Despite having launched just one new model this year – the Volvo XC90 Excellence Lounge Console – the Swedish carmaker’s sales haven’t been all that bad, considering the industry-wide slowdown. Before the year is out, Volvo will bring another new model to India – the petrol-powered XC40 T4 will be launched in the coming days, with bookings beginning sooner.

Expected to be priced at Rs 39.9 lakh, the petrol XC40 will be available in T4-spec, which means that it will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that develops 190hp and 300Nm of peak torque and mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The smallest SUV in Volvo’s line-up was previously sold with a sole D4 2.0-litre diesel engine making 190hp and 400Nm of torque. However, the diesel variant has been sold out for now and will see a comeback, most likely sometime in mid 2020.

Unlike the diesel, our sources say that AWD will not be offered on the petrol XC40. This means that the model will be a front-wheel-drive vehicle only. Interestingly, the petrol engine will be a BS4 unit at launch, with an upgrade to BS6 coming closer to the mandated April 2020 deadline. The XC40 T4 R-Design is expected to get features like paddleshifters, adaptive cruise control, automatic parking, heated seats, wireless phone charging and a hands-free boot-opening function.

Besides the petrol-powered versions of the BMW X1 (sDrive 20i xLine: Rs 38.30 lakh), Mercedes-Benz GLA (GLA 200: Rs 34.38lakh) and Audi Q3 (30TFSI: Rs 34.75 lakh), the XC40 petrol will also rival the Mini Countryman (Cooper S: Rs 34.90 lakh) in the Indian market.

All prices are ex-showroom, pan-India.