India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today. Our country has the youngest population in the world. The Indian automobile industry has emerged as one of the fastest growing and most dynamic in the world today - high economic growth and more youth buyers in the market have attributed to this growth. With an increase in disposable income young car buyers have pushed the demand for entry-level premium and luxury cars sky high! German heavyweights Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi have been enjoying a large slice of the market since a long time - Mercedes-Benz leads the trio. Volvo, the Swedish car giant has not been around in the Indian market for long, when compared to the competition; but is making quite a big impression with its exciting product line up. Volvo products are renowned for safety, world-class design, premium interiors and practical interiors, cutting-edge technology etc. This is evident in the brand’s line up for India – the Volvo XC90, S90, S60, XC60, V90, V40. The newly launched Volvo XC40 SUV is the latest car to join this exciting lineup. The addition of the XC40 ensures the hotly contested entry-level premium SUV segment has just gotten more exciting!
The most popular cars in the entry-level premium SUV segment are the Audi Q3, Mercedes Benz GLA, BMW X1. The cars are very popular in the country with young premium buyers looking to get their first premium/luxury car. The Volvo XC40 brings with it a lot of excitement and promise for the Swedish brand as it looks towards creating a foothold in the Indian market. The Q3, GLA and X1 sport a design which is based on their larger siblings hence making them look a lot like their mini-versions (for e.g. the Audi Q3 looks like a mini-Q7), as car manufacturers do tend to maintain a common design language amongst their model lineups. The Volvo XC40 disrupts this trend. The XC40 is manufactured on Volvo’s new platform – Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), with clever engineering and innovative design the team at Volvo have done a spectacular job of making the XC40 standout by giving it a unique identity. You will surely not mistake this for a smaller version of the Volvo XC90 flagship. The design of the XC40 is more angular than its competitors. The tall and muscular stance of the car gives it good road presence. The XC40 has good dimensions – not too big nor too small, hence making it perfect for the urban environment. Youthful and new-age are two words that describe the Volvo XC40 very well. The distinctive Volvo Thor-inspired front DRL’s do duty on the XC40 as well. Moving inside the XC40 you notice the simplicity and elegance the very high-quality premium interiors have to offer. The leather-wrapped steering wheel feels very nice to hold and the seats are ever so comfortable even on long journeys. With a high seating position, there is good visibility all around. Though a luxury car the Volvo XC40 is very practical as well, giving it an edge over its competitors. The large storage bins in the door can easily store a small laptop or an iPad, hold a 1 L water bottle too. There are a lot of storage holds and cubby holds for keeping your nick nacks. There is a place to wirelessly charge your smartphone as well under the central console. The XC40 gets a large 9-inch touchscreen for controlling everything from air-conditioning to infotainment, navigation. The AC vents are vertical rather than the conventional horizontal, giving the interiors a sharp look. The overall black interiors have been complemented well with the orange colored carpets adding a vibrant flair. The second row of seats are spacious and comfortable; however, seating 3 adults might be a squeeze. Car buyers today are seeking all the bells and whistles with respect to features and technology. You should know that Volvo has you covered on that front with a laundry list of features and technology - Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Adaptive Cruise Control, digital instrument cluster, panoramic sunroof, electric tailgate, heat ventilated seats and an amazing Harman Kardon sound system to name a few. A very interesting feature is the park-in park-out function, this allows the XC40 to park into or out of a parking spot on its own; certainly, one feature Indians would enjoy. How can a Volvo review be written without mentioning the safety features it provides? Volvo prides itself to be one of the pioneers of automotive safety…the XC40 comes loaded with safety kit including radar-based safety technology such as – adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind spot assist, emergency braking, pilot assist (semi-autonomous driving), multiple airbags (both for passengers and driver), hill descent control, ESP, traction control. The XC40 rides well and maintains good driving composure overall. The suspension is tuned a bit firm, but you would notice this at lower speeds; once you pick up the pace the XC40 gobbles up potholes and bad patches well. The car maintains good straight-line stability and is a good companion to have on highways. Do keep in mind that this is a heavy SUV, hence you will feel some body roll around corners or winding sections of road. Powering the XC40 is a 190 bhp diesel engine which gives energetic and lively power delivery having a very good mid-range. The turbo lag is minimal. Currently, there is only a diesel engine option available for the Indian market, we do expect Volvo to be bringing in the petrol engine option soon.
Over the years the German trio of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz have been the go-to luxury car brands for Indian buyers looking out for a premium/luxury car. Volvo with their XC40 has just given an awesome alternative to consider. As Volvo seeks to disrupt the Indian luxury car market, the XC40 has all the ingredients to be a volume getter for the Swedish brand in India. As of now, Volvo has only launched the R-Design spec variant for India at a price of Rs.39.90 lakh. Prices are expected to decrease once local assembly begins. All brands today are looking at a car which can catch the eye of the buyers and become a huge success – Volvo might have just found theirs in the XC40. We are very excited to see how this car performs in the Indian market….Are you?
