Review
2015 Volvo V40 Cross Country T4 4WD
I probably don’t have to tell you that not everyone has the pleasure of living along a road that is always easily accessible. Especially after it has rained or snowed heavily. The Volvo V40 Cross Country offers that little bit extra and we were curious to see how the Cross Country performs on our roads.
With the Volvo V40 Cross Country you are slightly better equipped to go into nature than with a regular V40. This way you ride 40mm higher and therefore have more ground clearance. The wheels are also larger and vulnerable parts of the bodywork at the front and rear have been reinforced with a body kit. This means you don’t have to swear every time your car is hit by flying stones. Since some Flemish people live along country roads that are less accessible, the Cross Country is also useful for our market.
engines
In terms of petrol engines, the Volvo V40 Cross Country is available in a T4 or T5 variant. The entry-level version is the T4 with a 1596 cc engine with front-wheel drive. It is equipped with a manual gearbox (€27,590) or an automatic transmission (€29,590) and each has a power of 180 hp.
We drove the T4 4WD (€34,290), the version with four-wheel drive. This has a 2 liter petrol engine that also produces 180 hp and a torque of 300 Nm. The T4 4WD is only available with a six-speed automatic and goes to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds. The top speed is about 210 km/h. We were pleasantly surprised by how spirited and pleasant the car can drive. The gearbox shifts smoothly and has sufficient torque and power available at both low and high speeds.
The top version is the T5 4WD (€37,190). This has a 254 hp 2.5 petrol engine that sprints to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds. The T5 is also single available with a six-speed automatic transmission.
For diesel drivers, the entry-level version is the D2 with a 1,560 cc engine of 115 hp. If you want a little more power, you can choose the D3 with 150 hp or the D4 with 190 hp. You can each take the 3 variants with a manual or automatic gearbox and the prices are between € 25,190 for the D2 with manual gearbox and € 32,550 for a D4 with 8-speed automatic transmission.
Nice display
Centrally located for the driver we find the Adaptive Digital Dashboard. In the brochure, Volvo claims: “Here you will find all the necessary information without being overwhelmed with data.” We can only agree with this. The display is indeed very clear, but also looks very cool. More fun than displays of comparable cars or even of cars that cost twice as much.
Safety
Volvo wouldn’t be Volvo if the Cross V40 wasn’t richly equipped with safety systems. For example, there is Blind Spot Information. This warns the driver via radar technology of vehicles in the blind spot and Cross Traffic Alert keeps an eye on things when you pull away from a parking space. In addition, there are also systems that monitor pedestrians, cyclists and cars and intervene by braking themselves where necessary. Sometimes it is not always clear what the car is giving the alarm signal for and then that can be a bit of a shock.
Conclusion
The V40 Cross Country T4 4WD is a spirited car that does not lose its bearings, even on less accessible roads. We are of course not talking about off-road work, but the Cross Country can easily master a country road covered in mud and bumps and potholes. It is also pleasant to be on the smooth roads, thanks to the fun and sporty engine of the T4.
Johan De Haes
Test driver
