2019 Volvo XC40: First Drive – Cars.com

Volvo’s new XC40 is the brand’s entry in the red-hot market for luxury compactSUVs but the newest smallest Volvo SUV is not just a downsized version of thexc60 or xc90 it brings its own streetwise sense of style and it’s funto drive the SC 40 has good cabin isolation it’s quiet and the ride isvery compliant it’s very good on imperfect city streets where we are nowand that is the environment that Volvo has designed it for the turbo 2 literand the XC 40 puts out 248 horsepower it’s very peppy around town it’s morethan adequate on the highway for passing and freeway on-ramps the XC 40 is ourdesign model is sporty R it has a sport-tuned suspension that rides alittle bit firmer but both it and the standard suspension corner reasonablyflat they feel composed and neither punishes you with a harsh ride the8-speed transmission in the XC 40 has well spaced gears it shifts positivelyif sometimes a little rough but I’ll forgive that because it willingly downshifts at the touch of a throttle when you want more powerI like the XC forties transmission I can’t say the same for the electronicshift lever there’s a learning curve and I haven’t mastered it yet I still havetrouble getting it in the right gear at the right time both using it in manualmode and in trying to just get it into drive when I’m partnering the new XC 40is the smallest of all those SUVs but they haven’t downsized the tech in itfrom the bigger xc60 on xc90 you still get a standard 9 inch display for themultimedia system you still get a configurable digital instrument screenthat’s twelve point three inches wide you also get a standard forwardcollision system with automatic emergency braking the same city safesystem that’s in the bigger SUVs Volvo has created an interior with thoughtfuldetails and lots of storage spaces it’s probably the most practical interiorthis side of a minivan among the features in it are in the consolegood-size bin but also a slot made just right to holda Kleenex box and keep it out of the way and still have storage there’s aflip-top wastebasket for all the little wrappersand things that end up in the cup holder in most cars then it comes out foremptying in front of the cup holders is a large device bin with a soft floor andoptional wireless charging with a wireless pad that is big enough for aphablet sized phone other storage spaces are there’s another slot for anotherdevice should you have another one next to your leg on the driver’s side in thedashboard for spare credit cards parking passes and the like there are two cardslots next to the driver on the left side and a hidden one down with thedevice bin underneath here in the glovebox which is good size in itselfthere’s a flip-out hook hang a purse and your takeout bag holds four and a halfpounds the doors are probably the most striking feature because they have verylarge bins big enough for a 15-inch laptop and a water bottle and they werecreated by taking back space that was lost in the shell of the door Volvo didthat by working with farm and garden to create a woofer that is behind the dashboard up here and eliminated the large speakers that are usually at the bottomof the door that created space for this large bin with its recent new modelsVolvo has become known for a Scandinavian design inspired by naturewith muted colors and a lot of natural materials like swaths of open for woodwith the XC 40 aimed at a younger Herman buyer has taken a different philosophystill Scandinavian but maybe more IKEA than nature it came up with some newmaterials new colors gives the interior a wholenew personality but still a premium upscale feel seats are still leather andit’s standard in all XE 40s that’s not common among premium small SUVs in thedoors however it came up with a whole new material made from 97% recycledwater bottles that has a felt like feel and it’s also used to line the footwells Volvo came up with some interesting embossed metal trim for theXC 40 and it is metal they made a point of telling us that if it looks like itis that’s true of the leather seats it’s true of the trim the door handles looklike aluminum however but they are aluminum coated with a plastic substrateso that’s not entirely true overall the level of fit and finish is high there’sstill some plastic below your elbow to be expected in this size and price classbut generally there’s a lot of soft touch material there are some nicepremium details like fabric draft pillars and the interior does have anupscale and premium feel the EXCI 40 will be a dealers in a few weeks with towatch models both mid-range trim levels with all-wheel drive a less expensivebase model will be available this summer and a more expensive top-of-the-linemodel will come later this year down the road Volvo plans on electric and aplug-in hybrid for more information on the XC 40 go to cars calmyou

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