Volvo India launches petrol V40 Cross Country
Swedish manufacturer, Volvo, is taking the Indian market quite seriously. Just last month, at a showroom opening in Mumbai, the premium luxury brand announced their expansion plans in the country, and the first of the launches is here. Volvo India has launched the petrol variant of their crossover hatchback, the V40 Cross Country at Rs 27 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
The highlight is, of course, the new petrol engine, badged as the T4, the 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine is the most powerful in the segment. The six-speed automatic transmission delivers 177bhp at 5700rpm and 240Nm of peak torque between 1600rpm and 5000rpm to the front wheels. The engine also promises class-leading fuel efficiency by offering start/stop tech and Engine Brake Energy Regeneration, for a claimed 16.4kmpl.
The petrol variant is identical to the diesel D3 in terms of everything else, from the rugged crossover-like styling and contemporary and ergonomic interiors. The active and passive safety systems are also the same and include Laser Assisted Automatic Braking, Dynamic Stability & Traction Control (DSTC), Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS), Active Bending headlights (ABL) with Dual Xenon technology. The Swedish marque is synonymous with safety and as such offers 8-airbags (including a driver knee airbag) though whether the pedestrian airbag is included is not yet known.
Volvo India seems to be playing to its target market quite well, as even though the V40 Cross Country is a CBU, and is priced about Rs 2–5 lakh above its closest rivals, it sports SUV-esque styling, something we know the Indian consumer likes.
Tomas Ernberg, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India said,”We are excited to bring the petrol variant of V40 Cross Country to India. Buoyed by the growing acceptance of V40 Cross Country since June 2013 when we launched it here, we have now decided to bring in the petrol variant at a very competitive pricing in order to increase our reach further. I believe our customers would be enthralled with this new car.”
