Volvo V40 Cross Country Review - The New Face of Volvo

The New Volvo V40 range is designed around the practical individual with a passion for adding spice to life. The meticulous attention to detail can be seen throughout the car’s exterior and interior, as well as its agile and precise performance – it exudes the aura of a compact car with large car capabilities and is equipped with Volvo’s Drive-E powertrain, offering a world-class blend of drivability and low CO2 emissions. 

I had the chance to test-drive the Volvo V40 Cross Country for a few days and I was wow-ed by its power and speed! Definitely a car you would love for adventure and fun! Read on for my review and details.

The Volvo V40 Cross Country gives you even more potential for adventure and fun, not least when your thirst for spontaneity takes you to roads less travelled. It has the versatility to fit in with any active lifestyle, yet also the agility to inject some fun into your drive, while its stylish looks make you stand out from the crowd. I will be introducing more of Volvo's features, less of the technical specifications. Please head HERE for the specifications!

Exterior – New Design, New Face 

Central to the model year exterior updates are new ‘waterfall’ grille meshes featuring the updated and more visually striking Volvo Iron Mark. The update also equips the New Volvo V40 range with the new ‘Thor’s Hammer’ T-shaped LED headlights, resulting in a confident new look shared with Volvo’s new 90 Series cars.

The exterior update includes the addition of five colours to the New Volvo V40 range, including the completely new Amazon Blue and Denim Blue, as well as three colours already used by other models in the Volvo Cars portfolio: Bursting Blue, Mussel Blue and Luminous Sand.

Interior – New Trim Levels 

The interior of the New Volvo V40 range is designed around people with a strong emphasis on ergonomics, comfort and an engaging driving experience – the wide instrument panel, together with the fluidity of the door design, creates a spacious feel where driver and passengers can bask in a relaxing atmosphere of true Scandinavian luxury. 

The New Volvo V40 range will also receive the new ‘rank marks’ trim levels that were first introduced on the XC90, such as Momentum and Inscription, as well as a total of eight new wheels across the V40, V40 R-Design and V40 Cross Country models. 

In a cue taken from the award-winning Volvo Concept Estate, a new upholstery option called City Weave will be added along with a new Charcoal/Blond steering wheel option. Several new interior panel trims are also offered: Milled Aluminium, Black Grid Aluminium and Stealth Aluminium. Accent trim colours in the door inserts will now be offered with contrasting stitching and for the first time a black headliner will be available as an option in the V40. New tread plates will be added for the R- Design and Inscription trim levels and an updated key fob with the new Volvo logo will be available. 

Steering with Precise Response

The steering column's thick tubing and stiff insulator increase torsional rigidity. This also enhances the feeling of direct contact with the wheels and the road. The Electrical Power Assist Steering (EPAS) uses an electrical motor to support the steering rack. 

Impressive Line-up of Standard Equipment 

The New Volvo V40 may be at the base of the Volvo model line-up, but it is no less impressive when it comes to standard equipment. The New Volvo V40 is jam-packed with features which are usually only found in larger premium cars – such as keyless entry and start, auto headlights and rain sensors, auto-levelling LED Daytime Running Lights, power driver seat with 3 memory settings, full genuine leather upholstery and a high-performance multimedia sound system with a 5” colour screen and Bluetooth capabilities. 

The New Volvo V40 Cross Country comes with a Dynamic chassis and is 40mm higher than that of the Volvo V40. The rigid body and low centre of gravity promote an alert and quick-responding character that focuses on the driving experience without compromising ride comfort. The stiffness enables the structure to absorb lateral loads better.

At the rear, the V40 Cross Country has monotube dampers, featuring compression and return damping via the same valve. This gives shorter, faster fluid flow, which in turn means that the damper responds more quickly.

Panoramic Glass Roof

The New Volvo V40 Cross Country comes with a panoramic glass roof that stretches from the front windscreen to the rear seats creating a light and spacious feel. The black inner roof lining creates an intimate sporty ambience that puts one at the centre of all the action while electrically-controlled blinds give the passenger the choice to block out part, or all of the sun. 

Seven Different Mood Light Options 

Interior lighting within the New Volvo V40 Cross Country is designed to give a "theatre lighting" effect where LED lamps are used to light up strategic areas. The driver can enjoy a red-to-blue setting that adapts the light to the interior temperature – or choose between another seven mood themes. The front and rear reading lights can also be dimmed to suit different preferences.

The New Volvo V40 range features world-class crash safety including a safety cage with effective deformation zones and various grades of high-strength steel. The driver's side is also fitted with a knee airbag. It is installed in the dashboard above the pedals and deployed together with the other airbags in the event of a frontal collision.

City Safety – active up to 50 km/h 

City Safety is active at speeds up to 50 km/h. The car automatically brakes if the driver fails to react in time when the vehicle in front slows down or stops – or if the car is approaching a stationary vehicle too fast. 

Roll Angle Sensor Enhances Stability 

The Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) system in the New Volvo V40 range includes several sophisticated features that offer a unique blend of driving pleasure and safety. 

Advanced Stability Control 

Advanced Stability Control works with a roll angle sensor, to identify any skidding tendency at a very early stage. This means that the stability control system can step in earlier and with greater precision. Advanced Stability Control is a great asset in dynamic driving involving considerable lateral forces, thus improving handling and rapid avoidance manoeuvres. Engine Drag Control prevents the wheels from locking during engine braking on a slippery surface 

Corner Traction Control for Tighter Cornering

Corner Traction Control is a feature that uses torque vectoring for smoother cornering. When cornering, the car's inner driven wheel brakes at the same time as more power is transmitted to the outer driven wheel. This allows cornering more tightly while reducing any tendency to understeer. 

Lane Keeping Aid – active help to stay on course

Lane Keeping Aid helps the driver stay within the lane. This feature applies extra steering torque to the steering column when the car gets close to a lane marking and is about to leave the lane. The system is active at speeds between 65 km/h and 200 km/h. 

Driver Alert Control – detecting and warning tired drivers 

Driver Alert Control is designed to detect and warn tired drivers. The system can also cover other situations where the driver is distracted. Sensors register the car's movements. The control unit stores the information and calculates whether the driver risks losing control of the vehicle. 

Digital Display 

The New Volvo V40 Cross Country is available with an 8” Adaptive Digital Display that always displays the most important information in any given situation right in front of the driver. There is a choice between three graphic themes: Elegance, Eco and Performance. 

Road Sign Information – an extra "eye" on the traffic environment 

Road Sign Information supports the driver by displaying road signs in the instrument display. Road Sign Information can be combined with the Speed Alert function, which provides the driver with a visual warning in the speedometer if the speed limit is exceeded. 

Ok, so I've talked all about the details of the new Volvo V40 Cross Country and here's my own review. I really loved the feel of driving this powerful car around! The powerful engine of the car almost meant you don't have to floor the accelerator and wait for the car to climb upslope; you just have to nudge it and it will take you up. You know you'll be able to be a safe driver with all the city safety features!

I really love the car interior looking so sleek with the contrast stitching! The seats are very comfortable as well and very easy to adjust. You'll be able to enjoy utmost comfort both as passenger and driver. The panoramic glass roof makes for a good romantic date night out under the night sky!

Having experienced the safety features myself, I know they are really useful! The City Safety feature warns me when the front vehicle is coming up too fast (if I'm driving more than 50km/h) and there will be red lights plus beeping to alert me to stop. It really helped when a taxi suddenly braked in front of me and I had to brake immediately as well. The Road Sign Information feature reads the road speed limit and will provide a visual blinking warning on the digital dashboard whenever you exceed the speed limit as well. This really helps when speed cameras are approaching.

The Lane Keeping Aid feature needs a little getting used to as the steering wheel will vibrate and lead you back to your lane very slightly. Of course when you signal the car will know you are changing lanes, so that feature will not be activated. Anyway, It's a nice feature coupled with the Driver Alert Control to make sure the driver is driving safely!

I would reccomend taking a look at the Volvo V40 Cross Country if you're looking at getting a car. Great for adventurous young folks, and it's even a comfortable size for families. Coupled with all the city safety features, the Volvo V40 CC is really safe as transport for kids as well. Head down to their showroom HERE and test drive the car for free to get a feel of how it's like!

xoxo, kaitinghearts