We discovered that the 2018 Volvo XC40 is full of “genius touches to make life easier” when we first drove it last year. But some of these touches are really just fun.
We’re always trying to come up with different ways to share our favorite parts of the cars we drive, and right now we’re into this Five Things series crashing through, you guessed it, five things about whatever we’re looking at.
So here are five things I liked about the XC40, going from front to back.
1. Swedish flag
Most Volvo fans will have already noticed that the XC40 has a little rubberized Swedish flag tucked into the driver’s side front left fender. It almost feels like it’s meant to be on a piece of clothing, which is a unique choice for a car decoration, but I dig it.
Even though the XC40 is built in Belgium, I don’t mind Volvo repping its country-of-creation origin here.
2. An amazing 360 camera
360-degree cameras, or a “bird’s eye view” mode for parking, has become pretty popular on cars in the last few years. They really do make parallel parking easier and are not reserved for luxury vehicles. Mazda, Nissan, Ford, and obvioulsy Volvo use this tech, among others. You can also get a system like this installed on any car thanks to the aftermarket.
But the cameras in the XC40 are so much sharper, and the display so much larger, than any other place I’ve seen surround-view cameras that I think I’m ready to call this the most impressive 360 camera you can have.
3. Personal Trash Can
There’s a washable, removable wastebasket in the center console. Genius indeed!
4. Smart Rear Seat Storage
The XC40’s footprint is pretty modest so rear legroom isn’t exactly abundant. But there’s still a nice little shelf to store your stuff in if you’re in the back, which would be perfect if you’re on a road trip and want a place to plop your phone without awkwardly wrenching into your pocket all the time.
5. Secret Cargo Space And Grocery Rack
Behind the passengers, the XC40 has a pretty generous cargo bay. Below that is a small secret storage slot you could hide computers or cameras in, and embedded above that are some very nice grocery bag hooks which might keep your bean cans from rolling all over the place.
I have a lot more to say about the Volvo XC40 (and I will in a full review soon) but I cannot deny that it is a cute and neat little vehicle with a few fun features. As we’ve just gone over. Now if only Volvo’s fancy XC40 lease program were as easy as parking this thing.