2019 Volvo XC40

The Swedish carmaker has decided to sell their brand-new compact SUV in three trims that are named as luxurious as their interiors. The Momentum is the base trim and comes with great comfort and contrasting exteriors right off the bat. Next in the lineup is the R-Design trim which has a more sporty feel as the chassis components are tweaked and adds a few interior features, this trim costs nearly equal to the Inscription which is the top trim that has a luxurious approach to interiors and exteriors of the SUV.

Which Trim should you buy?

The R-Design for a more active and peppy drive across the town and cruise on the freeways seems to be the best offering in the lineup. With bigger tires, this trim has a special interior and its suspension and steering have also been touched upon to give it a sportier feel. Mechanically it remains the same for all the trims so the only reason behind an upgrade can be the features. You can also live with the base Momentum trim if features are not your priority.

The new Volvo XC40 comes with a choice between the powertrain where both have the same 2.0L turbocharged in-line 4-cylinder powerhouse but with different components. The standard powertrain is called the ‘T4’ which is a front-wheel-drive configuration delivering a limited power of 187-HP and 221 lb-ft of torque. The ‘T5’ is a 2000-dollar option making the all-wheel drive as standard and brings out the full potential of that engine generating a power of 248-HP and 258 lb-ft of torque, accelerating the small SUV from 0-60 MPH in just 6.1 seconds. 

The 2019 Volvo XC40 gets a standard 8-speed Geartronic automatic transmission that has smooth and uninterrupted shifts and regardless of the drivetrain, the power provided to the wheels is stable and continuous providing a great driving experience.

Having the same engines throughout the segment, the competition is highly neck-and-neck. The likes of the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 seem to have maxed out on the power while the X1 has its peak torque reaching quicker than the Q3 which is the only AWD SUV in the segment. Although being the most expensive, the XC40’s T4 has the least power but has a decent torque output whereas the $38,000 T5 model equals the Q3’s level of performance.

How well does the 2019 Volvo XC40 handle?

From the house of Volvo, this compact SUV is expected to have an incredible ride and handling as the manufacturer has prior experience of making luxury heavy vehicles that are famous around the globe. The XC40’s steering feels just right while driving in the city but as soon as the throttle opens up on a highway, the steering adds up some resistance which gives a highly sporty feel. This system operates via a rack-and-pinion mechanism that is actuated by power-steering giving it a turning circle diameter of 37.4 feet to this compact luxury SUV.

Talking about suspension, the XC40 provides a pleasing ride quality with most of the surface irregularities being absorbed completely and very little travel to the cabin. Road noise is heard only at high speeds whereas the cabin is completely quiet otherwise. The front wheels have a simple independent strut suspension while the rear gets an independent multi-link suspension that provides good overall damping of vibrations. You can feel some amount of body roll in the corners and the XC40 gives priority to comfort over sporty handling.

2019 Volvo XC40 Braking Performance

The 2019 Volvo XC40 is equipped with a 4-wheel disc braking system where the front brake rotor size is measured to be 13.6-inches in diameter whereas the rear discs are 11.9-inches. With these brakes, the 3500-lb compact SUV can decelerate from 60 MPH to a complete stop in around 120 feet, which is pretty impressive braking from an entry-level luxury SUV.

The Mercedes features the smallest brake discs out of all the competition, however, it is way lighter than the others as well. This is why the GLA 250 has the best stopping distance whereas the XC40 takes the highest distance to stop from 60 to 0 MPH at 125 feet. BMW X1 and Audi Q3 both share the third position and they take 122 feet to stop from 60 to 0 MPH.

The brand-new SUV comes standard with an engine that is highly fuel-efficient and a front-wheel-drive configuration also helps in this case. Equipped with a 14.2-gallon fuel tank, the T4 specification has an estimated MPG of 23 in the city and 33 on the highway whereas the power-packed T5 AWD configuration brings those numbers down to 23 and 31 respectively, which is still good for the power it generates.

Being the lightest of all and having the most efficient engine equipped, the GLA 250 has the best efficiency. However, since the BMW has the biggest fuel tank and an equally good MPG, the X1 has the best range of all. While the XC40 also showcases numbers that are comparable to the German brands, it has got the least fuel even if the tank is full and so it runs for a lesser distance, unlike the Audi, which has a fairly huge tank but has got the least MPG figures which instantly drops the range to the lowest spot.

The Swedish luxury SUV has a contrast of plain and lustrous interiors with some high-quality material being used in the cabin. Starting with the dashboard, which is made out of soft-touch materials in black that is highlighted by shiny metal surrounds, has fewer buttons and a variation of materials between metals for the first two trims while a wood decor is standard for the top-most trim, making the lineup a bit distinctive from the inside as well. 

The Momentum comes in a charcoal black and dual-tone leather interior trim while the R-Design gets black Nappa leather trim with an optional lava carpeting which changes the lower parts in the cabin into funky, bright orange color. On the other hand, in addition to what is offered on the base trim, the high-end Inscription trim has two more color options added to it along with a black headliner that is featured in the R-Design while the base trim gets a blonde headliner as standard.

Moving over to seats, the new XC40 can carry five adults in its cabin, but only four of them will be comfortably seated. Starting from the base trim, the front bucket seats are 8-way power on the driver’s side and an 8-way manual passenger’s seat with heating is standard. The other two trims have 8-way power front seats with memory function and a cushion extension for the driver on the Inscription. A 60/40 split-bench seat with a rear-center armrest is standard across the lineup providing great comfort and space for its occupants. All these seating surfaces are wrapped in good quality leather even on the base trim while Nappa leather seats are offered on higher trims.

The Volvo XC40 has lesser headroom but there is plenty of legroom, however, the cargo capacity is not as high as most of its competitors. BMW offers the best of the room as well as cargo capacity whereas the Audi Q3 has a comparable front room but the rear has a slightly cramped room, however, the cargo room is better than the Volvo. The GLA 250 offers the least cargo space. Some of the standout interior features in the 2019 Volvo XC40 are:

• 8-way power front seats with memory function
• 60/40 split-bench rear seat
• Nappa leather trim
• Soft-touch materials for the dashboard
• Dual-zone climate control

What's there to keep you entertained?

The compact SUV is equipped with a 9-inch center touchscreen display. The screen has a high-resolution display with some good graphics. Although the screen is a little far from the vicinity of the driver, the touch is highly responsive whereas there are enough buttons provided to make it work. Moreover, there are plenty of entertainment features along with a lot of connectivity options provided throughout the cabin. In front of the steering, there is a 12-inch full-digital instrument panel that shows two analog dials and has a crystal clear display giving all the information related to the vehicle.

The standard audio system has 8-speakers with air-woofer technology that magically transform the air moving around into the vibrational effect that actual, electrical woofers produce. A Harman Kardon premium sound system provides an immersive audio experience with 600W 14 high-performance speakers, this is available for an extra $800. Some of the infotainment features in the 2019 Volvo XC40 are:

• 9-inch touchscreen display
• 8-speaker audio system
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• SiriusXM and HD Radio
• Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming
• Voice control
• Sensus navigation 
• USB ports

To start with, the front grille has vertical slats for the higher and lower trim but the sporty R-Design gets horizontal gloss-black inserts. The headlights are a Volvo’s identity where the other SUVs get a “Thor’s hammer” DRLs, this compact SUV gets somewhat the same design except the ends on either side looks more like a goldfish’s tail fins. The hood and the front bumper have minimal styling but good contrast is provided by chrome-finished lower plates and grille surrounds on the other two trims whereas the R-Design has black detailing on all these parts.

From the side, there are not many notable lines except for the quarter-half of the rear window which has the body being lifted upwards to meet a point on the lower roof, bringing a highly distinctive design from the market and it looks good as well. Moreover, all the different wheel designs look very lively and while the 18-inch wheels are standard, an option of 19 or 20-inch wheels are also available, each with its own rim design. In addition to this, a stand-out feature that Volvo has provided is a painted roof, where the Momentum gets a white-colored roof while the R-Design has a blacked-out contrast roof.

On the rear is a big and stretched-out Volvo badging while the taillights run from the top to the mid of the SUV and it looks highly appealing when they light up. On the other hand, the bumper is also rounded off quite simply whereas there are no serious curves on the rear except for a line below the trunk lid that suddenly bulges out. The story of the lower rear bumper is again the same as in the front.

The GLA 250 has the most compact design and can zoom past its rivals through traffic, but off-roading will not be as easy as in the Volvo or Audi. Moving over to the XC40 which is shorter in length but wider and taller than its rivals, has its intriguing shape because of this sort of dimensions whereas the Q3 and X1 have a typical boxy shape and are quite long with shorter wheelbases. The XC40 and Q3 share the best ground clearance whereas the Bimmer has respectable ground clearance. Some of the exterior features in the 2019 Volvo XC40 are:

• Front grille with dark grey insert
• R-Design grille with high-gloss black insert 
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Aluminum roof rails
• Roof spoiler

Although the NHTSA or the IIHS have not tested the Volvo XC40 yet, safety is something that comes inherently in Volvo cars. Volvo is known for the safety of its cars all around the world and the XC40 is no exception. The Volvo XC40 offers various driver assistance features as standard.

Made out of a robust aluminum unibody structure, the 2019 Volvo XC40 is a compact SUV that is filled with active and passive safety like road sign information, lane-keeping aid, whiplash injury protection, fog lights with cornering function, hill start assist, and many more features that are standard even on the base model. Safety features of the 2019 Volvo XC40:

• Blindspot information
• Lane-keeping aid
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Hill-start assist
• Whiplash injury protection
• Oncoming Lane Mitigation
• Steering and braking assist
• Road Sign Information
• Driver Alert Control

2019 Volvo XC40 vs. 2019 BMW X1

The BMW X1 is a compact SUV that goes really neck-and-neck to the XC40, not the T4 in terms of power and performance but the T5 model can give it a tough fight. The X1 is a bit more spacious and can carry more cargo than the Volvo. Both look equally good wearing their signature look but the X1 seems a little boxier than the XC40. The Bimmer excels in handling and driving dynamics while the XC40 remains the best choice for those who want comfort and luxury over driving pleasure.

2019 Volvo XC40 vs. 2019 Audi Q3

The Audi Q3 is an SUV that pairs up the best with the T5 model if that is the topic of discussion but if efficiency is considered, any of the models of the XC40 would destroy Audi. Talking about exteriors, the Q3 is the closest one to Volvo’s dimensions and both of them have great looks but the XC40’s unique personalizations make it that much more attractive than the Audi. Talking about features, both of them are loaded with them, however, the Q3 has more optional features that are provided as standard on the Volvo’s base trim.

2019 Volvo XC40 vs. 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250

The GLA 250 does not look like an SUV but it is one of the many. For its size, the power and performance that it has is enough and is a great competitor for the T4 model of the Volvo. Looking at its unusual exteriors, the Mercedes-Benz has some advantages like hassle-free city driving or fitting easily into tight spaces. Also, the GLA 250 gets a unique look but can be easily recognized because of the signature styling that is carried effortlessly on the outside. Both of them compete very well and the Merc becomes a slightly better option as it costs less than the Volvo. However, the Volvo XC40 gets ahead in the standard feature list.

Unlike its German counterparts, it is either power and performance or efficiency for the Swedish brand. With a striking appearance on the outside as well as inside this compact SUV is an underdog in the market. It is not as appreciated as its rivals but, at the same time, it can compete with these stalwarts. The Volvo XC40 is a great vehicle to own for those who appreciate simplicity and humbleness in life with a sense of luxury and want to continue the same, undisturbed quality of life forever.