Volvo To Offer India-bound XC40 With A Host Of Colour And Trim Options

Almost a year since Volvo unveiled two concept cars, a preview to the manufacturer’s first ever compact cars for the masses, the Swedish carmaker has now revealed that the upcoming XC40 will be available with a wide variety of exterior and interior colours and material combinations to better reflect the driver/owner’s individuality. Before we get down to the options available on the XC40, let’s first take a look at what the XC40 could look like when it will be unveiled to the public later this year.

Volvo says that it wanted its upcoming XC40 to be like no other compact SUV that came before it. Stopping short of calling out other manufacturers for making dreary cars in this segment, Volvo says it gave its designers the freedom to create a car that brings “vibrancy, individuality and playfulness.” To make the upcoming XC40 fresh and creative, the designers have taken inspiration from various things like street fashion, city architecture, high-end designer goods and popular culture. Volvo says the idea behind providing these options is to let the “owner put their personality in their driveway.” Volvo believes that a majority of XC40 customers will be from large and vibrant cities. 

“Our customer research clearly showed that for the XC40 and for this segment, we needed a wider selection of colours and materials than we usually offer. As Volvo Cars has never designed a car like the XC40 before, we could start from scratch and give it energy and playfulness,” said Robin Page, senior vice president of design at Volvo Cars.

As far as options go, Volvo will offer the XC40 with colour combinations that range from solid, monochromatic themes to dual paint options in vivid colours for the more expressive owner. Interior colour choices include a warm Lava Orange carpet, an Oxide Red upholstery along with a range of new trim and materials inspired by mundane things like architecture or cartography. The XC40, Volvo says, will also have natural, felt-based carpets, headliners and door inserts to deliver a modern touch. There will be three trim levels at launch - Momentum, R-Design and Inscription. While Momentum features vivid exterior colours, the R-Design and Inscription gets colour palettes that imbue the XC40 with a more dynamic and premium feel.

While I think that offering car buyers the option to customise their car to their individuality and taste is the way forward, I wonder how effective this method would be on this side of the planet. Here in India, even premium car buyers tend to go for safer options, like speccing their car in white and going for the beige interior trim, as they believe this will ensure the best resale value when they have to part with their car. What are your thoughts?

Check Out: Volvo S60 Polestar: Review