Volvo will extend its compact lineup with an SUV which most likely will be called XC40. According to the most recent reports, the premium compact SUV will launch sometime in 2018.

The XC40 will be based on Volvo’s new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which will also underpin the next-generation V40 hatchback.

Volvo said the first model based on the new platform will arrive in 2017 and that may be the V40 hatch. Not long after that we’ll see the XC40, which should look similar to the V40 but with a more rugged appearance.

This rendering from Virtuel-Car offers a pretty good idea of what we should expect, although it’s based on the current-generation V40. The XC40 will obviously sit higher than the hatch, will offer more space and practicality and will have a more robust look. What do you think?

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