Back in July, we saw glimpses of a V40 wearing plastic body cladding pottering about a campsite in Norway and speculated on what looked like a BMW X1-rivalling XC40 crossover. Fast-forward a couple of months and Volvo has now revealed the bronze-coloured car in question to be the V40 Cross Country.
With a ride height raised by 40 mm, more aggressive front and rear fenders with two-tone finishes, upright LED daytime running lights, a honeycomb mesh grille and cladding on the sills, the V40 Cross Country moves Volvo’s premium hatchback into the crossover fold. The interior can also be specified with a copper-coloured inlay for the facia and a choice of five leather upholstery options, including contrasting seat panels, are offered.
On the powerplant front, the V40 Cross Country is offered with a choice of three petrol and two diesel units and a choice of six-speed manual and Powershift automatics.
The range-topping T5 features a five-cylinder 2,5-litre turbopetrol engine coupled with the automatic transmission. This unit develops 187 kW and 400 N.m of torque and is capable of propelling the V40 Cross Country from standstill to 100 km/h in 6,1 seconds. This model will feature a torque-apportioning all-wheel drive system and a hill descent control module that feeds torque to each wheel and combines with the braking system to make traversing downhills a more controlled affair.
There’s also a 1,6-litre GTDi T4 unit developing 132 kW and 270 N.m of torque, which can be had with either manual or automatic transmissions. Select markets will also receive a 2,0-litre unit with 157 kW and 300 N.m.
On the diesel front, the V40 Cross Country D4 will be offered with both manual and automatic transmissions. This unit develops 130 kW and 400 N.m of torque; enough for the ‘auto to dispatch the 0-100 km/h run in 8,3 seconds (8,6 seconds for the manual). This unit returns an average fuel consumption figure of 5,2 L/100 km and CO2 emissions of 137 g/km when coupled with the automatic transmission and 4,4 L/100 km and 117 g/km with the manual. D3 (112 kW/350 N.m) and D2 (84 kW/285 N.m) turbodiesels will also be offered -the lattermost returning 3,8 L/100 km and CO2 emissions of 99 g/km thanks to start/stop technology.
We'll keep you posted regarding local availability.
