Volvo V40 Cross Country hatchback (2016-2019) - Practicality & boot space

The Volvo V40 Cross Country is similar in size to the upmarket hatchbacks that the standard model goes up against. At 4,470mm long and 1,783mm wide, it’s comparable in length and width to the Audi A3 Sportback, which is 4,310mm long and 1,785mm wide, although the jacked-up ride height obviously makes the Cross Country a bit taller than most. The view out of the rear window is limited, so it could be worth specifying parking sensors.

Volvo V40 Cross Country interior space & storage

Two cup-holders and a 12v power outlet are built into the V40 Cross Country’s centre console in front of the armrest, while the glove compartment includes space for two drinks cans or bottles, which are kept cool with cold air from the climate-control system.

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Space in the back is a little limited and the small SUVs that rival the Volvo and even a lot of family hatchbacks do better here. There are ISOFIX child seat mounting points on the rear seats.

Boot space

The V40 Cross Country has a 335-litre boot with the rear seats in place. Fold them flat and that increases to 1,032 litres. Unfortunately, these figures leave the Volvo trailing the small SUVs it’s taking on, such as the Audi Q3 (420/1,365 litres) and the BMW X1 (420/1,350 litres), as well as hatchbacks like the Audi A3 Sportback (380/1,220 litres) and BMW 1 Series (360/1,200 litres) that rival the standard V40.

On the plus side, a clever two-tier system helps to maximise the boot floor, so you can load your shopping bags on two levels. However, the boot opening is quite small, so loading bulky objects can prove tricky. The Cross Country also includes a tyre-repair kit as opposed to the more reliable full-size spare wheel.

Towing

The D2 diesel version of the V40 Cross Country can tow up to 1,300kg behind it, while every other version (the D3 and D4 diesels and the T3, and T5 four-wheel-drive petrol) can cope with 1,500kg.