Volvo XC40 T3
Is entry-level small premium SUV still a class leader?
THE Volvo XC40 is our favourite small premium SUV. But is the basic T3 petrol version still a class leader?
The T3 is the entry point to the XC40 range, as the most affordable model with the smallest engine on offer. Prices start at £27,610, which makes it £1,400 cheaper than the base D3 diesel.
Standard kit includes 18-inch alloys, LED lights and a set of 12.3-inch digital dials. This Pro model adds adaptive lighting, folding door mirrors, a heated windscreen and an electric driver’s seat.
The engine is a three-cylinder turbo, and comes only with a six-speed manual box. For now it works alone; it’ll eventually form part of a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The new unit isn’t completely unfamiliar. In effect, it’s three quarters of Volvo’s existing 2.0-litre lump. Fire it intoo life, however, and it feels like it really misses that fourth cylinder. It isn’t the typical ypical three-cylinder vibration that gets you,ou, but the rough, rattly, almost diesel-likee idle.
Fortunately, refinement improves es on the move. There’s maybe a little le more whooshing and hissing from the turbo than you might expect, but the engine sounds smooth. There’s very little vibration through the pedals or steering wheel.
Performance is fine if you’re willing to rev it out, but off-boost
“Lack of mass over nose makes the T3 feel dartier than heftier XC40S”
there’s almost no power at all. If you accelerate on a motorway from around 65mph in sixth, nothing really happens. Blame the long gearing; 2,000rpm at 70mph is good for refinement, but you’ll need to shift down at least two gears to make any sort of progress.
Fuel economy is poor, too. In a mix of urban, motorway and A-road driving, we calculated an average of just 29mpg. On longer runs you’ll be lucky to top 37mpg.
So is the gearbox any better? Well, it’s reasonably precise, but a slightly notchy, springy action means plenty of alternatives are more pleasant.
The one plus to this engine is weight. Compared with a four-wheel-drive, diesel XC40 auto, the T3 is nearly 150kg lighter. The lack of mass over the nose makes it feel noticeably dartier than the heftier models in the range. But the soft damping and light steering mean it’s never truly fun to drive. You’re better off in a BMW X1 if you want an entertaining small SUV.
Spend an extra £1,500 on the Intellisafe Pro pack, and the XC40 comes equipped with Volvo’s semiautonomous Pilot Assist system. It’s one of the best set-ups of its type, and its ability to steer itself between lanes makes it incredibly relaxing on the motorway.
But driving enjoyment should only be a small consideration for a car like this, and elsewhere, the T3 remains the same brilliant XC40 that we’re familiar with. The funky, chunky exterior remains, even if this penguin-spec colour scheme isn’t the most flattering combination.
Inside it’s even more attractive. The dashboard layout is clean, well screwed together and offers a breath of fresh air against the dowdy German alternatives in this class.
The nine-inch infotainment set-up looks great, and on the whole works smoothly. It seems cheeky of Volvo to ask an extra £300 for smartphone integration, though, and the portraitstyle display doesn’t lend itself well to the landscape-orientated Android Auto and Apple Carplay systems; their displays are forced into a very small area, which makes them quite fiddly to use.