From the Volvo 40.1, we move on to the 40.2, which also made its debut alongside the SUV concept at the Volvo Design Studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. Unlike the 40.1, the 40.2 wasn’t specifically hinted as a preview for a new Volvo model.
Similar to the 40.1, the 40.2 also rides on the company’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA). However, the 40.2 is a sedan instead of an SUV, which does suggest that it will be the next-gen S40, although senior vice president of design Thomas Ingenlath, who presented the car at the studio, did not confirm as such.
Nonetheless, the 40.2’s styling follows the same four key points that Volvo came up with through surveys with potential customers in the segment and those that currently own competitor vehicles as well. As a short recap, the four points mentioned were expressive design, day-to-day usage, “in command” SUV feel and that it must be a city car.
The raised stance of the 40.2 certainly points to a Volvo Cross Country sedan in the vein of the S60 Cross Country, and fulfills that “in command” feel of being in an SUV. Dr. Peter Mertens, senior vice president, Research and Development at Volvo also pointed out that the reason for the “raised” look was also to accommodate any electrification needs.
“Electrification came also. Specifically, when we talk about the 40.2. In the 40.2, all of these things I talked about earlier made it into this vehicle as well – huge trunk space, very easy to access because it has a hatch, very deep because of the lengths of the vehicle, a higher seating position, but also for having enough space for batteries. With that, you have pushed the vehicle a bit up, bigger wheels, more ground clearance, put in the batteries, and have a range of 300 km,” he said.
The car itself shares some common design cues with the 40.1. The signature “Thor’s Hammer” headlamps, camera-operated sideview “mirrors,” 20-inch wheels, grille design is all present here, including the plug-in hybrid charging port on the left side. Also, there’s not much of an interior to show here, being identical to what we saw on the 40.1.
Areas where the 40.2 gets its own distinct looks (aside from the body style), are the blacked-out lower portion of the front fascia, that gives it a “smiling” look, highlighted by thin LED strips in the corners. Tracing down the sides, the caved-in area on the doors gets a black trim piece. At the rear, you’ll find S90-esque tail lamps, while the top of the vehicle features what looks like a large sunroof or possibly a solar charging panel.
However, unlike the XC40 preview, the production version of the 40.2 won’t make its debut alongside the compact SUV in 2017, and may make its appearance much later. Speaking to paultan.org, Dr. Peter Mertens, senior vice president, Research and Development at Volvo said, “there is a timeline on that (S40 and V40), and the timeline starts with the XC40 being launched next year. And forgive me for not disclosing the rest, this is also very competitive information.”
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It is always good to have sedans with raised ground clearance: for example an S60 with height of 1520mm, with the additional 50mm given to ground clearance (original height 1470mm).