… and it’ll look like the Concept 40.1.
The Volvo XC40, due next year to enter the hotly-contested premium-compact SUV segment, will see the use of a new three-cylinder 1.5-litre engine in its range, CEO Hakan Samuelsson hinted in an interview with Autocar.
To be more specific, Samuelsson said that the 1.5-litre three-pot will make its debut in a CMA-based vehicle, which almost blatantly refers to the upcoming XC40. The new compact Volvo SUV will take on cars like the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA, and BMW X1 as its main rivals, while also aiming to poach Range Rover Evoque customers with top-end variants.
It’s explained that the new three-pot is a derivative of existing Drive-E four cylinder powerplants, and will join the XC40 lineup alongside other petrol and diesel engines. The new 1.5-litre will also see a hybrid application, being joined with an electric motor. This will culminate in a front-wheel drive hybrid called the T5 TwinEngine, and see the employment of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The T5 will be capable of driving as far as 50km in all-electric mode.
Design of the XC40 is expected to stay true to the Concept 40.1 that you see here. Spy shots available on the interwebs has revealed that the XC40 will retain a lot of the concept’s basic design language, which suggests that more of the design could have been carried over wholesale.
The XC40 will mark the beginning of the Swedish firm’s overhaul of the 40-Series lineup, now that it’s completed its turnaround of its 90-Series of cars. The XC40, will will debut before the end of this year, will be quickly followed by a V40 hatch and estate in 2019.
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