Volvo XC40 2020 Review

The Volvo XC40 has been a sensation in Australia, winning the carsales car of the year and helping drive Volvo to record sales numbers.

Now, with Volvo’s first triple-cylinder engine rolling out in the compact SUV there’s a reasonable chance it will head to Australia, providing a new lower-priced entry point for the range.

Yeah, great question. The current entry-level model the XC40 T4 Momentum, which is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol front-wheel drive, is about to go up $2000 in price to $46,990 plus on-road costs.

An Aussie-bound Volvo XC40 T3 would probably be sold only as an eight-speed auto, front-wheel drive and in in Momentum specification for about $42,000 plus on-road costs.

But don’t presume the T3 and T4 would sit alongside each other. Volvo is on a drive to simplify its range and the triple might instead replace the T4 in sitting below the higher-powered T5 in the line-up.

So, what would you get for your money in a XC40 T3 Momentum? Well, the T4 model currently offers safety features such as seven airbags, front collision mitigation support front and rear, lane-keeping aid, blind-spot warning, cross-traffic alert and a reversing camera.

There’s also a 9.0-inch touch-screen, navigation, dual-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and smartphone inductive charging. We’ll know what will be added to MY19 T4 soon and that would presumably flow on to the T3.

The XC40 is a terrific small SUV, the attributes of which we have laid time over time at carsales.com.au.

But in summary, it’s great looking, pleasant to drive, has a brilliant interior and offers outstanding safety credentials. It’s Volvo to its core, yet completely new and fresh at the same time.

The T3 delivers that in a slightly diluted, slightly slower and slightly cheaper way.

Now, the disclaimer; we’re basing that verdict on three laps of a 2.1km demo circuit in a left-hand drive manual at Volvo’s Torslanda plant outside Gothenburg in Sweden. Yes, impossible to be definitive.

But as triples go, the Drive-E 1.5-litre is bloody impressive. There’s less emphasis on the chatter and vibration some people call character and more on the smoothness and response old grumps like me prefer.

Volvo claims the T3 engine makes 115kW and 265Nm, which seems acceptable. Peak torque comes in from 1850rpm and the XC40 had no hesitation strolling around the circuit in fifth gear at low revs – hey it didn’t accelerate fast (if much at all), but it didn’t stutter either.

At the other end of the scale it will rev out happily – if a little lethargically – to its 6500rpm redline.

A 0-100kmh time of 9.4 seconds sounds about right. The WLTP fuel consumption claim is 7.1L/100km as a manual. No auto figure is available as yet.

Those brief laps show off how light the steering is – there are no adjustable driver modes in this car – and just how flat the seat base is. That’s accentuated by the amount of roll generated when cornering. Nevertheless, the T3 retains the decent dynamic balance of its more powerful brethren.

One thing we could not assess was the ride quality as the track was silk-smooth. The XC40 T4 can get a little ragged on Aussie roads, but no idea as yet of the T3 would do the same.

Sometime in 2020 — potentially. At the other end of the spectrum, the battery-electric version will get here next year. Might be a frag more expensive than the T3!

Singles and couples will find the XC40 makes sense because of its size and space. It’s a vehicle for the young, the young at heart and people who just have good sense.

Logical competition for the Volvo XC40 are the Audi Q3, BMW X2, Jaguar E-PACE and Mercedes-Benz GLA.

This entry-level model will also come in range of top-level mainstream mini-SUVs like the excellent Toyota C-HR and Mazda CX-3.

The Volvo’s better than any of them.

We’re fans of the XC40 here at carsales. Like, der!

So a new variant is definitely welcomed. Hey, the triple might be the least substantive offering in the range, but this is one vehicle that can give up a little of its worth and still be easily justifiable.

How much does the 2020 Volvo V60 XC40 T3 cost?
Price: $42,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder
Output: 115kW/265Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 7.1L/100km (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 167 g/km (WLTP Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP)