Volvo Cars has expanded its line-up of SUVs with the launch of its new XC40 small premium SUV in Milan, Italy. Volvo Cars has also introduced a new Care by Volvo subscription service. The service, first available on the XC40 from launch, makes having a car as transparent, easy and hassle free as having a phone. It is currently offered with a monthly flat-fee subscription.
Depending on regional availability, Care by Volvo will also include access to a range of digital concierge services such as fuelling, cleaning, service pick-up and e-commerce delivery to the car. The XC40 with Care by Volvo is available to order online from today in select markets. XC40 drivers will also be the first Volvo customers who can share their car with friends and family via Volvo on Call with a new digital key technology. Car sharing comes as standard for Care by Volvo customers.
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Coming back to the XC40, it is the first model on Volvo Cars’ new modular vehicle architecture (CMA), which will underpin all other upcoming cars in the 40 Series including fully electrified vehicles. Co-developed within Geely, CMA provides the company with the necessary economies of scale for this segment.
In terms of technology, the XC40 brings safety, connectivity and infotainment technologies known from the new 90- and 60 Series cars to the small SUV segment. Like its larger siblings, the XC40 highlights the transformational effect of these new, in-house developed technologies on brand and profitability.
Safety and driver assistance features on the XC40 include the company’s Pilot Assist system, City Safety, Run-off Road protection and mitigation, Cross Traffic alert with brake support and the 360 degree camera that helps drivers manoeuvre their car into tight parking spaces.
The XC40 also offers a new approach to storage inside the car. Ingenious interior design provides XC40 drivers with more functional storage space in the doors and under the seats, a special space for phones including inductive charging, a fold-out hook for small bags and a removable waste bin in the tunnel console.
From start of production, the XC40 will be available with a D4 diesel or a T5 petrol four-cylinder Drive-E powertrain. Further powertrain options, including a hybridized as well as a pure electric version, will be added later. The XC40 will also be the first Volvo model to be available with Volvo Cars’ new 3-cylinder engine. Production of the new XC40 starts in Volvo Cars’ plant in Ghent, Belgium in November, while order books and the Care by Volvo subscription package are open for customers now.
Speaking on the occasion, Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive, Volvo Cars, said, “The XC40 is our first entry in the small SUV segment, broadening the appeal of the Volvo brand and moving it in a new direction. It represents a fresh, creative and distinctive new member of the Volvo line-up. So it only feels natural to reveal the XC40 here in Milan, a buzzing European hotspot for fashion, art, design and lifestyle.”
