Volvo XC40 range updated for 2019

Volvo has updated the XC40, its smallest SUV. The new Volvo XC40 gets more engines, paint colours and equipment as the Swedish brand looks to keep the XC40 competitive against a crowded field of rivals including the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Jaguar E-Pace. Upgraded models are on sale now, with prices starting from £28,965.

The entry-level three-cylinder 1.5-litre T3 petrol engine is now more powerful and economical. Power is up to 161bhp (a 7bhp increase), which slightly drops the 0-62mph time to 9.3 seconds - or 9.6 seconds if you choose the eight-speed automatic gearbox, which is now available with this engine. Claimed fuel economy is 37.2-41.5mpg (up from 36.7-39.8mpg), while CO2 emissions are 2g/km lower across the board.

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Volvo now allows you to spec the more powerful 2.0-litre four-cylinder T4 petrol engine with front-wheel drive. This model was only available with four-wheel drive before, and the new front-drive option means buyers can have this engine in the XC40 for around £1,400 less. The 0-62mph time for this model is a tenth of a second quicker, at 8.4 seconds, and it manages up to 36.7mpg.

A few extra features are now offered as standard, including auto-folding door mirrors, a 12v socket in the boot, a load protection net and a locking glovebox. All new XC40 models get a nine-inch touchscreen, sat nav, parking sensors, two-zone climate control and LED headlights as standard. Cars in the sportier R-Design spec with an automatic gearbox now get steering wheel-mounted paddles, giving owners the option to change gear themselves.

Added to the options list are an upgraded version of the company’s Blind Spot Information System, steering assistance that will aim to swerve you out of the way of a collision, and a new Winter Plus package. On top of the standard winter pack (heated front seats, heated washer jets, a heated windscreen and a headlight cleaning system), the Plus pack adds heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Three new paint colours - Thunder Grey, Pebble Grey and Glacier Silver - are available.

Volvo has announced the full specifications of its T5 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid version of the XC40. UK deliveries of the Volvo XC40 T5 will start in early 2020.

See where the Volvo XC40 ranks on our list of best small automatic cars.