Thanks to the folks from Wearnes Automotives, I was invited to test drive their new Volvo V40 Cross Country on a trip to the Marine Life Park at Resorts World Sentosa with my family.
Swedish automobile manufacturer, Volvo, has always been well-known for their emphasis on safety. You can read the full list of their safety milestones via wikipedia. This includes the invention of the 3-point safety belt in 1958 which is now the standard for the front seats of all cars.
With a young son now, on top of comparing lifestyle and performance features, safety is one of my utmost concern when choosing a car.
The new Volvo V40 Cross Country brings an unique balance of ruggedness and elegance by establishing a Cross Country in the Premium C-segment of the car market.
The full technical specifications and features of the Volvo V40 Cross Country is available via the official website. The car comes with a 1.6-litre GTDi engine. T4 with 180 bhp is also fitted with start-stop and braking energy regeneration. Fuel consumption is 6.1/100km with CO2 emission of 143g/km.
Some of the key features include:
– Fully graphic interactive display in the instrument cluster with three themes – Elegance, Eco and Performance
– A tinted panoramic glass roof
– Seven different mood light options for the interior lighting
– Two-piece, 40/60, rear backrest that can be easily folded to maximise loading
– Two different chassis setups: Dynamic and Sport
– Dynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) system that uses a roll angle sensor to identify any skidding tendencies at an early stage
– Corner Traction Control that uses torque vectoring so the car corners more smoothly
– Lane Keeping Aid to help the driver stay on course
– Road Sign Information that display road signs in the instrument display as they are detected
– Driver Alert Control that will detect and warn tired drivers
– City Safety (active up to 50km/h) that keeps an eye on traffic in front and automatically brakes if the driver fails to react in time
– Full set of crash safety features including a knee airbag on the driver’s side
Check out this video for a quick visual introduction:
The new Volvo V40 Cross Country is choked full of safety features. Rachel and I were impressed by the demonstrations of the various nifty high-tech features like the Driver Alert Control, City Safety and Lane Keeping Aid. These features make it seems that even if the car is driven by an unsafe driver, the car will still try it’s best to keep everyone safe!
The drive from the car showroom at Alexandra Road to Resorts World Sentosa was a short one. I had no problem adjusting to the new car even though this is the first time I am driving a Volvo vehicle. It runs well and most of the functions and features are pretty easy to figure out or pick up.
Rachel said the ride was comfortable, with not much noise or bumpiness. Asher was intrigued by the panoramic roof when we slided it open with the remote. I switched the graphic interactive display around to try out the different themes, amusing myself while driving.
If you are someone who values safety and want a good mix of ruggedness and elegance for your next car, do consider visiting the Volvo showroom in Singapore to check out the Volvo V40 Cross Country. The brand specialist for Volvo rightfully pointed out to me that this car model is a value buy in the Premium C-segment for continental car brands. 🙂
About Wearnes Automotive
Established in 1906, Wearnes Automotive Pte. Ltd. is the sole distributor for Volvo cars in Singapore and has consistently been one of the top Volvo dealers in Asia. The Volvo showroom is located along the prime automotive belt of Alexandra Road, boasting one of the most customer-oriented automotive facilities in Singapore. The premises accommodate a state-of-the-art service and repair workshop that gives special attention to the intrinsic safety qualities of a Volvo.
