Volvo’s compact utility vehicle — its first entry in the small premium utility vehicle segment — will be hitting the streets this fall, and the company is releasing teasers about the new vehicle’s equipment.
The emphasis of the SUV, named XC40 in keeping with Volvo nomenclature for utilities (XC) and for its small-car series (40), will be on individuality, with customers able to choose from dozens of possible exterior and interior colour combinations, combined with natural and manufactured interior materials.
“We wanted the XC40 to be a fresh, creative and distinctive member of the Volvo line-up, allowing its drivers to put their personality in their driveway,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Design Officer at Volvo Cars. “XC40 drivers are interested in fashion, design and popular culture, and often live in large, vibrant cities. They want a car that reflects their personalities.”
Not much beyond material detail shots has been released on the new vehicle, though it is rumoured to bear a close resemblance to the Concept 40.1 that Volvo introduced in spring 2016. At the time, Volvo said the new 40-Series (which will also include a small sedan, with both on Volvo’s new Compact Modular Architecture) would have all-electric and plug-in hybrid variants.
“The new 40 series cars have the potential to improve our market penetration in an important growing segment,” said Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo president and chief executive. “An electric powertrain program including both a new compact Twin Engine plug-in hybrid as well as a pure electric car are central to the CMA architecture.”
“Our customer research clearly showed that for the XC40 and for this segment, we needed a wider selection of colours and materials than we usually offer. As Volvo Cars has never designed a car like the XC40 before, we could start from scratch and give it energy and playfulness,” added Robin Page, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Cars.
The design team reportedly ended up drawing inspiration from street fashion, city architecture, popular culture and high-end designer goods in developing the materials, patterns and colours, such as new interior colours Lava Orange and Oxide Red.