason we did not end up buying the car. The final price at which we closed the X1 deal was a whopping 30%+ lower than the Volvo XC40 (roughly 10 lakhs).

In terms of technology, this is the best car in the segment without a doubt. I hope they can do something about the pricing. At the same price as X1, Q3, GLA, this would, without doubt, be the best pick of the lot.

[VPJ74]

The Volvo SA called to say that the Volvo will be launching a brand new XC40 R Design Petrol engine car by the end of Nov !! He also hinted that it would be priced around 40 ie lower than the diesel.

Wow this is fantastic news. I love the Volvo's but was unsure of the price, Diesel and back seating.

I am eager to see which of the above are resolved. Exciting times ahead ..

[sweetvar26]

For this who have owned the XC40 or other newer Volvo cars, how's the reliability and maintenance so far?

[bmw_lover]

The new Volvo XC 40 has been launched and it is now available for bookings (39.90 ex-showroom). Just last night saw the add on TV. This is the first SUV in Volvo Cars India line-up that is BSVI compliant. The XC40's diesel version has been discontinued for now. Although the brand promises that BSVI diesel engines will be available on its larger SUVs for the time being. The company has decided to move away from diesel globally, and no new engines will be developed after this generation.

Its been launched in the R-design edition. It basically means a sporty package with gloss black color theme including the roof and other distinctive and bold exterior design details and special color options.

In the west, it also includes features such as the Lava carpeting, a special R-Design steering wheel, sport paddle gear selectors, and seats finished in perforated Nappa Leather and Nubuck upholstery. Don't know if it will make way for India too. Though it should.

The heart is a 1,969 CC, 4 cylinder turbo petrol that makes 190 PS at 4,000 rpm and 300 Nm at 1,750 rpm, paired with 8 speed AT. This is the same unit as in other Volvos and gives you one or two ratios more than it's competitors. Drivers can choose from four drive modes. An Off-Road mode is available at low speeds, but it loses out on AWD. It's based on the CMA platform which was derived from the larger SPA platform.

The 9 inch Sensus infotainment screen, the digital instrument cluster and the overall theme of the cabin are from the bigger Volvos. Feature include wireless charging, the panoramic sunroof, the 14-speaker HK system, and front seats with lumbar support and extendable squabs.

The 2,702mm wheelbase is the longest in this class. We also get lane-keeping assistance, lane departure and adaptive cruise control, airbags for all occupants. Most of these segment firsts. The XC 40 also has a 5 star Global NCAP rating.

1
2
3

Couldn't find better pics

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by bmw_lover

An Off-Road mode is available at low speeds, but it loses out on AWD.

Well, what does the "off road" mode do if there is no AWD? Display a message on the MID that you are off the road?

[Jaggu]

Chetan Rao and I had the opportunity to test-drive Volvo’s XC40 with the new T4 petrol engine. This post focuses mainly on the characteristics of the petrol variant and the changes vis-à-vis the D4 diesel variant. A comprehensive review of the D4 by Khan Sultan and Moralfibre is available here.

The XC40 now comes in six colour options (Glacier Silver, Crystal White Pearl, Onyx Black Metallic, Bursting Blue Metallic, Fusion Red Metallic, Thunder Grey) instead of the three we used to get earlier. Our test car was red with a black roof:


From the front, the XC40 looks young and handsome:


This is a very contemporary design if you ask me. The black roof and pillars go well with the overall character:


Rear three quarter view brings out that sporty design of the car:


The seats and doorpads are all black, or shades of dark grey. Personally, I love the theme compared to the Lava Red one that was seen on the D4. Here's a look at the front doorpad:


Seat upholstery is single-finish leather (no Alcantara + Nubuck combo like the diesel). Driver's seat is comfortable, but might be too tight if you are on the higher end of the size scale:


Close up of the seat texture with nice white contrast stitching:


The panoramic sunroof is a nice touch. It makes the cabin well lit. Wonder how it would be under the peak summer sun?


It keeps the cabin bright even with the cover on:


Smartphone connectivity and the resized map on that huge touchscreen. Is it a limitation with the phone OS or is it the car's software?


While most of the players in the premium compact SUV segment (X1, GLA & Q3) have always come with petrol engines, this is the first time Volvo is offering a petrol powerplant in the XC40. The T4 engine is a 1,969cc turbocharged motor producing 187 BHP and 300 Nm. While these figures are not very high from an enthusiast's point of view, they are capable of giving reasonable highs to a normal user as we experienced during the test drive. There is definite turbo lag below 1,800 rpm, but beyond that, the engine's character really changes. The pull between 2,500 - 4,000 rpm is quite a lot of fun. This motor is free-revving and eagerly jumps a couple of thousand rpms within the blink of an eye, but taking it beyond the sweet spot really does not help the acceleration, as we learned while using manual mode. Manual mode is controlled by paddles-only. No +/- slots have been provided on the shifter. Do note that even in manual mode, the 8-speed gearbox will upshift when it reaches the redline and does not hold a gear. The same was observed during the review of the D4. The engine note is another thing that struck us. When we first sat inside the car, both Chetan and I felt it was louder than we expected in a vehicle with a premium turbo petrol engine. Perhaps we were a little biased by the reviews we got before we drove. Having said that, surprisingly the same engine tone sounded reasonably muted about 15 minutes into the drive. I really could not pinpoint why this happened, since it was an already warmed up engine that we experienced. The motor feels gruff if you keep pushing the revvs beyond 5,500 rpm and it does not have a racy note. My guess is that this is either a downside of Euro sound emission norms or it may be due to the huge resonator box sitting at the rear of the engine. In short, the engine is neither loud, nor the most silent, but sings in a very "firm and gentlemanly" tone.

In the real world, the car is surprisingly fast, even for the tight overtaking maneuvers that one would have to undertake on the undivided highways in Goa. With a gentle foot, the gearbox seamlessly shifts up at under 2,500 rpm. There is absolutely no jerk or head-bobbing experienced while driving at a normal pace. When you get behind the wheel, you just need to go a little heavy with your right foot and the 'box will happily downshift a cog or two depending on the pressure applied. But, the gearbox did get confused once or twice during our test-drive. With the accelerator pedal pressed half the way, it shifted up first and then down abruptly a moment later. The rpms at which shifts occur vary according to how aggressively one stomps the A pedal. While the gearbox is not the most enthusiastic one out there (yes, there is a very short delay during shifts just like in D4), it is not a slouch either, even with the T4 engine, which has lesser torque (300 Nm vs 400 Nm of the D4). The one time that the engine struggled was on a rather steep incline. On purpose, we came to a standstill and then tried to power out. Sadly, the engine-gearbox combo could not really do much for the couple of seconds taken till the engine climbed to ~2,500 rpm. Keep in mind that this was with just two adults on board. In a fully loaded car with say 4-5 adults and luggage, it could be a concern. Our guess is that this is one of the reasons why the all-wheel drive mechanicals have been dropped in the T4 variant. Having those would have meant more power loss at the transmission.

Unlike the diesel, the petrol does not get an all-wheel drive system. Few buyers in this segment would care about it or pay a premium for the same. On the other hand, it will provide that precious 1 or 1.5 km/l more for the fuel it burns. Coming to the topic of fuel consumption, driving with a light foot, the MID showed a figure of 10 l/100 km. With photography and spirited driving, the MID showed 25 l/100 km. It is fair to expect 6-8 km/l in city and anything between 9-12 km/l on the highway.

Cabin insulation is not the best (I am used to the super silent interior of the Ford Endeavour), but is not alarmingly loud either. The ride is rather choppy till ~40 km/h. You will feel all the undulations on the road. Passengers will feel them even more. But as the speed increases, things settle down. The XC40 is unfazed while it takes on those unexpected potholes or culverts at highway speeds.

The neat and tidy engine bay with the T4 petrol engine:


The engine sounds very different. It's most likely the resonator that sits close to the firewall that is the culprit:


Turbo though, is well shielded for heat and sound insulation:

[Sreesh1009]

I just saw Faisal Khan's review on this car and read your review as well. This seems more like a sedate driver's car rather than an enthusiast. Was the chime of the Speed Alert system loud or was it tolerable?
Thanks.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

...This seems more like a sedate driver's car rather than an enthusiast....

Depends what one wants to do with it.

It's obviously not a low-slung car that one would red-line to glory and corner hard in, but it's a tight handler (for its form factor) with a really meaty mid-range, a mature suspension and superb brakes. It was a lot of fun around internal Goa roads.

It's no time-trialer (not meant to be one), but it's surprisingly quick in the band it'll spend most of its lifetime in. One for the 'practical' enthusiast.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Depends what one wants to do with it.

It's obviously not a low-slung car that one would red-line to glory and corner hard in, but it's a tight handler (for its form factor) with a really meaty mid-range, a mature suspension and superb brakes. It was a lot of fun around internal Goa roads.

It's no time-trialer (not meant to be one), but it's surprisingly quick in the band it'll spend most of its lifetime in. One for the 'practical' enthusiast.

Very well said.

All, I often mind members of T-BHP bemoaning about a car not being an enthusiasts car. And I have often wondered what that means. I mean where in India does one drive like an enthusiast on a regular basis? Even on the new broad highways you have to be thoughtful and drive defensively what with idiots and cattle.

The Volvo XC40 is a nifty peppy car with all the josh you could want within the safety parameters of Indian roads.