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Volvo is celebrating yet another international award after the company’s new XC40 small SUV was named the 2018 European Car of the Year ahead of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.
It is the first time the Swedish marque has won the prestigious prize.
Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo, said: “Winning this award with our new XC40 is perfect timing.
“Volvo now has three globally-available SUVs in its range for the first time. The XC40 will be a strong contributor to further growth, taking us into a new and fast-growing small SUV segment.
“We have a clear strategy for growth and we are committed to leading in automotive safety, connectivity services and electrification. The XC40 reflects that commitment, and looking at the response from our customers and from the COTY jury, we are on the right track.”
The XC40 win means that the complete line-up of new global Volvo SUVs have each been named Car of the Year in either Europe or North America. Both the large XC90 and mid-size XC60 were awarded the North American Truck/Utility of the Year title in the past two years.
The 2018 European Car of the Year award follows other recent recognition for the XC40, including the Car of the Year award by leading UK automotive publication What Car?
The XC40 blasted into the segment with innovations in terms of design, connectivity and safety technology. So far, it has made great strides in the European, Middle Eastern and US markets, and is due to roll-out in China soon, which is the world’s largest car market.
The XC40 is the first model on Volvo Cars’ new compact modular vehicle architecture (CMA), co-developed with Geely, which will underpin all upcoming cars in the 40 Series, including fully electrified vehicles.
The model is also the first Volvo to come with a car-sharing feature, enabled via Volvo’s digital key technology and its connected services platform Volvo On Call. XC40 owners can simply share their car with family and friends without having to hand over a physical key.
In another first, the XC40 launched Volvo Cars’ new subscription service, Care by Volvo, which offers car access via a monthly flat-fee subscription rather than ownership. Care by Volvo makes having a car as transparent, easy and hassle free as having a phone.
Safety and driver assistance features on the XC40 include Volvo Cars’ Pilot Assist system, City Safety, Run-off Road protection and mitigation, Cross Traffic alert with brake support and the 360° Camera that helps drivers manoeuvre their car into tight parking spaces.
The XC40 also offers spacious interior design and storage ideas with more functional storage space in the doors and under the seats, a special space for phones including inductive charging, a foldout hook for small bags, plus a removable waste bin in the tunnel console.
In 2017, the company announced its commitment to electrify all Volvo Cars launched from 2019. In line with this position in electrification, a hybridised as well as a pure electric powertrain option for the XC40 will be added at a later date.
The XC40 is available at the Motorcity Showroom in Sitra from the starting price of BD14,900. For more information, visit the showroom in Sitra, call 17736222 or visit www.motorcity.com.bh
