Volvo V40 Replacement Now Likely To Feature Crossover Styling

With Volvo set to end production of the V40 this summer, it’s now likely that the Swedish automaker will opt to go with a crossover body style for its replacement.

The V40’s successor will ride higher than its predecessor because more buyers are now switching to SUV-styled models, said Volvo Europe boss, Lex Kerssemakers, who also stated that the extra height will help accommodate batteries for an eventual fully electric version, to be unveiled further down the road.

“There are two trends in society that we have to include. First is that people want to sit high and second is that if you launch a car, it needs to facilitate an electric variant,” added Kerssemakers, who claims that a low-seat compact model would not offer sufficient space so as to accommodate a big enough battery for the required 300 km (186 mile) range.

With the current V40 being the last Volvo to be built on a legacy Ford platform, it does make sense for the carmaker to switch things up with it. This also means that the next-generation variant will move away from being a direct challenger to the likes of the BMW 1-Series, Mercedes A-Class and Audi A3.

The V40’s replacement will use the same CMA platform co-developed with Geely that underpins the new XC40, as well as Geely’s Lynk & Co models.

What will it look like?

According to Kerssemakers, his company is still deciding on an exact body style, but if Volvo is to follow through on their high-riding promise, something like the Concept 40.2 (pictured below) could end up seeing the light of day, as reported by Automotive News Europe.

“We are not a brand that can allow trial and error with body styles. It’s just too expensive,” he said. “New styles are not always successful and fade away after 2-3 years. We want to be razor sharp.”