Volvo is fast becoming one of my favourite cars at the moment, yep, I can’t lie; I really love the Volvo XC60 and when the people of Volvo called for me to test drive the Volvo XC40, I wasn’t sure if this was gonna be better than the XC60.
It seems like a lot of luxury car brands are producing smaller SUV’s to accommodate the lower end of the market. We saw Jaguar releasing the E-Type that focuses on the younger Jaguar market, even though I feel that they could’ve used that opportunity to introduce new technology, but they didn’t. Now with the Volvo XC40, it has a lot of updated technology and the design is striking. I received the Volvo XC40 R Design which is the top of the range model of the entry-level SUV’s from Volvo.
I like the two-toned design that comes with the XC40, it’s much more exciting, the design is youthful, authentic and full of character. I’ve said this before, that I love the updated interior design on all Volvo’s. I recently drove the XC90 to Sun City compliments of DNA Brand Architects and maaaan that’s a pure luxury and the XC40 is no different. The Volvo XC40 has storage space on the tunnel console where a mobile phone can be stored and wirelessly charged, reducing clutter and making it easy to reach. The phone rests at just the right angle for you to pick it up easily, or glance at it if you need to. For performance that’s in tune with urban life, the lightweight powertrains give great responsiveness, with low emissions and fuel consumption. Parking is easier, especially with the availability of a 360° camera. This clever feature gives one a detailed ‘birds-eye’ view of your car, so you can see where it is in relation to other vehicles and objects.
Volvo XC40 all-wheel drive and automatic transmissions, starting with the D4 Momentum at R595 054 and the T5 Momentum at R605 016. The 2,0-litre turbodiesel in the D4 is worth 140 kW and 400 N.m, while the petrol engine of the same capacity in the T5 produces 185 kW and 350 N.m.
Amongst the smaller luxury SUV’s, this and the BMW X3 are my favourites when it comes to design and efficiency, they just work. I think we will be seeing a lot of the XC40’s on our roads this year.
Volvo XC40 T3 Momentum (manual): R489 500 Volvo XC40 T3 Inscription (manual): R521 300
Volvo XC40 T3 R-Design (manual): R528 400 Volvo XC40 D4 AWD Momentum: R600 300
Volvo XC40 T5 AWD Momentum: R610 900 Volvo XC40 D4 AWD Inscription: R632 100
Volvo XC40 D4 AWD R-Design: R639 200 Volvo XC40 T5 AWD Inscription: R642 600
Volvo XC40 T5 AWD R-Design: R649 700
Photographer: Tshego Mmahlatji