The Indian arm of Volvo, a world renowned Swedish luxury car maker, is gearing up for the launch of its V40 Cross Country crossover in the domestic market. The company could bring the V40 model anytime between June and July months of 2013. The ultra modish Volvo V40 luxury crossover made its public debut last year during the Paris Motor Show, where it managed to garner some rave reviews.
The Volvo V40 Cross Country crossover would enter Indian auto market via Completely Built Unit (CBU), just like the company’s other models. The CBU assembly could tag the model with higher price as compared to its direct competition. Upon its arrival on the Indian turf, Volvo V40 would see stiff challenge from the likes of Mercedes-Benz B-Class Sports Tourer, Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mini Cooper models. The X1 and Mini Cooper cars are assembled locally in the country and therefore might have an upper hand over the yet-to-be launched Volvo V40 model, in terms of price considerations.
Speaking of under-the-hood specifications of Volvo V40 Cross Country, the crossover is anticipated to be available in both petrol and diesel powered variants. The power-mills would be turbocharged, while the drivetrain is expected to be front wheel driven in the base trims and all wheel driven in the top end variant. The engine assembly would come equipped with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission systems. Further, the Volvo V40 crossover is believed to be a complete product from the Swedish auto maker that would boast of almost every top draw comfort and security feature, available on a model of its class.
At present, Volvo offers its entire product portfolio as CBUs in the Indian luxury car market. This has not allowed the company to keep its models price competitive as against their direct German rivals, from Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW. Therefore, industry experts feel that unless Volvo starts local assembly of its models, it would face a tough time in luring domestic car buyers to its retail outlets. The yet-to-be launched V40 Cross Country is pegged to become a strong challenger in its segment and could help Volvo in cementing itself as a prominent luxury car maker in the Indian auto market.
