Volvo India, the Indian subsidiary of the Swedish car maker, has finally launched the much awaited V40 Cross Country in India. The new Volvo V40 Cross Country will battle it out against not just the new Mercedes A Class and the upcoming BMW 1 Series but also with the BMW X1 and the Audi Q3.
The new Volvo V40 Cross Country has been priced at INR 28.5 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) in rapidly developing Indian car market. The V40 goes on sale in only one variant, which comes filled to the brim with features and equipment.
Powering the new Volvo V40 Cross Country is a 2.0 litre five cylinder D3 diesel engine that has a max power output of 150bhp and a peak torque figure of 350 Nm. The engine comes mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission. The car is capable of hitting the 100kmph figure from standstill in 9.3 seconds and has a claimed fuel economy of 16.8 kmpl.
Priced at Rs. 28.5 Lakhs (Ex-showroom, Delhi) the Volvo V40 Cross Country will be retailed through Volvo’s dealerships across the country starting June 2013.
The all-new Volvo V40 has received the top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP collision test. The overall result is the best ever recorded by the institute.
Following is a list of some interesting features/creatures comforts that the V40 comes equipped with-
• TFT Crystal Display – Thin Film Transistor (TFT) is the latest technology user in monitors and televisions. You can choose from 3 graphic display themes “Elegance (Amberish), ECO (Greenish), and Performance (Sporty Reddish)”. The driving modes transform the interactive dashboard, monitor your driving, and assist you in maintaining optimization and not to mention the mood.
• Electronic Climate Control with (ECC) with clear air filter technology
• Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) – Personalisable levels of steering assist
• Park Assist Pilot (PAP) – The parking manoeuvre is based on front, rear and side-facing ultrasonic sensors. When the driver activates the Park Assist Pilot the sensors start to scan the side of the car. When a parking slot measuring a minimum of 1.2 times the car’s length is detected, the driver is notified by an audible signal and advised to use the pedals to stop via a message in the instrument cluster. This is a Semi-automatic park assist for parallel parking.
• Park Assist Camera- Rear – Camera uses electronics to reduce “Fish Eye “effect. Image seen in screen is as natural as possible (with guiding lines)
• Theatre/Mood lighting – Light (Violet purple, Glacier Blue, Red Sunset, Ember Gold, Toscana White, Frosty White and Rain Forest) is produced from overhead console and rear seat light console
• Engine Brake Energy Regeneration – Transferring energy smartly. Whenever the accelerator or brake is released while a gear is engaged, the braking energy is fed back to the battery. It reduces load of the alternator, saves fuel and lowers emission.
• Lock and Alarm – Personal Car Communicator with Keyless Drive. Has an operational range of 100 metres for functions controlled by remote and up to 20 metres for remote lock functions.
• Talking about the audio system, the car has a High Performance 4x45W amplifier with 8 loudspeakers. With a single DVD player and MP3 decoder one can also control the audio system from their steering wheels.
Very much like almost all the Volvo cars to have ever kissed the tarmac, the V40 comes “over-loaded” with safety features. The long list of safety features includes-
• Laser Assisted Automatic Braking – City Safety up to 50 km/hr – When the city throws its chaotic face, you’d be a step ahead and a lot safer. The latest version of City Safety prevents collisions up to 50 km/h. This laser based feature senses emergency situations beforehand and pre-charges the brakes to increase the impact of braking or even deploys the brakes if in case they aren’t timely applied.
• Dynamic Stability & Traction Control (DSTC) – Control has been one of the most sensitive areas of driving. Building on this core truth, DSTC acts as a vital safety development. It helps the driver to keep the car under control by averting scenarios such as spinouts, fishtails and roll overs. DSTC enabled with a gyroscope, senses a potential skid and counters this by reducing the engine’s power output or braking on one or more wheels.
• Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS) – On road distractions are omnipresent and can easily turn a normal situation into a critical one. IDIS constantly monitors your driving and delays secondary information from the car or one of its onboard systems – such as the GSM phone- when it detects intense steering, braking or acceleration. Once it senses a return to normalcy, it displays the withheld information.
• Turn-with Steering Lights (ABL) – Now for every curve see what lies ahead. The Active Bending headlights with Dual Xenon technology expand your vision range by about 230% that gives you 150 feet more for braking. And using motorized lamps that turn up to 15 degrees in either direction, your vision gets a 90% boost around bends at night. A daytime sensor disengages the adaptive function during daytime to extend its lifespan.
• Side Impact Protection System – SIPS rapidly swings into action in the event of a side impact. It reduces the effect of the crash by taking away the impact from the occupants and distributing it to the body of the car. Also, the dual chamber side airbags spring up instantly to cocoon the occupant’s chest and hip, while the discharged inflatable curtain (IC) protects the heads of both front and rear outboard occupants.
• Whiplash Protection – In case of a rear impact, WHIPS operates by cradling the front occupant to severely reduce neck injuries. The WHIPS equipped seat is outfitted with a metal piece that absorbs the energy from the collision and moves together with the occupant, while the headrest reclines to further lessen the effect of the crash.
• Driver Knee Airbag – When it comes to safety we have all angles covered. The driver knee airbag is a newly fitted safety feature that immediately swings into action in the event of a collision. This protects the knee and also acts as a considerable cushioning system to the upper shin of the leg. It is installed in the dashboard above the pedals and deployed together with the other airbags in the event of a frontal collision.
During the launch, Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India said, “The Volvo V40 has received the top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP collision test. The overall result is the best ever recorded by the institute. Volvo V40 Cross Country which is a variant of the V40 represents a model which is Premium in Design, Features, Technology and Safety. We offer a complete package with no hidden costs. The V40 Cross Country is an excellent example of how Volvo is taking Safety into the future. We believe that the most premium thing in life is life itself. With TFT instrumentation clusters (no needles); integrated panoramic glass roof and a host of other features as standard, it redefines the compact luxury offering. It is miles ahead of the competition when it comes to intelligent accident prevention and mitigation. The car will bring in new impetus to our growth strategy in India.”
Sudeep Narayan, Marketing & PR Director, Volvo Auto India said, “The V40 Cross Country will attract the new generation of young upmarket Luxury Car buyers in India primarily because it offers high-end technology, driveability, safety and features parallel to none in this price bracket. The car promises to bring alive the ‘Adventurer in you’ by appealing ‘To your other side’.”