Volvo XC40 Named 2018 European Car Of The Year
Geneva, 5 March, 2018 – 2018 will be a memorable year for Volvo Cars as it celebrates its first win of the prestigious European Car of the Year award for the Volvo XC40, its small SUV. The award was given ahead of the Geneva Motor Show which will be held between 8 to 18 March in Switzerland.
This win for the Volvo XC40 means that the complete line-up of Volvo’s new global SUVs have each been named Car of the Year in either Europe or North America. The large XC90 and mid-sized 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 UK automotive publication, What Car?.
“Winning this award with our new XC40 is perfect timing,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars. “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.”
The XC40 is built on Volvo Cars’ new compact modular vehicle architecture (CMA) that will include electrified versions which will be introduced later. This platform is co-developed with Geely for greater economies of scale, and perhaps this could be the platform Geely will make available to Proton. So far, early orders in the USA and Europe have exceeded 20,000 units, and Volvo is looking at strong demand when it launches the XC40 in China.
The XC40 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. With this feature, XC40 owners can 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 called 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 into tight parking spaces.
The XC40 also offers ingenious interior design with more functional storage space in the doors and under the seats, an inductive charging spot for phones, a foldout hook for your nasi lemak bungkus or small bags, and a removable waste bin in the tunnel console.
“We have a clear strategy for growth and we are committed to leading in automotive safety, connectivity services and electrification,” said Håkan Samuelsson.. “The XC40 reflects that commitment, and looking at the response from our customers and from the COTY jury here today, we are on the right track.”
