Introduced in late 2017, the Volvo XC40 has been upgraded for the 2020MY and is now on sale in the United Kingdom with a £28,965 ($36,432/€32,281) starting price.
Launched last summer, the T3 petrol engine adds a few extra horses. The 1.5-liter, three-cylinder’s output has been increased from 156 to 163 horsepower, and is available, for the first time, with an (optional) 8-speed automatic transmission.
With the 6-speed manual gearbox, the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time has been improved by 0.1 seconds, to 9.3, whereas getting the auto increases the time by 0.3 seconds. The average fuel consumption of the stick shift version has also been improved, with a claimed WLTP-rated 37.2-41.5 mpg UK (7.6-6.8 l/100 km / 31-34.6 mpg US), compared to 36.7-39.8 mpg UK (7.7-7.1 l/100 km / 30.6-33.1 mpg US) of the previous model.
The base price of the 2.0-liter T4 is now £1,400 ($1,761/€1,560) lower, as this version is available, for the first time, with front-wheel drive. Compared to the AWD model, the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) acceleration takes 8.4 seconds, a 0.1 second improvement. The combined fuel economy is 33.6-36.7 mpg UK (8.4-7.7 l/100 km / 28-30.6 mpg US).
The equipment range has also been revised, with the addition of new gear, such as the 12V power outlet in the boot, load protection net, locking glovebox and auto-folding side mirrors. These join the list of standard items such as the 9-inch infotainment system, voice control, sat-nav, Volvo On Call, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights, rear parking sensors and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Customers can opt for the new Winter Plus pack, which brings gear like a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats, on top of the heated front seats, heated windscreen, heated washer nozzles and headlight cleaning system of the (already available) Winter pack.
The list of safety features now includes an upgraded Blind Spot Information System with new Steer Assist function, which counter-steers the vehicle, returning it to its lane, to avoid the risk of collision with a vehicle located in the driver’s blind spot.
Finally, Volvo has added three new exterior colors, named Thunder Grey, Pebble Grey and Glacier Silver.
The XC40 range will grow to include the T5 plug-in hybrid, whose deliveries in the UK will commence early next year.