With a company slogan that reads “Designed Around You”, Volvo Cars is proud of putting people ahead when it comes to their design and engineering. The lovely 2018 XC40, the Swedish carmaker’s first foray into the premium small crossover market is a perfect example of that.

Built on the all-new Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, the XC40 has the mission of broadening the appeal of the Volvo brand just as the 90- and 60 Series cars have done. While it does have one of the most expressive, if not the most expressive exterior design in its segment, where the XC40 really shines is on the inside. And this makes a whole lot of sense since a car owner will spend most of his or her time sitting inside the car and not outside ogling it all the time.

Here are 6 ways the 2018 Volvo XC40 puts an end to all the clutter.


#1. Never lose parking tickets ever again

After grabbing a parking ticket at a mall what do you do next? There’s typically no place to put it. Yes, you can throw it in the center console or plop it down in the front passenger seat, but it can get lost or worse, fall down the crevice between the seats. The XC40 puts an end to having to frantically search for your lost parking ticket (and looking like an idiot in the process) by having two slots near the driver’s knee that can accommodate parking tickets. In case you don’t have any use for parking tickets, it can accommodate IDs, credit cards, or service cards.


#2. Drinks bottles? Try laptops

The XC40’s cleverly designed front door pockets don’t just look airy, but they’re designed so that you can fit a 15-inch laptop, a tablet, and a 1-liter bottle all at the same time. Volvo has done this by moving typical lower door elements such as speakers to the upper portion. Oh, and the door pockets happen to be carpeted too, reducing the potential for unwanted rattling from the stuff in the door pockets when the car’s in motion. If you’re concerned about privacy, there’s a pair of under seat storage trays as well.

For the audiophiles out there, there’s no need to worry about the XC40 having crappy sound with this unique door set-up. Even if the XC40 managed to eliminate the mid-range speaker, they’ve replaced it with the world’s first air-ventilated, dash-mounted subwoofer. Volvo actually has a patent for that and they’ve called it Air Woofer Technology.



#3. Organize cargo on the go

Despite the XC40’s compact frame, it’s got all the room for your stuff. The cargo space is already at an impressive 460 liters with the rear seats up, but fold the rear seats down, it goes up to 1,336 liters. But knowing how you won’t just care about plain numbers, the XC40 goes the extra mile by providing some ingenious solutions to keep cargo organized. Not only does the false floor allow for two layers of storage (plus a full-sized spare tire), but partially putting up the false floor transform it into a trunk divider that helps keep loose things from rolling around. There are two bag hooks for things like shopping bags as well. And when bulkier items like bikes need to be loaded, the hard-type tonneau cover is designed to fit into the load floor; no need to leave them in the house or garage.


#4. Smartphone friendly

Wireless charging technology is fast becoming the norm when it comes to smartphones, and Volvo is quick to recognize that. The center console bin, just ahead of the shifter, doesn’t just contain the usual 12-volt power point and two USB ports, but it also keeps smartphones juiced up on the go via induction charging. A bonus thing is that Volvo actually designed the cup holders to be cup holders so things like loose change go into a small bin just below the wireless charging pad. Another bonus thing is that the 9-inch infotainment display runs both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay keeping your information synced with your car all the time.


#5. Drive-thru in peace

Grabbing some drive-thru and having no place to put it in is truly a hassle. If you have a companion, you can always tell them to hold it on for you, but who ever wants to hold onto an ice-cold drink or hot beverage? Well, Volvo has come up with a smart solution: a glove box with a small fold-away hook. This hook secures small shopping or take-away bags so your passenger will feel like he’s being treated like a human being and not just a human plastic bag holder.


#6. A place even for trash

Perhaps the very best feature of the XC40 is that it also comes with a built-in trash bin. How many times do you find the need to throw away a wrapper or crumpled up receipt? You can throw them on the floor for sure, but it looks messy. Well, Volvo’s solution is to put a little bin in front of the front arm rest with a lid. It’s fully removable and the top even comes off for easy cleaning. A bonus thing is that the center arm storage is big enough to accommodate a large box of tissue.


As part of its development phase, Volvo’s customer research team spent considerable time investigating how people actually use their cars on a daily basis, and more importantly, how they store their stuff. Customers were also asked how they would like to see the interiors of their cars improved.

It turned out that different regions and cities worldwide produced remarkably similar results, providing valuable input as Volvo’s designers got to work on the interior of the XC40.



Volvo has done a lot with this consumer insight, and thus with the XC40 declares the end of clutter. Everything may be within arm’s reach, but they’re also out of sight. It’s all about clearing the clutter so you can clear your mind and concentrate on driving.


The 2018 Volvo XC40 is slated to arrive in the Philippines by April of this year in both gasoline and diesel variants. More information about its pricing and local specifications will be announced in the weeks leading to its launch.