Volvo’s first foray in the premium compact SUV segment, the XC40, has just been voted the 2018 European Car of the Year by a jury comprised of 60 motoring journalists from 23 countries. The announcement was made right before the Geneva Motor Show opens its gates to the Press.
The all-new XC40 got 325 votes, which placed it cpmfortably ahead of the Seat Ibiza and the BMW 5-Series that ended up in second and third place with 242 and 226 points respectively.
Remarkably, while the XC90 and XC60 won the North America Truck/Utility of The Year award in the past two years, this is the first time a Volvo wins the ECOTY and the brand’s President and CEO, Hakan Samuelsson, was justifiably jubilant.
“Winning this award with our new XC40 is perfect timing,” he said. “Volvo now has three globally available SUVs in its range for the first time. The XC40 will be a strong contributor to further growth, taking us into a new and fast-growing small SUV segment.”
The XC40 is the first model built on the new compact modular vehicle architecture (CMA) that was co-developed with Volvo owner Geely and will underpin all upcoming cars in the 40 Series, including all-electric models.
“We have a clear strategy for growth and we are committed to leading in automotive safety, connectivity services and electrification,” Samuelsson added. “The XC40 reflects that commitment, and looking at the response from our customers and from the COTY jury here today, we are on the right track.”
The rest of the finalists in the 2018 ECOTY contest were the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi A8, Citroen C3 Aircross and Kia Stinger, which were chosen from a preliminary list of no less than 37 models.
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