Volvo XC40. Volvo offers premium SUV feel in small SUV package

The XC40 is Volvo’s first foray into the small SUV market and has become an instant hit, winning a raft of awards, including the 2018 Car of The Year award. Its chunky SUV styling manages to look right both in the city and on country roads.

The XC40 delivers the comfort, space and safety that you would expect from a larger Volvo such as the XC60 or XC90, but all with the manoeuvrability and ease of a small SUV, unlike some of the small SUVs from other companies, the XC40 delivers excellent refinement and build quality.

The XC40’s is instantly recognisable to anyone who has been in a new Volvo recently, functional and easy to use, with high quality materials throughout, it’s a very cool place to be. The door trims, armrest and handles are made out of a single piece of plastic and have colour-coded inlays.

Lots of clever storage can be found throughout the XC40 – the central armrest features a small removable bin, while the boot offers a pop-up divider to help separate and hold items such as bags in place. The XC40 is also surprisingly spacious for a small SUV, all occupants have plenty of space and it’s easy to find an ideal driving position whether you’re small or tall.

Despite being a high sitting SUV the XC40 handles particularly well, it’s comfortable and refined if not exactly sporting, however you won’t be buying an XC40 to hammer around the twists!.

The engines and gearboxes in the XC40 are every bit as good as those on offer from the German brands, although the diesel is a little less refined. The T3 petrol is more than good enough for around town and the D3 is a very economical diesel unit. However, pick of the range are the excellent Recharge plug-in hybrid models, they are refined, powerful and cheaper to run.

The XC40 is the current class leader, delivering refinement, safety and comfort from a small SUV that is often only found in larger, more expensive cars.