Volvo XC40 wins Japan, European Car of the Year awards

By Jason K. Ang Philippine Daily Inquirer March 06,2019

The Volvo XC40 has won two of the world’s top automotive awards for 2018: the Japan Car of the Year and the European Car of the Year.

For the Japanese award, the Volvo XC40 beat out other popular entries like the Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Polo and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. 60 jurors voted to award the XC40 the top prize.

The win is a back-to-back victory for Volvo, the XC60 having won the previous year.

The XC40 caps a year of awards for the brand, in particular for the SUV lineup.

The large XC90 and midsize XC60 earned the North American Truck/Utility of the Year in the previous two years.

The success of the XC40 has also been borne out on the order sheets. Volvo racked up orders to the tune of 80,000 cars across Europe, the USA, and China.

The brand’s compact modular architecture (CMA) was co-developed by parent company Geely Motors. Volvo subsequently expanded production at its factories in Ghent and Luqiao, China.

Volvo designed the XC40 to set a new standard in design, connectivity, and safety technology.

The XC40 will even have a car-sharing feature, if activated, via its connected services profile, Volvo on Call. XC40 owners can share a digital key with family and friends.

“We have a clear strategy for growth, and we are committed to leading in automotive safety, connectivity services and electrification,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars.

“The XC40 reflects that commitment, and looking at the response from our customers and from the Car of the Year jury, we are on the right track,” he added.

The company will add more models based on the CMA platform, such as fully electric vehicles and cars for its sister brand Lynk & Co.

“The XC40’s success has surpassed even our highest expectations,” said Samuelsson. “The small SUV segment is the fastest-growing segment in the industry now, and with these additional CMA-based models we expect to benefit further from that growth.”

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