The Volvo XC40 will be one of the hottest cars to be released in 2018.
That's a bold statement, but I think I'm right.
Everytime we had something about this car on our website, the site traffic was through the roof.
And if everyone wants to know everything about this car, they probably want to own it as well.
And that's logical, because it's a compact SUV,
a segment which hasn't been explored by Volvo yet.
Volvo also is a very popular brand in the Netherlands, so the combination has to be a success.
It's not only a new segment for Volvo, but a new design language as well.
On the one hand, you can clearly recognize it as a Volvo,
but on the other hand, it has to appear more youthlike and more toughened up.
Where a big Volvo looks very fancy, this has to look more playful.
And that's exactly what they've done. The remarkable line at the rear is a great example.
The rear lights are the same as well, you can tell by that two-tone paintjob.
You can get the XC40 without it though, because Volvo says it's a temporary hype,
but it's available. Other than that,
it's high, tough, wide, and it's from Sweden...
When they designed the interior, they consulted 120 families from across the world.
They checked how those people treated the interior of their cars, and that lead to new, remarkable technologies.
They're not all brand new, but they're special. Some are funny actually.
Something simple like this in the glovebox, a little hook where you can hang a purse or another bag.
Alright. Quite handy.
And what about this compartment for your phone? It's fitted with an induction charger,
so if you've got a modern phone, you can charge it. You can also put it up right,
even two next to each other, so you can see what appears on the screen.
If we go a little further back, there's a compartment in which you can lose a box of tissues.
Here's a retractable trash can, which is fitted with some kind of elastic which you can fit stuff inbetween.
A little trash can which you can empty. Not on the street, but in your own container at home.
Then, the door panels. And you'll miss something; the speakers.
In every other car the speakers are incorporated in the doors, but not here.
In here, there's a huge speaker incorporated in the dashboard.
That's responsible for the low noises. The higher pitched noises come from here.
This means you've got lots of space for 1,5-litre bottles and such.
The idea was, that everything has to have its own place.
No messy stuff anymore, everything in it's own space.
And look at this. It's very simple.
Skoda always says they're 'Simply Clever', but this is what I call 'Simply Clever'.
Your parking permit always flies through your car when you're accelerating, this simple little thing. No one has this, just Volvo.
And we've seen it before, with Renault as well, a little compartment underneath your seat.
If you're in a dark city and you want to keep your stuff safe and hidden; just put them under here, close it up and you can feel safe when you're in the city.
Despite the almost playful features, it's a very serious, businesslike car from the inside.
It looks nice, it looks neat, good materials, even above average...
A big vertical screen here, a fully digital instrumentarium,
all kinds of stuff we already know from the bigger Volvo's, and it's all featured as standard in this XC40.
Even if you get the simplest version.
The seating is good. They're wide enough, and even though the side support might be a little low,
the seats are nice and firm.
I also like the steering wheel. It's small and has a thick feel to it.
Almost BMW-like, but it's in a Volvo.
It feels good and sporty.
In the back there's lots of room as well. Leg- and headroom are alright.
All the way in the back there's a big luggage space, with a lot of practicality to it.
A panel which you can use to create different segments, strings at the side to put things in,
you can put the shelf beneath the floor, so that it won't be in the garage.
All kinds of practical stuff which really increase the usability.
It's not only a new model, it's kind of a first step in the direction of a new phase at Volvo.
This car is the first Volvo built on the CMA-platform, which stands for Compact Modular Architecture.
That means all future compact Volvo's will be on this platform, so actually I'm kind of driving the future V40.
And that's why a drive like this tells me more than just what the XC40 is about.
It's an insight in the future of Volvo, and it's a pretty good one as well.
It's a very pleasant chassis. Pretty comfortable, but the steering is sharp at the same time.
Even on bad mountain roads, it feels silky smooth.
It's a robust car, and it feels very good.
Enginewise, it's a tad difficult, because the most important engine will be the T3,
a three-cylinder engine. That won't be around until mid-2018,
so for now, we'll have to do it with the two introduction engines.
A T5, producing 247 horsepower, and a D4, producing 190 horsepower.
That's what I'm driving right now, the D4.
It isn't really relevant for the Netherlands though, but it's a very nice machine.
What I don't really like is the automatic gearbox, which is a conventional one.
If you compare it with a lot of its rivals with double clutches, they're faster and more seemless when they shift.
In here, you can really feel it 'falling down' when shifting back,
and that isn't something you expect nowadays.
But on the other hand, if you get a manual... You won't be bothered.
Volvo wouldn't be Volvo if they wouldn't use tons of safety features, so in this car we find lots of them which we've already seen in bigger Volvo's.
You can see the technologies slowly coming down from the higher segments.
Volvo states features like that aren't available in this segment, and that sounds believable.
Think of Cross Traffic Warning, the beeping noise when you're reversing out of a parking space.
It's been improved in a way, that it doesn't only beep when there's traffic coming from the side,
but now it warns you and if you don't react, it will brake by itself.
You can also get Pilot Assist in this car. It's also featured in our longterm V90,
and when I tried it in this XC40 today, it worked perfectly fine.
A 360 degree camera is also optional, which is handy when you're parking in tight spaces.
So when it comes to the Netherlands early next year, the XC40 will have to compete with cars like the BMW X1,
the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA. If you put this next to them though,
you can see Volvo has played it smart. Because of the distinctive lines,
just compare it with those Germans. They appear to be very decent,
a kind of decency you find in bigger Volvo SUV's.
This car has the same quality feel of the Q3 or X1, but when it comes to design it's much more playful.
It's almost in the playing field of the Captur, and that what makes this car so special.
It's in a kind of niche which could produce a valuable market. I think this XC40 has a big chance of succeeding,
but time will tell...