At the same time as it introduces the Volvo XC40, Volvo Cars also reinvents the traditional model of car ownership with its new 'Care by Volvo' subscription service. Care by Volvo, first available on the XC40 from launch, makes having a car as transparent, easy and hassle free as having a phone.
A monthly flat-fee subscription means down payments, price negotiations and local price differences belong to the past. Depending on regional availability, Care by Volvo will also include access to a range of digital concierge services such as fuelling, cleaning, service pick-up and e-commerce delivery to the car. The Volvo XC40 with Care by Volvo is available to order online from today in selected markets.
Volvo XC40 drivers will also be the first Volvo customers who can share their car with friends and family via Volvo on Call with a new digital key technology. Car sharing comes as standard for Care by Volvo customers.
The arrival of the Volvo XC40 means that for the first time in its history, Volvo Cars has three new, globally available SUVs in what is the fastest growing segment of the automotive market, paving the way for further growth in terms of sales and profitability.
The new Volvo XC40 is the first model on Volvo Cars' new modular vehicle architecture (CMA), which will underpin all other upcoming cars in the 40 Series including fully electrified vehicles. Co-developed within Geely, CMA provides the company with the necessary economies of scale for this segment.
"The XC40 is our first entry in the small SUV segment, broadening the appeal of the Volvo brand and moving it in a new direction," said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive. "It represents a fresh, creative and distinctive new member of the Volvo line-up. So it only feels natural to reveal the XC40 here in Milan, a buzzing European hotspot for fashion, art, design and lifestyle."
In terms of technology, the XC40 brings the award-winning safety, connectivity and infotainment technologies known from the new 90- and 60 Series cars to the small SUV segment. Like its larger siblings, the XC40 highlights the transformational effect of these new, in-house developed technologies on brand and profitability.
These technologies make the XC40 one of the best-equipped small premium SUVs on the market. Safety and driver assistance features on the XC40 include Volvo Cars' Pilot Assist system, City Safety, Run-off Road protection and mitigation, Cross Traffic alert with brake support and the 360° Camera that helps drivers manoeuvre their car into tight parking spaces.
The Volvo XC40 also offers a radically new approach to storage inside the car. Ingenious interior design provides XC40 drivers with, among other things, more functional storage space in the doors and under the seats, a special space for phones including inductive charging, a fold-out hook for small bags and a removable waste bin in the tunnel console.
Three petrol and two diesel engines will initially be available, with power ranging from 150 to 250 hp. All these engines are 2.0-litre, four-cylinder units: there are 156 hp T3, 190 hp T4 and 247 hp T5 petrols, and 150 hp D3 and 190 hp D4 diesels. The T3 is available exclusively with front-wheel drive, while the D3 is offered in front- or all-wheel-drive form. The T4, T5 and D4 come with all-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox. An automatic gearbox is also available on D3 versions. Full technical details of these engines will be released at a later date. Other powertrains will be offered later in the Volvo XC40's lifecycle.
Entry-level Momentum versions have the most expressive styling, including textile and vinyl interior upholstery and the option of a contrast-coloured white roof and door mirrors, along with white and black alloy wheels.
Momentum XC40s are extremely well equipped as standard, including Volvo's cutting-edge Sensus 9" touch screen that works in tandem with the sophisticated voice-activated control system. The class-leading connectivity features continue with sat-nav, which includes real-time traffic information (RTTI) and lifetime map updates, and three USB sockets. The Sensus system also allows access to a range of web apps, including Spotify, TuneIn, Google Local Search and Yelp.
The ground-breaking Volvo On Call smartphone app and emergency assistance package is also fitted to every Volvo XC40. This allows you to control various functions of your car remotely from your smartphone or smartwatch, such as locking and unlocking the doors, and, on automatic versions, even starting the engine in order to pre-heat or cool the cabin. It can also automatically alert the emergency services if your car is involved in an accident, and use the car's inbuilt GPS to direct them to your precise location.
Also standard are LED headlights, dual-zone climate control with Volvo's sophisticated 'CleanZone' air-filtration system, a 12.3" active TFT configurable driver's information display and rear parking sensors. Alloy wheels are 18" as standard, with up to 21" wheels available as an option.
Sector-first standard safety equipment includes City Safety, Volvo's automatic emergency braking system that can detect pedestrians, cyclists and large animals, and Oncoming Lane Mitigation, which warns you if you move out of your lane into the path of an oncoming vehicle and provides steering assistance to guide you safely back into your lane.
R-Design versions add a host of sporty touches, including a gloss black front grille and front and rear lower bumper sections, a black roof and door mirrors, and dual integrated exhaust pipes. They also get uprated sports suspension and 18" diamond cut/matt black alloy wheels. On the inside, there's leather/nubuck upholstery, front seat cushion extensions, a perforated leather steering wheel and gear knob, and aluminium dashboard inlays.
Inscription versions focus on luxury and come with leather-faced upholstery, a power-operated tailgate, front parking sensors, a powered driver's seat, driftwood interior inlays and chrome exterior highlights. Automatic versions also come with a crystal gear lever from Swedish crystal glassware maker Orrefors.
Every version of the Volvo XC40 is also available in highly specified Pro form. Highlights of the Momentum Pro include a powered driver's seat, heated front seats and a heated windscreen, and active bending headlights with adaptive shadow technology that block out part of the headlights' beam to avoid dazzling vehicles in front.
R-Design Pro benefits from all this, along with 20" alloy wheels, while Inscription Pro has 19" wheels and a powered passenger seat.
An optional Xenium package is available across the range and brings a powered tilt and slide panoramic glass sunroof, a 360o surround view parking camera system, and Park Assist Pilot, which includes automatic parallel and 90o parking.
Pilot Assist, Volvo's innovative semi-autonomous drive feature, is an optional extra on every Volvo XC40. It assists with the steering (up to 80 mph) and takes care of the acceleration and braking to keep the car within lane markings and at the desired speed or distance from any vehicle in front. Pilot Assist is another step towards fully autonomous driving.
Other desirable options include wireless mobile phone charging, Smartphone Integration - which includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay - and a Harman Kardon sound system that combines 13 speakers, advanced sound-processing software and an output of 1,200 W.
