Volvo launches V40 Cross Country in India

Brand Volvo might be synonymous with luxury buses in India, but the Swedish auto-maker is gradually establishing itself in the luxury car market. After slipping in silently with the huge XC90 SUV a few years back, Volvo has slowly but steadily expanded its Indian portfolio that now includes the S60 and S80 sedans apart from the XC60 SUV. 'Why do we see so few Volvo cars in Indian roads compared to the German trio then,' you might think. The awfully small dealer network is what we would point to as the reason. Having expanded its presence to 12 cities across the country now, Volvo has moved a step closer to becoming a mainstream luxury brand.

With the compact luxury segment being the hotspot of activity of late, Volvo launched the V40 Cross Country in India yesterday. Priced at INR 28.5 Lakhs ex-showroom Delhi, the V40 Cross Country is available in just a single variant powered by a 2.0-liter, 5-cylinder common rail turbo diesel engine that's good for 148 bhp of maximum power and 350 Nm of peak torque. This is a detuned version of the engine found under the hoods of the S60 and the XC60. Mated to this engine is a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Though the V40 Cross Country looks like a proper crossover, it is actually a decked-up variant of the V40 hatchback. Thanks to a multitude of smart touches like the raised ground clearance, matte-black plastic cladding all around, fake scuff plates at the front and rear, roof rails and the 17-inch alloy wheels, the V40 Cross Country easily passes off as an aggressive and sporty-looking crossover. We would even say that this Volvo would end up turning more heads than proper crossover designs such as the X1 and Q3.

If you do not know already, Volvos are considered to be amongst the safest cars in the world with the company itself being a pioneer in inventing and bringing in new safety technologies to the market. The V40 Cross Country carries that trademark forward with a startling array of safety features on board. Making its debut here is the world's first 'City Safety Tech' that activates on detecting an impending collision by pre-charging the brakes so that they respond faster to the driver's response. If the driver fails to brake, this technology would automatically apply the brakes and cut the throttle response. It sounds too good, but wouldn't the system go mad on sensing the manic driving conditions on Indian cities?

That apart, the list of features on offer includes a total of 7 Airbags including SIPS, knee and curtain airbags, Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Traction Control, Cruise Control, front seat whiplash protection, a best-in-class Park Pilot automatic parking system, rear parking camera with sensors, fixed panoramic sun roof, leather seats, keyless entry, push button start and LED Daytime Running Lamps with active bending technology. The interiors themselves are typical Volvo stuff that looks a bit uninspiring despite being so feature-rich. This is where the competition might nudge ahead of the Volvo.

The V40 Cross Country is the cheapest Volvo on sale in India and will end up competing with an interesting mix of cars from the German luxury brands. Yes, the V40 Cross Country would end up battling not only with crossovers like the BMW X1 and the Audi Q3, but also with premium hatchbacks like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and sports tourers like the Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

If not for anything else, we wish Volvo gains more popularity in India just for the incredible safety legacy that this Swedish brand enjoys worldwide.