{"id":21934,"date":"2018-03-01T18:34:58","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T22:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=21934"},"modified":"2018-03-01T18:34:58","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T22:34:58","slug":"review-volvo-xc40-speaks-with-american-accent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/review-volvo-xc40-speaks-with-american-accent","title":{"rendered":"Review: Volvo XC40 speaks with American accent"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/9ddb467e530c282d9c101d355e6531a65fc7e7f3\/c=504-0-3528-2268&amp;r=x404&amp;c=534x401\/local\/-\/media\/2018\/02\/28\/DetroitNews\/B99632936Z.1_20180228174529_000_G7J1SVGL4.1-0.jpg\" alt=\"volvo_fr3-4-blue-close\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div><p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">The Volvo XC40 is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, designed in Sweden and built in Belgium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">And it\u2019s made for America.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Volvo\u2019s first subcompact ute ain\u2019t so compact. It\u2019s the biggest subcompact in the luxury aisle with more storage space than a roll-top desk. Americans live large in their cars and the XC40 is a rolling habitat.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Volvos have always been furniture on wheels with their crafted Scandinavian wood surfaces and plush chairs. The XC40 is all that and utilitarian, too. The entry-level Volvo is the unmistakable descendent of the fancy-pants, midsize XC90 and compact XC60 with its \u201cThor\u2019s hammer\u201d headlights, vertical iPad screen and fortress of safety features.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But this Swede has a personality all its own.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">After all, this XC isn\u2019t riding up to the usual cocktail-sipping party-valet counter. It\u2019s mixing with a new crowd of potential Volvo consumers \u2014 hip youngsters and old hipsters looking for something that stands out in the crowded Whole Foods parking lot. These are buyers who prefer to spend time behind the wheels of a Mini Cooper Clubman, or funky Nissan Murano or edgy Ford Edge than in the back seat of an $80,000 land yacht.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">My funkadelic Amazon Blue XC40 with white roof and Hot Wheels wants to be noticed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">I spent a day with the XC in Austin, which is basically the Texas version of Ann Arbor. Only bigger. The Volvo fit right in among Austin\u2019s music bar-lined streets, University of Texas campus and urban tech vibe.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-position-230\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike partner-placement-visible\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,3,3\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-news-opinion-232\" class=\"ad-slot\" data-google-query-id=\"COHjzcWXzNkCFQe-TwodpPgGbw\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_7103\/mi-detroit-C1561\/native-article_link\/news\/opinion_1__container__\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"google_ads_iframe_7103\/mi-detroit-C1561\/native-article_link\/news\/opinion_1\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" src=\"http:\/\/tpc.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-16\/html\/container.html\" name=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"162\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" data-is-safeframe=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Exterior designer Anders Gunnarson had Mini Cooper in mind when his Swedish team designed the white-top Volvo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cIt\u2019s different. It gives the car youthful proportion,\u201d he said pacing around the car. \u201cIt\u2019s charismatic like a Mini Cooper, and gives it it\u2019s own personality \u2014 different from its big brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Gunnarson has a nickname for his charismatic creation: \u201cTough little robot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">A properly elegant XC90 or S90 sedan would be horrified if you called them a \u201crobot.\u201d But it fits the XC40. The car, the first on Volvo\u2019s small-car CMA platform (short for Compact Modular Architecture) carries the Volvo signature design themes of Thor\u2019s hammer headlights, rectangular grille and boomerang taillights.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Everything else is different, quirky.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The front grille has been scalloped, as if Gunnarson carved it out with a giant ice cream scooper. The rocker panels are dimpled. The three-dimensional tailgate is so expressive that Gunnarson moved the license plate to the lower bumper so as not to distract from it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"partner-outstream\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Oh, and that roof. It\u2019s supported by a flying buttress-style C-pillar so large it looks like it was stolen from Notre-Dame Cathedral. Or Toyota\u2019s own subcompact funk-mobile, the C-HR. I love it, though it creates a driver blind spot bigger than Kansas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">All this drama got the attention of Ato Musa, a Kenya-born clothing designer living the dream in downtown Austin. He drives a Mercedes E-class for its elegance and \u2014 naturally \u2014 its handsome interior materials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">He couldn\u2019t take his eyes off my loaded $44,000 XC40 T5 Momentum (the T5 gets a 248-horsepower turbo-4, the T4 gets a 187-horse turbo-4). As I watched him shoot pics in his custom three-piece suit, I imagined he would probably forgo the punk white roof for a more conservative black top offered with the R-Design trim. Either way, it was the interior that really moved him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The appointments are singularly Volvo with standard digital cockpit, huge 8-inch tablet screen (just like its big brother, the $60,000 XC90), soft-touch dash, aluminum dash accents, leather seats, floor carpet lapping all the way up to the console and felt door-liners made from 97 percent recycled water bottles (that\u2019s the ol\u2019 greenie Volvo I know).<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Choose the interior in black leather and lava-orange carpet\/felt, and you\u2019ll be invited to every party in town.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Then there\u2019s the storage. It. Is. Everywhere. A healthy center-console storage container \u2014 designer Gunnarson calls it a \u201cfishbox,\u201d which I think is Swedish for tackle box \u2014 included a deep, removable trash bin which I wish every car had for tossing tissues, candy wrappers and all that rubbage (Gunnarson\u2019s term again) that you have to toss into the door side pockets in other cars because there\u2019s no proper place to put it. I once rented a car where someone had stuck their used bubble gum under the dash. Ugh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In front of the fish box are two cup holders, two USB ports and a trough for phones, change, etc.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Speaking of side pockets, the XC40 has extended them the length of the door by moving the base speakers to the top of the dash. My laptop fit easily in the side pocket. Plus mouse. And a water bottle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">I\u2019m just warming up. A clever hook flips out from the glove box to hang everything from a purse to plastic grocery bags.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The rear seat will easily stow my 6-foot-5-inch frame. The XC40 sports the best rear legroom in a class in which this is usually an afterthought. In fact, the Volvo\u2019s room and cargo space compare favorably to more expensive compact utes like the Alfa Stelvio and similarly priced Buick Envision while besting them in interior finish. The rear passengers not only get center cup storage, but their very own storage trays at each seat corner.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The cargo hold is more versatile than a Swiss Army knife with more flip-out grocery bag hangers, a hinged floor that folds up to keep loose groceries in place, and \u2014\u00a0<em>voila!<\/em>\u2014 a subfloor where you can store that bulky cargo blind when it\u2019s not in use.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The giant rear c-pillar makes the second row a dark hole, so opt for the panoramic sunroof so the sun can shine in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">So brimming with self-confidence is the XC40 that its 2.0-liter turbo-4 even beats its BMW X1 and Audi Q3 competitors in horsepower with 248 ponies. Only the pricey Jaguar E-PACE R-Dynamic bests it in segment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Just don\u2019t ask the Volvo to keep up with those athletes in the twisties. The Volvo\u2019s fun factor ends when you flog it hard, as the e-steering goes numb and the big chassis feels like it\u2019s floating above the road. So, if it\u2019s handling you want, buy the x-citing X1 which also rivals the XC40 in roominess.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But if you want a tough little robot with the best living quarters, then Volvo has you covered. With swagger and space, it\u2019s a Swede with an American accent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne. Catch \u201cCar Radio with Henry Payne\u201d from noon-1 p.m. Saturdays on 910 AM Superstation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>2019 Volvo XC40<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>VEHICLE TYPE<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\">FRONT-ENGINE, FRONT- AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE, FIVE-PASSENGER SUV<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Price<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\">$34,195 base ($44,315 AWD T5 Momentum; $45,935 T5 R-Design as tested)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Power plant<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\">2.0-liter turbo-4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Power<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\">248 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque (187-horse turbo-4 coming later for base T4)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Transmission<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\">8-speed automatic<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\">0-60 mph, 6.2 seconds (mfr.); top speed: 140 mph<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\">3,800 pounds (est.)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Fuel economy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<p class=\"p-text\">TBA<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Highs:<\/strong>\u00a0Versatile interior living space; loaded with standard features<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Lows:<\/strong>\u00a0Numb steering; all that carpeting could get soiled<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><strong>Overall:<\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Volvo XC40 is owned by Chinese automaker Geely, designed in Sweden and built in Belgium. And it\u2019s made for America. Volvo\u2019s first subcompact ute ain\u2019t so compact. It\u2019s the biggest subcompact in the luxury aisle with more storage space than a roll-top desk. Americans live large in their cars and the XC40 is a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21934"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21934"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21934\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21935,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21934\/revisions\/21935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}