2013 Volvo V40 Cross Country review, test drive

Volvo's V40 Cross Country is set to enter our showrooms soon. We take a look at this luxury car that is not quite traditional.

Published on Apr 23, 2013 12:38:00 PM

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2013 Volvo V40 Cross Country review, test drive

Make : Volvo

Model : V40

It’s the age of fusion. Consumers’ demands have evolved and so have the options available to them. And one of the most popular trends today is products which offer the best of many worlds. Crossovers are a result of this trend. These are regular cars that have the much-desired SUV look and feel, but come with very few SUV penalties; exactly why Volvo is in the process of readying its V40 Cross Country for sale in India. It’s targeted at the young-at-heart owner-drivers who are looking for something different.

The V40 competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz A-class and B-class and also the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 when Volvo begins to import them. The Gothenburg-based carmaker isn’t expecting any miracles. It’s well aware that the Cross Country will only appeal to those looking for luxury, features and style in a compact package. But is the V40 Cross Country attractive and feature-rich enough for the smartphone generation?

With regard to looks, Volvo has gotten it perfectly right. Our red V40 Cross Country regularly had people craning their necks to get a better look at the car and we got thumbs ups and smiles from total strangers all day. What gets your attention first are the aggressive, beak-like bonnet with its cuts and creases, and the extreme rake of the windscreen. There’s a strong bonnet ‘V’, the headlights are angled back appropriately, the black roof looks stunning, and the rising waistline and the tight-fitting top meet each other at the rear of the car quite elegantly. An unpainted plastic cladding that runs around the car, faux scuff plates, both front and rear, and sleek roof rails gives it an off-roader presence. The Cross Country also gets 40mm more ground clearance and larger tyres than the regular V40 hatch.