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It’s the age of fusion. Consumers’ demands have evolved and so have the options available to them. And one of the most popular trends today is products which offer the best of many worlds. Crossovers are a result of this trend. These are regular cars that have the much-desired SUV look and feel, but come with very few SUV penalties; exactly why Volvo is…
It’s the age of fusion. Consumers’ demands have evolved and so have the options available to them. And one of the most popular trends today is products which offer the best of many worlds. Crossovers are a result of this trend. These are regular cars that have the much-desired SUV look and feel, but come with very few SUV penalties; exactly why Volvo is in the process of readying its V40 Cross Country for sale in India. It’s targeted at the young-at-heart owner-drivers who are looking for something different.
The V40 competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz A-class and B-class and also the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 when Volvo begins to import them. The Gothenburg-based carmaker isn’t expecting any miracles. It’s well aware that the Cross Country will only appeal to those looking for luxury, features and style in a compact package. But is the Volvo V40 D3 R-Design attractive and feature-rich enough for the smartphone generation?
With regard to looks, Volvo has gotten it perfectly right. Our red Volvo V40 D3 R-Design regularly had people craning their necks to get a better look at the car and we got thumbs ups and smiles from total strangers all day. What gets your attention first are the aggressive, beak-like bonnet with its cuts and creases, and the extreme rake of the windscreen.
There’s a strong bonnet ‘V’, the headlights are angled back appropriately, the black roof looks stunning, and the rising waistline and the tight-fitting top meet each other at the rear of the car quite elegantly. An unpainted plastic cladding that runs around the car, faux scuff plates, both front and rear, and sleek roof rails gives it an off-roader presence. The Cross Country also gets 40mm more ground clearance and larger tyres than the regular V40 hatch.
The V40’s seats have the trademark Volvo levels of comfort. There is fantastic support for your back and thighs and this is especially noticeable if you’ve just climbed out of another car. Head, elbow and shoulder room at the front of the Volvo V40 D3 R-Design is plentiful too. This is also a very practical cabin with plenty of space for water bottles and other odds and ends.
Volvo will bring two motors to India for the Volvo V40 D3 R-Design , a 180bhp T4 petrol and this five-cylinder 148bhp D3 diesel. Unlike some modern diesels, this 2.0-litre unit is extremely responsive and quick off the mark. There’s no turbo lag or delay from the six-speed transmission when you tap the accelerator, and the front-wheel-drive V40 leaps forward as soon as you place your foot on the pedal. What’s even more gratifying is that there’s plenty of linearity.
Step hard on the gas and the Volvo V40 D3 R-Design takes off more than promptly, the tug from the mid-range staying strong for quite some time. The performance figures speak for themselves. 0-100kph takes just 8.6 seconds and 150 is reached in 19.9 seconds. TheVolvo V40 D3 R-Design excels at covering ground quickly in urban confines and it’s surprisingly brisk out on open roads as well, pulling really effortlessly and strongly even at speeds as high as 180kph.
The sharp handling, however, does have its downside. Ride quality is good and the suspension is reasonably pliant and absorbent, but on sharper-edged craters, that layer of underlying stiffness in the suspension can be felt. Despite this, the suspension remains very comfortable, and because the ride is flat, the Cross Country encourages you to drive over broken sections without slowing down – a mini-luxury in itself.
The Volvo V40 Cross Country isn’t for everyone. It doesn’t have the butch appeal of SUVs and the two-wheel drive version isn’t very useful off-road either. But it’s not a regular car either. Its design is different from most of its contemporaries and that is what helps it stand out. Moreover, its comfortable on the inside, is packed to the gills with features and is great fun to drive with strong, good performance.