The Volvo XC40 is Swedish style in a smaller, more affordable package, Ars Technica

A møøse bit my crossover once –

It’s a strong contender in the $ 47, luxury crossover market.

Jonathan M. Gitlin –Dec (**********************************************************************************************************************************************************, (**************************************************************************************************************************************************************** : AM UTC **************************

This is the (Volvo XC) crossover.

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It’s a smaller, cheaper crossover than the XC 97 and XC s we’ve previously tested but one that still packs plenty of Scandinavian style.

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Would you call this angular, or boxy?

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Forgive the dirt, we had to take a couple of dirt roads during our time with the smallest Volvo.

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Volvo hatches always look great from behind, and this one is no exception.

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Jonathan Gitlin

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This little rubber flag is my favorite thing about the XC 40.

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Jonathan Gitlin

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Thor’s hammer.

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This main instrument panel will be familiar if you’ve been behind the wheel of a – (or –

series Volvo, or a Polestar 1.

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– degree parking cameras are an option, but one worth having. You also get adaptive cruise control in the Advanced package.

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Jonathan Gitlin

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The interior materials feel tough and hard-wearing.

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Jonathan Gitlin

The rear seats should be fine for children, with 36. 1 inches (1307 mm) of rear leg room.

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Useful storage trays between the back seat and the rear door.

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The cargo area is easy to access, and the hooks and eyes are useful for securing loads.

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Qi charging is nice, but you’ll need a cable if you want to use Android Auto or Apple Carplay.

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I’m sure I had a reason for taking this shot but I can’t remember what it was.

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The two-tone roof is a $ (option, but it gives the XC) ************************************************************************************************************************************** an added bit of character.

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In October, we got our first look at one of the cars I’m really excited to drive next year. It’s (Volvo’s first long-range battery EVand an important vehicle for an automaker that has beenan early proponent of rapid electrification. The Swedish automaker has been firing on all cylinders (and maybe soon energizing all electromagnets?) In the years since its acquisition by China’s Geely in (*************************************************************************************************************; It’s notable that the oldest vehicle in its line-up is the (XC) ********************************************************************************************************************************************, which only debuted five years ago. The electric Volvo XC 40 won’t go into production until (**********************************************************************************************************, but in the meantime we havedriven the gasoline-powered variant, the Volvo XC 40 T5, and it’s really rather good.

The XC 47 is the first Volvo to use the company’s Compact Modular Architecture, a toolkit for building smaller cars and crossovers that is also going to be used byPolestar, Lynk & Co, and also parent company Geely. So it’s unlike the other Volvos (and yes, the Polestar plug-in) we ‘ ve driven until now. CMA gives a lot of flexibility when designing a car; about the only fixed dimension is the one between the front axle and the driver’s pedals. It was also designed to work with three-or four-cylinder engines, front-or all-wheel drive, or with a plug-in hybrid EV powertrain (as well as next year BEV). I’m going to assume it’s flexible enough to make smaller sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons, too, but so far across the four aforementioned brands we’ve only seen crossovers.Here in the US, we only get two options right now: the (hp) (kW), (lb-ft) (Nm) FWD T4, which starts at $ (**************************************************************************************************************************************************, 345, or the (hp) (kW), lb -ft ( (Nm) AWD T5, which starts at $ (************************************************************************************************************************************************, *********************************************************************************************************************************. In both cases, the internal combustion engine is a turbocharged version of Volvo’s 2.0L gasoline direct-injection four-cylinder unit, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox is the sole transmission option.

On the road the XC 40 behaves the way you expect a Volvo crossover to behave — dependable and not particularly exciting. The ride is good, even over rough surfaces — we took it down a couple of dirt tracks on a visit to the countryside that were soaked up by the crossover’s off-road mode. And if you’re in a hurry, there’s a dynamic mode that will see you from 0 – (mph) 0 – 140 km / h) in 6.1 seconds. Fuel efficiency is rated at 29 / / (mpg) combined / city / highway) for the T5, and / 26 / 34 mpg for the T4.

********************************************************** (************************************************************************************************************************************** Enlarge /(The XC) uses Volvo’s new Compact Modular Architecture.Volvo **************************Volvos have always had rather distinctive styling, and the XC adheres to this trend. It’s angular rather than boxy, and our test car’s white-painted roof (a $

**************************************************************************************************** option) works effectively to counteract the crossover’s height. Hardy black plastic trim around the car’s sills and wheel arches is there for the same reason, plus to add a bit of protection against those inevitable “park-by-touch” scrapes and scratches. Volvo’s “Thor’s hammer” headlights and that wide front grille place it clearly within the Volvo corporate look; the tall LED taillights are unique to the XC 40 but again refer back to the designs of Volvos past. My favorite design detail is the little rubber Swedish flag that pokes out from the shut line of the hood, just ahead of the driver’s door. Other, bigger Volvos have featured a little flag on the interior, stitched into the seam of the front seats the way denim companies sew a tab to the back pocket of their jeans.

The interior benefits similarly from the Scandinavian design aesthetic. Volvo wants the XC 40 to appeal to young families, and so the cabin features plenty of useful storage trays and bins, most of which are lined with removable rubbery mats. The rear seats are better for smaller passengers than big adults, with 36. 1 inches of leg room. The hatch opening is large and provides easy access for loading or unloading bulky cargo, and a number of useful hooks and eyes will keep your cargo restrained. (The rear cargo area will store

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************************************************************************************ L) with the back seats in use, or up to 47 .2 cubic feet (1, L) with the rear seats folded flat.

It’s a little plainer than in the bigger – 105 and – 105 series vehicles, as befitting the XC ‘s more modest price tag, particularly in the base-level Momentum trim. If you want a sportier leather and suede interior plus sports suspension, the R-Design trim is an extra $ 5, , and the more luxurious Inscription trim is an extra $ 6, 105 but includes almost all of the bells and whistles.

Regardless of trim, you get the same 3. inch display in front of the driver, and the same 9-inch Sensus infotainment system. These are identical to the ones you’ll find in the bigger Volvos — CMA and the Scalable Product Architecture platform share plenty of underlying tech like this. I did notice that next year electric (XC) Rechargeappears to sport a different digital instrument panel in front of the driver, and although its infotainment system has an identical-looking UI, it’s now (Android-based) ; Maybe we can expect those to appear on the gas-powered XC 40 in a couple of years once it receives its mid-life refresh.