Industry experts are of a view that the luxury car space of the Indian auto market is on a roll. During 2013, dozens of models have been introduced in the country, among which a number of them has witnessed a good response from the buyers. On top charts, the German auto makers, BMW and Audi are doing well with their compact Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), while Mercedes-Benz is riding high with its premium hatchbacks A-Class and B-Class.
Recently, the Swedish auto maker, Volvo, has also joined the league with the launch of V40 Cross Country. This model is essentially a European compact car, which has been reworked to provide a higher ground clearance, suiting the demands of Indian buyers. Interestingly, the model has been priced close to the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, which both have established a leadership position in the premium compact SUV segment of the Indian market.
However, a question arises that whether Volvo V40 is a compact car or a SUV. Industry experts are of a view that the model is a bit of both as its size is definitely not compact around 4.4 metres, and thus it relates to more in the segment of X1 and Q3 than the A- or B- Class. The ground clearance of Volvo V40 has been also increased by 40 mm over the standard variant, which makes it a more India specific model. Apart from dimensions, designing language is also one of the key USPs of this model. V40 features signature Volvo looks that makes it stand out from the competition posed by other equally delectable models.
Interestingly, Volvo V40 has been offered with only one engine option, i.e. a 2 litre diesel powertrain, which has been doing a good job. This performance oriented engine develops a peak power of 150 bhp with a highest torque of 250 Nm, which rightly places this model in between an SUV and a compact car. Mated to a six-speed transmission system, Volvo V40 offers hassle free shifts between the gears. Also, its braking performance is impressive and on the handling side, it is better than the German trios.
With the launch of Volvo V40 Cross Country, industry experts are of a view that the Swedish auto maker cannot lure the premium crossover buyers with a single model in its portfolio. The buyers of SUV are somehow anticipated to consider Q3 and X1 because these models are not as expensive as against the V40 and also offer more versatility.
