The Volvo XC40 (Cross country), a crossover spinoff of Volvo’s stylish, V40 has been spotted in Norway ahead of its official debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show and a possible inclusion to the local Volvo line-up.
The car in question features plastic/chrome-effect cladding on the lower body, model-specific alloy wheels, a honeycomb grille with revised front apron and earth-tone paintwork – all of which are cues that point to an XC (Cross Country) model.
Although Volvo has not yet divulged any official details regarding the XC40, we have ascertained that it will probably feature an all-wheel drivetrain (possibly a modern take on the Haldex set-up that did service in the likes of the XC70 Estate) and the engine line-up will include a T5 variant with the same turbopetrol engine earmarked for the standard V40.
The XC40 will essentially fill the niche between the likes of the V40 and XC60 – not essentially an all-out off-roader but more of a lifestyle vehicle with which you can tackle gravel roads and light-off-road duties. This will put it in direct competition with the likes of the BMW X1, Mini Countyman All4 models and the Audi Q3 that we recently tested for the July 2012 issue of CAR magazine.
The XC40 will make its official debut at the Paris Motor Show in September and will go on sale in Europe about 3-4 months thereafter. We’ve heard that there is a strong possibility that the XC40 will come to South Africa – given the usual availability rotation between European and local release dates (as well as the usual studies regarding local volumes and overall viability for our market), we could be looking at local availability by mid-2013.
