Saar: The R-Design variant will be sandwiched between them.

On July 4, 2018, Volvo Auto India launched the much-awaited XC40 in India at an introductory price of Rs 39.9 lakh (ex-showroom India). According to us, that is an incredible price tag, albeit an introductory one, for a product that is imported into India as a completely built unit (CBU). But there are those who think that it is pricey when compared to the locally produced competition like the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and the BMW X1.

Well, Volvo won’t hold back either. To ensure that it taps on all fronts and take the fight to the Germans, it will soon launch two more variants of the XC40 in India – Momentum and Inscription. The entry-level variant, Momentum, will be priced more competitively to take on the lesser variants of the competition. The XC40 Inscription, on the other hand, will be placed above the R-Design variant in terms of price. In short, the R-Design variant of the Volvo XC40 will be sandwiched between the upcoming variants.

Underneath, all three variants will get Volvo’s D4 powertrain. That’s a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that puts out 190PS of power and 400Nm of torque. It will come mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox which will route power to all four wheels. The price difference amongst the trio will be based only on the equipment levels. The Momentum variant, for instance, will come without the convenience of keyless entry with remote tag and the seats won’t have the heating functionality either. It will also come without foglamps in the front, adaptive cruise control and the Harman Kardon sound system.

Volvo XC60 Will Soon Be Produced Locally

At the other end of the bandwagon, the Volvo XC40 Inscription will better the R-Design in some areas. The new range-topper will include features such as powered rear headrests, a 12-volt power outlet in the luggage compartment and crystal gear level knob. That said, the R-Design has some gadgets that the Inscription variant won’t get. For instance, the only the R-Design variant will be offered with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel and it also comes with glossy black skid plates at the front and rear. In other words, the Inscription variant is more on the luxurious side, whereas the R-Design exudes more of a sporty character.

Volvo Auto India is expected to launch both new variants of the XC40 within the current quarter of 2018. Needless to say, they will be brought into India via the CBU route as well.