Volvo XC40 T4 R-Design Review - Safe, Beautiful And Feature Packed

The Volvo entered the mid-size luxury SUV market in mid-2018 with the XC40. Competing against the Mercedes BMW X1, Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, the funky Scandinavian SUV is expected to attract a more youthful customer as well as a new set of buyers for Volvo, thanks to its positioning at the entry-level of the luxury segment.

Volvo XC40 2020

In less than 18 months since launch, Volvo Car India has brought the 2020 Volvo XC40 in India in the R-Design variant, with a host of updates while carrying the same price tag as earlier. The New XC40 is now available in petrol only and in R-Design variant only. 

The 2020 Volvo XC40 looks just the same as the 2018 model and that could be a good thing since the new design language of Volvo is very chic. while being the largest in its segment in overall dimensions and ground clearance, The 2020 XC40 looks the most muscular and SUV-ish. 

The Interior of the 2020 XC40 has all the changes, The moment you open the door, you would notice gone are the quirky orange door panels and flooring. The 2020 XC40 gets an all-black interior. All-black theme inside makes the 2020 XC40 look more grown-up. The massive panoramic sunroof brightens up the cabin, while the iPad-Like Portrait oriented 9inch touchscreen dominates the dashboard. The Switches, Knobs and vents are distinctly premium, the quality of materials used in the cabin very premium and the 14speaker 600watt Harman-Kardon music system makes the 2020 XC40’s cabin a nice and comfortable place to be. 

Cutting the Clutter, there is wireless charging for your phone available along with support for android auto and apple carplay. Designers at Volvo have really carved out storage spaces inside the 2020 XC40. Phone, iPad, Laptop, Bottles, Papers you name it and there is a place for it in the cabin. The boot with the capacity of 432L is big enough for everything else. 

Volvo has been synonymous with safety and the 2020 XC40 comes loaded with safety tech. The Baby XC is the only car in the segment with a radar-based driver-assist system. The other safety features include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Aid, Run-Off Road Mitigation, Frontal Collision Mitigation Support, Whiplash Protection on front seats, and airbags on the front, side and even one for the driver’s knee. 

The New BSVI 2.0L Petrol motor comes with 190hp and 300nm of peak torque mated to a 8speed automatic box. The power from the new motor comes in a very linear fashion, while the gearbox responds nicely. This time there is no AWD on offer and XC40 is front wheel drive only. Considering this is not a Polestar variant the power from the motor is more than enough for the typical usage of these type of cars. For the buyers refinement is the key, and the 2020 Volvo XC40 scores high on this. Priced just shy of 40Lakh Rupees, The XC40 in its 2020 avatar is more mature and offers much more than its counterparts, Also in terms of looks alone, it wins the race.