We drive the award winning Volvo XC40
By khulekani / on August 1st, 2018 / in Car Reviews, featuredThe XC40 seems to have taken the world by storm and South Africa is no exception. In Europe, it has won the prestigious Car of the Year 2018 and numerous other global awards. In South Africa, the affirmation of Volvo’s entry level SUV comes from the fact that the first batch of the XC40 were sold out almost immediately after they came on sale and Volvo South Africa had to request additional units from head office. The success of the XC40 makes us not envy the decision awaiting the jurors of South African Car of the Year. It’s going to be a tightly contested affair. Back to the matter at hand, the charming XC40 which is simply hard not to like.
Exterior and interior
Outside, the XC40 follows the recent Volvo design language. The front has the large rectangular grille with the Volvo badge. The LED lights with Thor’s hammer are also present in the XC40. What sets the XC40 apart is mostly the side profile with the back door that ascends up the D-Pillar thus extending the appearance of the XC40. The back lights are expressive and their design is integrated into the floating lines of the side profile which also stretch the appearance of the XC40. What stands out is the that it can be ordered with an optional contrasting black or white roof, white mirror caps and wheels, Oxide Red leather and ‘Lava’ carpets.
The interior is well laid out and well built. Quality materials dominate the cabin which feels good to interact with, thanks to the soft touch materials deployed in the cabin. The interior also has the latest Volvo design elements, including the revered 9-inch Sensus Connect touch screen and digital instrument cluster. The best part about the interior is that it is practical and spacious. There is ample room for five adults in there. There are also storage spaces in there like door bins that are large enough to house a laptop, handbag or even 3 large drink bottles. The 460 litres of boot space which extends to 1,336 litres when the back seats are folded down, complements interior space quite well. As if that is not enough, if fitted with the double panoramic roof, the interior of the XC40 feel even larger.
Recently the @VolvoCar_SA XC40 received a five star rating in the ever challenging Euro NCAP assessment. Safety is not the only reason why we like the XC40. See more of our reasons here: https://t.co/3Rkc4fltQ0 📸 @forever4tune pic.twitter.com/4p4NsNX8Kh
— Khulekani on Wheels (@khuleonwheels) July 19, 2018
Volvo’s safety and technology
The Volvo name is almost synonymous with safety and the XC40 has scored a 5 star rating in the tough Euro NCAP ratings. Stand out safety features include City Safety and Pedestrian, Cyclist and Large Animal Detection. The City Safety feature senses potential collisions, even when it is dark and can activate the brakes automatically should the driver not react in time. The Cyclist and Large Animal Detection feature detects and automatically brakes the vehicle in the event of a pedestrian, cyclist or large animal (such as cattle) stepping/swerving/jumping out in front of the car. The latter will be of particular use in certain provincial roads of South Africa where livestock roams freely.
On the technology front, the XC40 employs Volvo’s next generation of semi-autonomous technology. The Adaptive Cruise Control feature maintains the desired set vehicle speed but utilizes radar to monitor the vehicle in front and automatically slows down or speeds up as necessary. Pilot Assist takes things further and independently assists with steering (up to 130 km/h and when lane markings are clearly visible) by continually monitoring the area in front of the vehicle, making the necessary steering, accelerator and brake inputs as required to keep to the desired speed, distance and within the lane markings. We tested this technology along the N3 down to KwaZulu-Natal and it remained consistently accurate throughout. It was interesting to see the car slow itself down to negotiate certain curves without any intervention from me. One of the best safety and technology features of the XC40 is the Visual Park Assist 360º Cameras which gives the driver a bird’s-eye view of the car via four hidden cameras, digitally stitched together to create a seamless image on the centre screen.
The drive
I spent 7 days with the XC40 T5 R-Design which kicks out 185 kW and350 Nm of torque from its 2.0 litre turbo-petrol engine and does the 0-100 km/h sprint in 6.4 seconds. The XC40 delivered in terms of speed, ride quality and comfort. Take off is quick and you almost do not feel the harsh South African roads be they in the city or stretches between small towns. There was one catch though. Volvo promises fuel consumption of 7.2l/100 km but I got to 9.5l/100 km throughout my stay with the Volvo XC40 T5. This could have been due to my driving style but even when I assumed soccer mom speeds, matters did not improve. I suspect this will not be a deal breaker to many as they will consider this to be a fair trade-off between the performance they get and the size of the vehicle. If this is an issue though, the 140 kW/400 Nm turbo-diesel D4 is waiting in the wings with performance figures of 0-100 in 7,9 seconds and a claimed fuel consumption of 6.4l/100 km, which will also be much easier on your pocket Overall, the car is exceptional and I can clearly see why it manages to scoop up several awards, year after year.