Volvo Car South Africa has announced a raft of Model Year 2023 updates for its range of premium vehicles, including the introduction of a new trim-level structure and a move to hybrid powertrains for the popular XC40 line-up.
The facelifted compact SUV’s shift to these new B-badged models – which combine a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission with a 48-volt hybrid system, bringing benefits such as reduced tailpipe emissions, fuel savings and stronger on-road performance – means every single Volvo sold new in South Africa will now feature some form of electrification.
The revamped XC40 range thus comprises the front-driven B3 (110 kW/265 Nm) and B4 (145 kW/300 Nm), along with the all-wheel-drive B5 (183 kW/350 Nm), the fully electric single-motor P6 and the twin-motor P8 Recharge variants.
“With local demand for electrified vehicles growing steadily, this move – along with the earlier introduction of the P6 and P8 Recharge derivatives at the top of the XC40 range – brings us neatly in line with Volvo’s global ambition of transforming into a fully electric car company by 2030,” says Greg Maruszewski, Managing Director at Volvo Car SA.
The entire XC40 range additionally benefits from an exterior facelift that includes new front and rear bumpers as well as revised headlamps, new alloy wheel designs and fresh exterior paint colour choices, the latter in the form of Fjord Blue and Sage Green. The option of a black roof, meanwhile, is now exclusive to fully electric derivatives. All variants in the XC40 range – along with those in the flagship XC90 line-up – also upgrade to Volvo’s now range-wide Android-powered infotainment system, complete with built-in Google apps and services.
The Swedish firm furthermore switches to a new trim-level structure, shifting away from Momentum, Inscription and R-Design to fresh specification grades in the form of Essential, Plus and Ultimate (PHEV and BEV powertrains are available only in conjunction with the latter two). In order to further reduce complexity and make the buying experience even easier for customers, Volvo is also introducing Bright (featuring chrome detailing) and Dark (with gloss-black detailing) exterior design themes for its vehicles.
