A new challenge

Although very much established in the upper luxury echelons with models such as the XC60 and XC90, the Swedish automaker entered uncharted waters last year when it unveiled the XC40 as not only a replacement for the XC60 size-wise but also a direct rival to the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and Jaguar E-Pace.

Bristling with even more comfort and safety tech, the newly crowned 2018 European Car of the Year has landed on local shores, with Volvo Cars South Africa touting it as ‘…bringing refined luxury to the compact SUV.’.

The smaller Thor

While it might be easy to dismiss the XC40 as a shrunken XC60 or XC90, the application of the Iron Mask design and compact dimensions has worked in its favour by providing a distinctive yet striking appearance.

Aside from those instantly recognisable lights, the concave mesh grille and long bonnet, the XC40's side profile features a distinctive upswing at the C-pillar that looks modern and classy, while the rear is characterised by a rounded bootlid and funky boomerang LED taillights.

Modern and functional inside

Open the front door, you are greeted by the same minimalist interior design as current Volvo models with superb levels of fit-and-finish, yet refined with a number of touches said to reflect its principle of being functional and designed around people.

Highlighted by the still impressive tablet-like nine-inch Sensus Connect infotainment system and a 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster, the XC40 plays its biggest trump card in the practically stakes with a vast array of storage areas ranging from the door pockets to the underfloor drawers, as well as a rather nifty removable waste bin mounted behind the stubby gear lever.

A tech and safety fest

In addition to a rather capacious 460-litre boot, the XC40's functional side is all about connectivity, which comes in the form of a smartphone charging pad, up to three USB ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Voice Activation.

As ever, Volvo has left nothing to chance on the safety front with the XC40's list of features consisting of Adaptive Cruise Control with Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Brake Support, Blind Spot Monitoring, City Safety, 360 degree camera, Run-off Road Protection and Mitigation, Park Pilot and Park Out.

A new platform, punchy engines

The first model to ride on Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, the XC40 will initially be offered in a choice of two trim levels; Momentum and R-Design with motivation coming from a 2.0-litre Drive-E turbo-petrol or turbodiesel engine.

In petrol T5 guise, the XC40 has outputs of 185kW/350Nm, while the D4 oil burner has 140kW/400Nm. Regardless of engine though, an eight-speed Geartronic automatic gearbox is the sole option while drive goes to all four wheels.

A smaller T3 petrol with 115kW/265Nm fitted exclusively with a six-speed manual ‘box and front-wheel drive will become available in the third quarter of 2018. Also expect the mid-range Inscription trim level to become available at a later stage with either a 140kW T4 petrol motor or a 110kW D3 diesel variant.

The Drive

At launch, we were able to sample both engine options with the T5 being the undoubted surprise. Perfectly matched to the seamless shifting ‘box, the petrol not only pulled strong but also emitted a rather sporty ‘whoosh’ sound with the five mode drive selector (Eco, Comfort, Off-Road and Individual) set to Dynamic.

While sure to be the volume seller, the D4 showed inherent sluggishness when in Dynamic mode, with the shifts not being as smooth as the petrol. Although far more at ease in Comfort mode, the D4 didn't pull as strong as expected in spite of that 400Nm torque figure.

The CMA platform’s talents shone through in the ride quality department though, despite the 20-inch alloy wheels fitted to the press car, with the various bumps and imperfections being ironed smoothly, adding to what is already a refined driving experience.

Conclusion

In a segment that has been growing at a rapid rate, the XC40 has shown itself to be a threat worth taking note of. With a price tag of under R500 000 and more affordable models on the horizon, as well as its level of in-car and safety items, it could very well be the car to beat within this highly competitive segment.

Pricing

XC40 T3 Momentum – R489 500

XC40 T3 Inscription – R521 300

XC40 T3 R-Design – R528 400

XC40 D4 Momentum AWD Geartronic – R600 300

XC40 D4 Inscription AWD Geartronic – R632 100

XC40 D4 R-Design AWD Geartronic – R639 200

XC40 T5 Momentum AWD Geartronic – R610 900

XC40 T5 Inscription AWD Geartronic – R642 600

XC40 T5 R-Design AWD Geartronic – R649 700