But it comes at the cost of fuel economy, sort of.
One of the major factors that have contributed to Volvo’s success of late have been their relentless and innovative pursuit of efficiency at all levels, making every effort to streamline wherever possible, in the name of ecological & financial sustainability. To that end, their local office has ‘streamlined’ the XC40 product lineup for the 2019 model year, dropping the offerings that haven’t caught on and enhancing the ones that have.
As such, the MY19 XC40 no longer offers diesel motivation – instead, there is a new T4 turbo-petrol variant, which down-tunes the 2.0-litre Drive-E four-cylinder that we’re used to seeing in T5-badged models. In T4 guise, the engine puts out 140kW and 300Nm, with power going to the front wheels via an 8-speed automatic.
With less power and two-less driven wheels, the price of entry into the XC40 range is now just $44,990 (before ORCs). Standard kit hasn’t dropped though, with all XC40s still offering AEB (front & rear), 7-airbags, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, 360º parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, fabric/faux-leather combination upholstery, electrochroamatic rear-view mirrors, powered seat adjustment (with memory function & lumbar support), 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, and a 9.0-inch Sensus infotainment screen paired to a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display.
So it’s clear that the cost savings came only in the form of drivetrain simplification.
While the T4 Momentum (base-model) is already well-specced, $50,990 can bag you a T4 Inscription which, as its name suggests, adds more kit but retains the same front-driven powertrain. The additional dosh comes back in the form of a powered tailgate with hands-free opening, keyless entry/go, leather-accented upholstery, a crystalline gear lever, 19-inch alloys, adaptive-beam LED headlights, interior ambient lighting, wood trim, and a power-adjustable passenger’s seat.
Sitting atop the XC40 hierarchy is the T5 R-Design AWD, which will set you back an additional $5,000 over the T4 Inscription (at $55,990, which is up $1k from MY18). The headline upgrade here is the engine, with the 2.0-litre now offering up 185kW and 350Nm, with power going to all-four corners via the same 8-speed auto. This drops the century sprint time to 6.4-seconds, a whopping 2-second difference from the T4 (which does the sprint in 8.4-seconds).
For the money, you also get a ‘Sport’ chassis tune that firms everything up a touch, leather/Nubuck sports seats with extendable under-thigh supports, black headlining, a thicker R-design steering wheel & matching gear lever, and aluminium trim inserts. And on the outside, you get a black roof, wing mirrors, and large 20-inch alloy wheels.
But even top-flight models remain without key ADAS features, which stay as cost-options for the 2019 model year. The $2500 Technology Pack adds adaptive cruise control, Pilot Assist (Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capability), a 360º camera, and automated parking (for Inscription & R-Design only). The similarly-priced Lifestyle Pack adds heated front pews, a panoramic sunroof, and rear privacy glass.
Base-model cars can be had with a $990 Convenience Pack, which throws in keyless-entry, powered tailgate with hands-free opening, and a powered front-passenger seat, but it’s the $3,000 Momentum Technology Pack that throws in all the aforementioned Tech Pack goodies, with the addition of adaptive-beam LED headlights & ambient cabin lighting.
Lastly, there is a Sports Pack for Momentum & Inscription cars ($4500 & $3900 respectively). So selected, your XC40 will add the panoramic sunroof mentioned earlier, privacy glass, Anthracite headliner, a sports steering wheel, Harman/Kardon premium audio, and 19-inch alloys. The Inscription cars forgo the alloys, as they already have 19-inch units from the get-go.
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