Volvo Cars has declared an end to a problem faced daily by drivers around the globe: a shortage of suitable and functional storage space inside their car. It says that with its innovative approach inside the new XC40 small city SUV, to be launched in the coming weeks, Volvo Cars takes the lead in the small premium SUV segment in terms of space, storage, and all-round functionality.
The highly anticipated XC40 from Volvo Cars will complete the company’s SUV line-up, which also features the top-of-the-range large XC90 and the mid-sized XC60.
As part of the XC40’s development phase, Volvo Cars’ customer research team spent considerable time investigating how city dwellers around the globe use their car on a daily basis – and, more importantly, how they store their belongings in their cars. Customers were also asked how they would like to see the interiors of their cars improved.
It turned out that different regions and cities produced remarkably similar results, providing valuable input as Volvo’s designers got to work on the interior of the new XC40.
For instance, in order to provide better storage space in the doors of the new XC40, Volvo designers chose a radical new approach. By moving speakers from the door and developing a world-first, air-ventilated dashboard-mounted subwoofer, Volvo created enough storage in the door compartment for a laptop and a tablet, or a couple of water bottles.
A small fold-away hook has been added to the glove compartment, allowing you to secure small shopping or takeaway bags. Both front seats offer a storage space under the seat, which is large enough to take a mini tablet or other smaller items.
The XC40 also offers slots for credit and service cards that can be neatly inserted into the dashboard, making them readily available when needed. In the tunnel console, under the armrest, there is a large storage area with room for a tissue box. A special, removable, bin allows you to discard and quickly get rid of waste.
The XC40 includes a fold-up boot divider with two hooks to help secure shopping bags or other luggage, along with four load hooks that make loading luggage simple. A private locking storage compartment has also been added under the load floor.