Volvo V40 Cross Country spotted in S.Alam

Here are the first pictures of a Volvo V40 Cross Country seen on Malaysian roads, sent in by eagle-eyed reader Mesh Naidu. Thanks mate! The new Swedish crossover was spotted along the Federal Highway nearby Volvo’s assembly plant in Shah Alam.

We can confirm that the V40 hatchback and its Cross Country relative will be launched here sometime in August. Here’s the kicker though: they will both be offered in CKD form, which is an unprecedented move by Volvo considering that it has barely been a year since the V40’s global debut. The Cross Country is newer still!

Volvo Car Malaysia’s entire range, the S60, V60, XC60, S80 and XC90 are all assembled at the Shah Alam plant, which is now the brand’s ASEAN manufacturing hub since it closed its Thailand assembly line in 2011. The S60 was first launched in CBU form before more affordable CKD models were introduced. It looks like the V40 pair is skipping that first step altogether.

The V40 Cross Country caught testing above is a front-wheel drive T5 variant. In most other markets the badge points to a turbocharged 2.5 litre inline-five engine with 254 hp and 360 Nm of torque, but for Malaysia expect it to use the familiar Ford-sourced 240 hp/320 Nm 2.0 litre turbo four seen on other local Volvos.

A 180 hp, 270 Nm T4 1.6 litre turbo option should be available too, mirroring the S60 and V60’s engine line-up. And should Volvo Malaysia choose to have a third and cheaper engine variant, there’s also a 150 hp/240 Nm T3 version of the same engine. All motors will be mated to a six-speed dual-clutch Powershift gearbox.

In T4 or T3 form the V40, if not necessarily the Cross Country, should significantly undercut the S60 T4’s RM220,000 price tag, putting it rather close to the similarly-sized but less powerful Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI. Now that should be interesting. Which European hatchback would you choose then; the one with genuine or perceived premium credentials?

-Source From : Paultan.Org

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