This V40 Cross Country could be Volvo India’s answer to the BMW X1

19/09/2012 - 12:00 Volvo V40, Volvo Kaustubh Shinde

If you clearly remember, we have been tracking this Volvo crossover for a very long, but somewhere during this time we thought that it would be called Volvo XC40 and it would be a fully fledged SUV.

However Volvo has surprised us by revealing Volvo V40 Cross Country (also part of our speculation) prior to the Paris Motor Show.

Much to our surprise, it is not an SUV; it is a mild crossover. It is essentially a high riding Volvo V40 hatchback designed more or less around the same philosophy as the larger XC70. It rides 40 mm higher than the hatchback sibling.

It has a lot of ‘off roadish’ design garnish such as a fake skid plate, bigger alloy wheels with chunkier rubber, roof rails and chunky black cladding elements all round the body. Some other exterior changes include a sporty spoiler and fog lamps.

Not many changes have been done to the interiors. The only changes made inside the car are related to the vibrant color selections for the upholstery and center console trim.

It will be powered by a 2.5-liter, turbocharged, five cylinder "T5"engine that generates 251hp. This engine will send power to all four wheels. However, there will be a range of petrol and diesel engines with front wheeled drive on offer.

The Volvo V40 Cross Country may not be a complete SUV that could be a head–to-head rival to the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, but it could offer an exciting alternative to the mainstream choices.

Volvo India wants to feature in the top three luxury manufacturers in India by 2020. In order to achieve this goal, Volvo India needs a volumes model to push sales numbers skywards. The Volvo V40 Cross Country seems like a feasible challenger ready to take up the daunting task, but Volvo would need the services of an upgraded portfolio, and more cars in the 20 lakh segment if that pipe dream has to turn into reality.

More details will follow from the revealing at this year's Paris Motor Show.