7WE LIKE Hip modern styling, Pilot Assist, powertrain
WE DON’T LIKE Excessive noise, suspension needs fine-tuning
Volvo’s cool XC40 was worth the wait, with fresh and fun styling to appeal to millennials while offering a great package and ride any age can appreciate.
The familiar 2.0-liter turbo I-4 and eight-speed automatic provides quick acceleration. The suspension delivers a spirited ride and steering without being darty—but was accompanied by squealing tires, body roll, and excessive wind and road noise. “Did they just completely forget sound insulation?” Mark Rechtin asked.
Despite promising entry-level luxury, the XC40 has an impressive array of safety features, including Pilot Assist for autonomous help with steering, acceleration, and braking to avoid collisions. Cruise control held its set speed down long, steep hills.
In a segment of reworked hatchbacks and misshapen lumps, the XC40 is fashionable and unexpected while rocking comfy seats and orange highlights throughout its interior. The integrated trash can is genius, Zach Gale said.
Gordon Dickie appreciated the rear legroom and headroom, ski pass-through (thanks, Sweden!), and ability to fold the rear seats from a switch in the trunk. Headrests fold down, the load floor doubles as a divider, and there’s a strap to restrain gear.
The Sensus iPad-sized infotainment system provides excellent audio, and the swipe screen is easy to learn and use—although the pictographs tend to be too small to see without distraction. Overall, it’s a strong value play.
The XC40 has a “pugnacious swagger inside and out,” Angus MacKenzie said, “with forms and materials and colors that are reminders that not all Scandinavian design is a riff on birchwood and midcentury furniture.”
READ ABOUT 2019 SUV OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:
READ ABOUT 2019 CAR OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:
| 2019 Volvo XC40 T5 AWD R-Design | |
| Base Price/As tested | $39,195/$46,485 |
| Power (SAE net) | 248 hp @ 5,500 rpm |
| Torque (SAE net) | 258 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm |
| Accel, 0-60 mph | 8.2 sec |
| Quarter-mile | 16.1 sec @ 84.6 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 125 ft |
| Lateral Acceleration | 0.79 g (avg) |
| MT Figure Eight | 28.1 sec @ 0.61 g (avg) |
| EPA City/Hwy/Comb | 23/31/26 mpg |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV |
| ENGINE/TRANSMISSION | 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 /8-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) | 3,854 lb (58/42%) |
| WHEELBASE | 106.4 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 174.2 x 73.3 x 65.0 in |
| ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY | 147/109 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB | 0.75 lb/mile |
The post Volvo XC40: 2019 Motor Trend SUV of the Year Finalist appeared first on Motor Trend.
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