Chetan Rao and I had the opportunity to test-drive Volvo’s XC40 with the new T4 petrol engine. This post focuses mainly on the characteristics of the petrol variant and the changes vis-à-vis the D4 diesel variant. A comprehensive review of the D4 by
Khan Sultan and
Moralfibre is available
here.
The XC40 now comes in six colour options (Glacier Silver, Crystal White Pearl, Onyx Black Metallic, Bursting Blue Metallic, Fusion Red Metallic, Thunder Grey) instead of the three we used to get earlier. Our test car was red with a black roof:
From the front, the XC40 looks young and handsome:
This is a very contemporary design if you ask me. The black roof and pillars go well with the overall character:
Rear three quarter view brings out that sporty design of the car:
The seats and doorpads are all black, or shades of dark grey. Personally, I love the theme compared to the Lava Red one that was seen on the D4. Here's a look at the front doorpad:
Seat upholstery is single-finish leather (no Alcantara + Nubuck combo like the diesel). Driver's seat is comfortable, but might be too tight if you are on the higher end of the size scale:
Close up of the seat texture with nice white contrast stitching:
The panoramic sunroof is a nice touch. It makes the cabin well lit. Wonder how it would be under the peak summer sun?
It keeps the cabin bright even with the cover on:
Smartphone connectivity and the resized map on that huge touchscreen. Is it a limitation with the phone OS or is it the car's software?
While most of the players in the premium compact SUV segment (X1, GLA & Q3) have always come with petrol engines, this is the first time Volvo is offering a petrol powerplant in the XC40. The T4 engine is a 1,969cc turbocharged motor producing 187 BHP and 300 Nm. While these figures are not very high from an enthusiast's point of view, they are capable of giving reasonable highs to a normal user as we experienced during the test drive. There is definite turbo lag below 1,800 rpm, but beyond that, the engine's character really changes. The pull between 2,500 - 4,000 rpm is quite a lot of fun. This motor is free-revving and eagerly jumps a couple of thousand rpms within the blink of an eye, but taking it beyond the sweet spot really does not help the acceleration, as we learned while using manual mode. Manual mode is controlled by paddles-only. No +/- slots have been provided on the shifter. Do note that even in manual mode, the 8-speed gearbox will upshift when it reaches the redline and does not hold a gear. The same was observed during the review of the D4. The engine note is another thing that struck us. When we first sat inside the car, both Chetan and I felt it was louder than we expected in a vehicle with a premium turbo petrol engine. Perhaps we were a little biased by the reviews we got before we drove. Having said that, surprisingly the same engine tone sounded reasonably muted about 15 minutes into the drive. I really could not pinpoint why this happened, since it was an already warmed up engine that we experienced. The motor feels gruff if you keep pushing the revvs beyond 5,500 rpm and it does not have a racy note. My guess is that this is either a downside of Euro sound emission norms or it may be due to the huge resonator box sitting at the rear of the engine. In short, the engine is neither loud, nor the most silent, but sings in a very "firm and gentlemanly" tone.
In the real world, the car is surprisingly fast, even for the tight overtaking maneuvers that one would have to undertake on the undivided highways in Goa. With a gentle foot, the gearbox seamlessly shifts up at under 2,500 rpm. There is absolutely no jerk or head-bobbing experienced while driving at a normal pace. When you get behind the wheel, you just need to go a little heavy with your right foot and the 'box will happily downshift a cog or two depending on the pressure applied. But, the gearbox did get confused once or twice during our test-drive. With the accelerator pedal pressed half the way, it shifted up first and then down abruptly a moment later. The rpms at which shifts occur vary according to how aggressively one stomps the A pedal. While the gearbox is not the most enthusiastic one out there (yes, there is a very short delay during shifts just like in D4), it is not a slouch either, even with the T4 engine, which has lesser torque (300 Nm vs 400 Nm of the D4). The one time that the engine struggled was on a rather steep incline. On purpose, we came to a standstill and then tried to power out. Sadly, the engine-gearbox combo could not really do much for the couple of seconds taken till the engine climbed to ~2,500 rpm. Keep in mind that this was with just two adults on board. In a fully loaded car with say 4-5 adults and luggage, it could be a concern. Our guess is that this is one of the reasons why the all-wheel drive mechanicals have been dropped in the T4 variant. Having those would have meant more power loss at the transmission.
Unlike the diesel, the petrol does not get an all-wheel drive system. Few buyers in this segment would care about it or pay a premium for the same. On the other hand, it will provide that precious 1 or 1.5 km/l more for the fuel it burns. Coming to the topic of fuel consumption, driving with a light foot, the MID showed a figure of 10 l/100 km. With photography and spirited driving, the MID showed 25 l/100 km. It is fair to expect 6-8 km/l in city and anything between 9-12 km/l on the highway.
Cabin insulation is not the best (I am used to the super silent interior of the Ford Endeavour), but is not alarmingly loud either. The ride is rather choppy till ~40 km/h. You will feel all the undulations on the road. Passengers will feel them even more. But as the speed increases, things settle down. The XC40 is unfazed while it takes on those unexpected potholes or culverts at highway speeds.
The neat and tidy engine bay with the T4 petrol engine:
The engine sounds very different. It's most likely the resonator that sits close to the firewall that is the culprit:
Turbo though, is well shielded for heat and sound insulation: