Test drive Volvo XC40
Test Drive

Test drive Volvo XC40

Subscribing to a car, car sharing for friends and controlling from a smartphone - Volvo XC40 like no other car today fits the definition of a gadget on wheels

Among the compact crossovers of the premium segment, the Volvo XC40 stands out for its well-knit appearance and high seating position, but it has modest dimensions, which does not allow it to be classified as purely masculine. It is not cheaper than its competitors and is sold for at least $ 29, and the AvtoTachki edition was visited by a well-equipped car with a powerful engine, the cost of which exceeds 971 million rubles.

The thrust with which Volvo has been rejuvenating its audience in recent years is truly delightful. From square suitcases for retirees, Scandinavian cars quickly turned into stylish and technological devices. And the Swedes, of course, are aware that the younger generation does not want to burden themselves with property, preferring to live in rented apartments and use car sharing. Therefore, the XC40 was the first model of the brand to be offered for rent by subscription.

Test drive Volvo XC40

Moreover, the crossover can be shared with friends by giving them an electronic key. You can order delivery to it - a courier with a parcel can leave the goods in a car parked near your house, and you will pick them up at any convenient time. To manage any of the services, you only need a smartphone. And it's a pity that not all of these opportunities are available in Russia yet.

There is one nuance in the model of total globalism and sharing: people still care what kind of things they use and what they drive. This is why the compact XC40 is so distinctive and attractive. This is not an old-fashioned suitcase at all, but a topical and well-knit crossover that looks quite ready for an urban obstacle course.

Test drive Volvo XC40

A minimalistic salon in the style of Scandinavian interiors with a traditional tablet is here like nowhere else - young people do not need excesses, and they are easier to manage with smartphones than with keys to an apartment. But what amazes most of all is how carefully each nook of this simple-looking interior is worked out and how coolly the materials are selected: quality and design are everywhere here without the slightest hint of kitsch.

Exactly the same feeling of an expensive and high-quality thing arises while driving. In motion, the XC40 is so light that you can control it like an extension of your hands. At the same time, in dynamic mode, the steering wheel chassis becomes denser, and the accelerator is more responsive - almost like on sports cars.

Test drive Volvo XC40

However, everything is within reason and under the supervision of electronics. Turning off the stabilization system and giving a corner in the supermarket parking lot will definitely not work. But to film the steering wheel, spontaneously turning left and right - please. The Pilot Assist system is activated by the same button on the steering wheel, which activates the speed limiter and adaptive cruise control, clings to the markings and the car in front, keeps the lane itself, requiring the driver to at least sometimes put his hands on the steering wheel.

As for the subscription and delivery to the car, they will someday work with us - technically, it will not be a problem to implement this in a city with the world's largest car-sharing park. In Russia, the subscription has already been launched as an experiment and only with the XC60 model, and the cars from the first batch have already been sold to customers. But the compact XC40 could be the first car I could look at from a practical point of view at the rental price.

David Hakobyan, 30 years old, drives a Volkswagen Polo

You can play tolerance as much as you like, but sooner or later, in an attempt to speculate about something out loud, we will certainly run into the limitations and frameworks into which we have driven ourselves. For example, Volvo XC40 with all its appearance and functionality hints at what was created for the young and progressive. Here you have touchscreens, and ownership by subscription, and a bunch of everything that is in trend for those who listened to the last call yesterday and met the dawn with a red flight deck on their shoulder.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is a feeling that all these chips like control from a smartphone, sharing with friends and even renting instead of buying are not suitable for older people. Well, or it will simply be difficult for them to understand all this due to the power of age. Smells like the notorious "ageism", right? Well, in general, it becomes somehow offensive for those "who are for".

Test drive Volvo XC40

On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with the fact that this Volvo is addressed to young people. In the same way, there is nothing wrong with the fact that the XC40 is a purely feminine car. I understand that in this world nothing is divided into male and female, and especially cars. All of them seem to have become universal for a long time. But I seem to be still a child of the XNUMXth century, and I want to call a spade a spade.

You can call me sexist, but ... Why does the XC40 have this crystal lever of a machine gun with diode lighting? What kind of guy would get the idea to order such an option in his car? And even for a lot of money. And which of them would dream of choosing the color of the roof from a whole palette of shades that differ from the main body color, so that later on to select the appropriate shade of veneer for the interior? Finally, who will seriously think about how hypoallergenic material is used in finishing the pockets of car doors?

But if all this Scandinavian chic is just a set of options from the branded catalog that do not have to be ordered with the car, then all XC40s without exception have a soft, docile character. Even with the top-end 5 hp T249 engine. with. The Swedish crossover is so easy and understandable to drive that it will delight even Nastya Tukituk. Not to mention the experienced girls behind the wheel, who long ago peeled the triangle with the shoe off the rear window of their car.

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I have always had a soft spot for the Swedish brand. Because Volvo cars for me are the image of quality, safety and classics. The good old-fashioned laconicism of the body lines, minimalism in the interior, good finishing materials with constant references to ecology - the ideal embodiment of all European stability. Even the small custom Volvo C30 did not spoil the overall picture of my Swedish world, but rather was considered a sign of good taste among young people.

Test drive Volvo XC40

But the Volvo XC40 changed everything. “He’s Chinese,” I thought along with millions of other fans of the brand. It is clear that the XC40 is a purebred Volvo in all the papers, but the platform is completely new, joint, and the financial and generic ties of the Swedes with Geely cannot be questioned in any way.

Dozens of myths were born at the same time as the XC40's product cycles, but when the car came out, they were all dispelled. Because the smallest crossover turned out to be convenient, affordable (by premium standards, of course) and incredibly popular. Already, production capacities in Belgium are not enough, and Volvo XC40s are beginning to be assembled in China. And I look around and see that the new XC40 is everywhere: in the yard of the house, in the parking lot of the shopping center and in the evening traffic jam next door.

My introduction to the XC40 was rapid. She sat down, started up and drove off - she was in a hurry to go to kindergarten. And only then, standing in a traffic jam at a traffic light, I began to examine it in detail. The child seat was attached to the Isofix fasteners, carefully hidden in the color of the interior, and the seat belts with pretensioners were gently laid to the desired level. I fit behind the wheel like a glove. The car smoothly responded to the gas and drove very expectedly - as if we had been together for ten years.

The Swedes have not changed themselves - all the buttons, devices and settings are exactly where expected, there are no unnecessary inscriptions, the decoration is laconic and simple. All modern systems are available, and wireless charging for iPhone is the best available. Because the platform is at the ideal tilt angle for the driver: you can charge your phone and follow the navigation on the screen.

Test drive Volvo XC40

A heap of passive and active safety systems should be noted separately. The most fearful of these is the collision avoidance assistant. Customize it right away. Otherwise, you risk getting into an uncomfortable situation when the car suddenly starts to brake to the floor in the middle of the bend in the Boulevard Ring, mistaking the cars parked in the turn for an obstacle.

Aside from annoying safety systems, there's nothing to blame the Volvo XC40 for. The car goes smoothly and quickly. At the same time, it is stable on the road and quickly responds to the steering wheel. Unless the top engine absorbs gasoline so that the wallet empties much earlier than expected. But in this case, there is an alternative in the form of a diesel engine.

 

 

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