Volvo is reportedly planning a replacement for the V40, its contender in the compact hatch segment that goes against the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus, among others.
Expected to incorporate design elements from the 40.2 Concept that was shown last May, it will, according to AutoExpress, be underpinned by the same architecture as the new XC40 and will likely retain the same wheelbase length as well, thus making its interior more spacious than the current model’s.
Adopting the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) will give the new V40 access to a variety of engines. These include the D3 and D4 four-cylinder diesels alongside the T4 and T5 petrol units.
Moreover, since the platform has been developed with electrification in mind, the Swedish company’s compact hatch will go down the electrification route as well, with plug-in hybrid and pure-electric versions of the car, similar to those of its SUV sibling.
Volvo’s new hatch will also be offered with “at least two different battery sizes”, Volvo’s chief of R&D, Henrik Green, told the British publication, adding that “the base variant will be more cost-efficient, but with a slightly limited range”, whereas the “bigger option” will have “a higher price, but more range and more power”.
Although it’s unclear when exactly Volvo plans to introduce the successor of the compact hatchback, we’re probably looking at either 2019 or 2020.
The zero-emission variants of the XC40 and V40 won’t be the brand’s first fully-electric products underpinned by the CMA architecture, as this role is reserved for the Polestar 2 performance saloon, which is expected to arrive in the second half of 2019.
Note: Volvo 40.2 Concept Saloon pictured
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