The development of a Volvo XC40 that would compete against premium small crossovers such as the Range Rover Evoque is hindered by the lack of an adequate platform, according to a report from Autocar citing company sources, who added that the company is at least five years away from gaining such an architecture.
Volvo’s new Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) will debut late next year on the second-generation XC90 SUV, but the new platform is not suited for models smaller than the next-generation Volvo S60.
Nevertheless, Volvo insiders are adamant that an XC40 would be a seller and would fit the brand. The carmakers’ best-selling models in recent years have been its XC90 and XC60 (pictured) SUVs, so there’s no reason why a smaller crossover will not be successful, given how well the market received models such as the Audi Q3 and Range Rover Evoque.
The report also says the SPA platform will be constructed in five sections, with the part between the center of the front wheels and the A-pillars (which accommodates the engine and transmission) to have the same size on all models.
The platform will be able to accommodate both mechanical four-wheel drive and electrically driven rear axles for hybrid versions, but it will only take the carmaker’s all-new four-cylinder engines.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
