Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, Volvo has taken home the prestigious European Car of the Year award.
The XC40, a new sporty SUV, has picked up the 2018 gong adds to Volvo’s impressive collection of awards, including previous accolades for the other SUVs in the company fleet. Both the larger XC90 and mid-size XC60 SUV 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 leading 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 roll-out will soon extend to China – the world’s biggest car market – where Volvo is expecting similar interest to the 20,000 cars ordered by customers across Europe and the US. It’s the first model on Volvo Cars’ new compact modular vehicle architecture (CMA), which will underpin all upcoming cars in the 40 Series, including fully electrified vehicles.
Volvo Car Group President: CEO Håkan Samuelsson
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. 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, Care by Volvo, which offers car access via a monthly flat-fee subscription rather than ownership.
In 2017, the company announced its commitment to electrify all Volvo Cars launched from 2019. In line with this leadership position in electrification, a hybridised as well as a pure electric powertrain option for the XC40 will be added later.
“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.”
Volvo, in operation since 1927, recorded sales of 571,577 cars in 2017 in 100 countries.
