Swedish Invasion

In a rapidly growing segment worldwide, can Volvo put a dent in the sales of the German luxury triumvirate with the brand new XC40? We drive one in Hyderabad to find out.

- Ishan Raghava

For a carmaker on the path of resurgence, staying away from SUVs is virtually impossible in today’s market. Globally, customers have developed an insatiable appetite for SUVs, and the demand simply continues to grow. Volvo has already tasted success in this regard, with its highly popular XC90 and XC60 range of SUVs. In fact, Volvo’s brand image in India increased significantly with the current-gen XC90, which has well and truly changed the Indian customers’ perception of Volvo for good.

Naturally, then, it would make sense for Volvo to tap into the ever-growing compact luxury segment, which is dominated by the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA and the Audi Q3 – a formidable set of competitors indeed. But the new XC40 hasn’t arrived unarmed, it does have a few interesting tricks up its sleeve to rival the might of its competitors.

Scandinavian touches

First, there’s the design. I don’t feel any hesitation in admitting that I’m a big fan of Volvo’s current design language. Starting with the XC90, the tight and compact lines, with great design detailing, produce a very attractive, and very Volvo-like, design language that doesn’t resemble anything else in the market. The XC40 carries forward this design legacy with some fantastic design quirks of its own. For instance, the C-pillar kink, with its sharp upward creases, make the car stand out and give it an edgy look. I also find the depression in the lower part of the doors quite a nifty design touch, which adds definition to an otherwise straightforward door design. Also, keeping Volvo India’s tradition alive, the first set of XC40s to be sold here are to be top-of-theline R-Design versions, with a contrast roof as standard, which with a red or white body look rather striking. I also love the blacked-out chrome work on the XC40, which is much more to my liking than regular chrome.