After being last spotted testing in northern Europe in March this year, Volvo’s XC40 compact SUV has made a comeback, this time on the Autobahn.
The XC40 is fundamentally a smaller version of the XC60, and in the pictures, it is visible with extensive camouflage that conceals the design details explicitly. Nevertheless, this test mule has a differently stacked up set of air dams under the front registration plate. On closer inspection, you will also notice that Volvo designers have retained the thick angular C-pillar design that originally set this model apart. This is one of the highlights of the original design (40.1 concept) that was previously showcased by the carmaker.
Volvo’s new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) is expected to underpin the XC40, and Peter Mertens, Volvo’s R&D boss disclosed that a lot of focus has gone into lending this SUV with a huge boot and a high riding position. In addition to the range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel power-plants, this will be a hybrid set-up which will use a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine that’s coupled to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery.
A lot is riding on the shoulders of the Volvo XC40 as the brand is expecting the model to significantly increase their sales numbers. Experts suggest that the Volvo XC40 should give rivals like BMW’s X1 and Merc’s GLA a tough time when it rolls into showrooms late this year or in early 2018.
