Why the X-Class is Failing

The most hyped bakkie in memory has not delivered for Mercedes-Benz. Here's what went wrong…

Two years ago, Mercedes-Benz corralled the world’s automotive media into a secure part of the Cape Town harbour and revealed its X-Class.

It was Mercedes-Benz's first bakkie and proudly touted as the world's first premium double-cab. The Stuttgart-based brand’s confidence was high –and its ambitions enormous. Volkswagen's product people for the Amarok range may have murmured that their product was, in actual fact, the first "premium" bakkie to market, but, nonetheless, it is now midway through 2019 and Mercedes-Benz’s bakkie project has stalled – badly. Sales have been deeply underwhelming and rumours from Stuttgart suggest the X-Class will be a 1-generation vehicle – that's right, there'll be no follow-up.

Even with the introduction of the V6 derivative to boost the X-Class appeal, it's unlikely there will be a 2nd-gen Benz bakkie.

The global market for bakkies is growing and certain brands are effectively harvesting nearly all their profits from bakkie sales. In North America, Ford is kept in business by a single product – the F-150 bakkie, which is a comfortably larger vehicle than the locally-produced Ranger. Similarly, General Motors would be in deep trouble without the GMC and Silverado, plus FCA would struggle to stay afloat without its Ram bakkie brand.

It appears obvious that bakkies are a great business to be in. South Africans are acutely aware of this. The Toyota Hilux is our best-selling vehicle and Ford South Africa is kept in business by the aforementioned Ranger. If bakkies are so profitable and simple to engineer and produce, how did the world’s most established automotive brand, with a history of technical excellence and trend awareness, get it so wrong with X-Class?

Rushing in

Mercedes-Benz offers the most diverse and largest portfolio of vehicles. The company is not averse to producing new products for niche segments.

In the meantime, bakkies offer a very alluring profit motive for manufactures, as they are very simple to engineer and build. The ladder-frame construction and lower customer expectations in terms of ride, handling and noise, enable brands to build bakkies with a terrific profit margin.

Enticing as the bakkie market is, Mercedes had a problem. Despite managing the biggest R&D budget of any automotive company, to build a ladder-frame bakkie, Benz would need a new factory. The only solution was to utilise an existing bakkie platform and add unique Mercedes-Benz vehicle features and on-road refinement. Unfortunately, Mercedes-Benz’s ambitions would always be ring-fenced by whichever platform it selected.

Special Editions this early into a product life cycle shows signs of desperation.

As a partner platform to engineer and launch the X-Class, the Nissan Navara was not a bad choice. Its coil-sprung rear suspension promised SUV-like ride quality, but Mercedes-Benz’s requirements for noise insulation and vibration suppression meant the X-Class eventually became too heavy.

Inside, there were even more issues. Simply fitting Mercedes-Benz trim, instrumentation and switchgear to the Navara cabin proved disastrous as the X-Class became an embarrassment of ergonomic errors. Certain switches and dials were obscured. As is the case with the Navara, the bakkie's steering column wasn't reach-adjustable, which limits the number of potential driving positions. What's more, there was a huge gear lever between the seats, something Mercedes-Benz had intentionally moved to the steering column years ago, in nearly all its products, to free-up storage space.

Respect your rivals

With a compromised design and huge expectations, Mercedes-Benz made another error when positioning X-Class. There appears to be have been a belief that bakkie customers would pay an enormous premium for owning a Mercedes double-cab irrespective of features, functionality or design.

The result is an X-Class priced at a ridiculous margin compared to its rivals. A direct comparison between X-Class and its Navara twin, in 4-cylinder engine configuration, has seen Mercedes-Benz price the former at a 20% premium over the latter. Even more tellingly, recognised market leaders such as Toyota (Hilux) and Ford (Ranger), offer high-spec derivatives of their models that are more than R100 000 cheaper than that X-Class.

Read our review of the V6 Amarok here

Mercedes-Benz estimated it could charge an even more outrageous premium for its V6-powered X-Class (conveniently ignoring VW’s flagship Amarok offering). Consequently, there exists a R160k difference between the two German V6 bakkies in the local market and it is abundantly clear that customers aren’t being fooled by any slick marketing campaigns. You see a quite a few more Amarok V6s rolling around than X-Class X350ds.

There is a R160 000 price premium on a V6 X-Class over the Amarok V6.

The sales figures tell a story: X-Class has been no less than a commercial disaster. Although Mercedes-Benz does not disclose its individual model sales in South Africa, we can interrogate the company’s total light LCV numbers (which bundle X-Class, Sprinter and Vito) and draw conclusions.

An educated guesstimate ranks local X-Class sales at around 500 units for 2018. That number is substantially less than VW’s Amarok, a bakkie that is also only available in a double-cab configuration, with 4- and 6-cylinder engines. Volkswagen, by contrast, sold 2 972 Amaroks in South Africa last year, making it by far the most popular German double-cab bakkie.

Leisure double cabs are big business, Merc's biggest competitor, BMW has been testing the waters.

The most bothersome number is global. Leaked information suggests that Mercedes-Benz only sold 16 700 X-Class bakkies across a distribution geography of Europe, South Africa and Australia in 2018. In that same time, Toyota sold 131 894 Hiluxes across the same market distribution.

BMW investigating the bakkie space on an X7 platform

If the Hilux comparison is too embarrassing, and with a fair chunk of its volume being single- and extra-cab bakkies, which don’t feature in the X-Class portfolio, perhaps a comparison with the Amarok is fairer to Mercedes. In Australia, which is the market most like our own in terms of customer profile, driving conditions and product matrix, VW sold 9 290 Amaroks last year. Benz? Only about 1 500 X-Class double-cabs…

Bakkie customers – are demanding and not easily conquered

Speak to a Ranger or Hilux product manager and they’ll tell you that their customers are fantastically loyal, but also equally demanding. Although double-cab bakkies often deputise as family vehicles, they must retain workhorse credentials and robustness. Not to mention value.

There is no question that the X-Class is a good bakkie, despite its weight issues and cabin-design idiosyncrasies. However, it offers nothing new or revolutionary in its segment, thus making any price premium over its rivals completely unjustifiable. Unsurprisingly, Mercedes-Benz has not managed to win over Amarok, Ranger or Hilux customers.

The 6×6 Merc G-wagon pick up has been a more profitable venture than the X-Class.

Within the brand’s own customer profile, a bakkie also has limited appeal. Mercedes-Benz fields a diverse choice of SUVs and crossovers, which, by virtue of their packaging, offer a weather- and theft-proof storage solution at the back. A double-cab bakkie can be an annoying daily-driver in South Africa, requiring constant vigilance when transporting something in the load box or leaving valuables on the back seat.

Mercedes-Benz should have known better. It has been building class-leading vehicles for more than a century. It also has a massively successful trucking, van and off-road vehicle business. If any German automotive brand should have built the perfect double-cab, it was Mercedes, not VW.

Merc has a long history of building capable trucks, vans and off-roaders. X-Class should have been simple.

All the skills developed by decades of Unimog and Geländenwagen, with a sprinkling of ergonomic sensibility added by the company’s passenger car cabin architecture and switchgear, would have made for an awesome double-cab.

There are elements of the X-Class that remain impressive, however: the double-cab's ride quality, noise insulation and the V6 version’s performance, to name a few. But there are way too many issues with Mercedes-Benz’s double-cab. Issues which don’t afflict VW’s Amarok.

If Mercedes-Benz had been a touch more patient and found a facility to build its own bakkie platform, instead of sharing one with Nissan, the X-Class could have been unbeatable. But not at any price. And ultimately, this is the Benz bakkie’s greatest failing: it charges an outrageous premium for technologies and features that are readily available in other bakkies, which cost much less.

Mercedes-Benz hasn't always understood who bakkie customers are in its marketing strategy.

Those South African customers who have chosen to invest in the X-Class are certainly enjoying the status of driving a very rare vehicle. But in years to come, they may have the issue of owning a double-cab bakkie that is worth a lot less than a comparable Hilux of the same age and mileage.

With Mercedes-Benz having posted a loss for Q2 of this year and under pressure to pay emissions fines and develop expensive new electric vehicle technologies, the possibility of an X-Class 2.0 is virtually zero…

VW California Ocean Better Than Airbnb

This new California Ocean could be nicer than your beach house for a weekend away.

VW has updated its California range of T6 MPVs, possibly making them even more comfortable and nice inside than your actual home.

This latest product update is based on the existing T6 Transporter platform, adding minimal mechanical refinements. The design has been refreshed with VW’s latest LED daytime running lights and additional chrome detailing for the grille and front bumper.

Read our review of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz V-Class here

As with any large van, the California’s most impressive features are inside. There’s a new overhead control console, which manages the MPV’s cabin lighting and pop-up roof functions. Cleverly, VW has also added a digital pitch and roll indicator, which isn’t meant to help you guide the California through rough terrain, but rather park it level, to ensure all peripheral camping gear and functions are easily attached. And that you sleep on level ground.

VW's California offers Airbnb quality sleeping arrangements.

The refreshed California range features a range-topping Ocean derivative, which has push-button convenience for its kitchen accessories (sink, cooker and fridge). VW’s interior architects also decided to replace the rear cupboard shutters with sliding doors, which are less prone to develop a rattling issue on gravel roads over time.

5 Reasons we love the VW Kombi

Sleeping comfort has been enhanced too, with the cabin bed having gained a sprung base – to allow easy height adjustment. There are also additional USB points and LEDs inside the cabin, to make finding things at night easier and charging multiple devices possible.

Beyond the configurable cabin and host of ergonomic improvements, the sole mechanical change to California is its steering system, which now features electrical assistance – instead of hydraulic. This running change allows VW to add an array of driver assistance functions, such as lane assist, park assist, trailer assist and (crucially for a large side-surface MPV), crosswind assist.

Powertrains for the revised California will be VW’s familiar fare of 2-litre turbodiesels, driving either the front- or all four wheels, depending on customers preference. And yes, you still get an integrated camping table, mounted within the California’s sliding door, with camping chairs stowed in its tailgate.

Audi Teases RS Family for 2019

Audi's performance arm has teased its forthcoming arsenal of high-powered vehicles due to be revealed sometime in 2019.

Audi's RS division has been hard at work and will be revealing a flurry of high-performance vehicles in 2019. Granted, we're already halfway through the year, so there's not much time left. This teaser image shows what's coming and we're quite excited to see what RS can offer, especially as rivals AMG and M have been hard at work.

We think the following cars are in this lineup: Audi RS6, RS7, RS Q3, RS Q3 Sportback and RS Q8. However, that's 5 vehicles and there are 6. So what is the mysterious 6th car? Some suggest its a facelift to the RS4.

We think the existing 4.0-biturbo V8 will be carried over, with some revisions and enhancements. Previously, this mill produced 412 kW and 700 Nm, which is fast for sure, but not enough to take the fight to the current versions of BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63. We think this new Audi RS6 will need to be playing in the 440 kW / 800 Nm ballpark.

The RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback will be powered by the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbo engine, but we suspect it'll be producing similar numbers to the current RS3 hatchback. Previously, it was detuned, but if rumours are to be believed, 300 kW is the figure.

Finally, at the end of the queue is a big SUV. It can only be the Audi RS Q8, which we think will have the same powertrain as the Lamborghini Urus. For the record, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 produces 478 kW and 850 Nm.

Facelifted Audi TT (2019) Price in SA

The final instalment of the petrol-powered TT has just been introduced in South Africa. Here's what the design icon/sportscar goes for.

Audi announced earlier this year that this is the last version of its beloved TT that will be powered by an internal combustion engine. Future generations will be electrically powered and may not even carry the TT badge when the changeover occurs.

The last generation has just gone on sale in SA, in its facelifted form. The major changes include an updated infotainment system and more standard spec pumped in. The engines have also received a small power hike. The basic version of the new model now features the Audi drive select dynamic handling system, Audi smartphone interface, parking aid plus, power-adjustable front seats and the multifunction steering wheel plus, with which the infotainment and voice control system can be controlled entirely using the steering wheel. Also standard are the illuminated USB ports as well as MMI navigation plus.

Enjoy the TT while it lasts. This will be the last generation.

The exterior design has had some subtle modifications to update its appearance. The front-end now features a 3-dimensional grille with honeycomb inserts and matching air dams that flank it. The rear-end features more honeycomb design around the rear diffuser. A neat trick is the capless filler cap underneath the metallic-looking fuel flap, meaning you can fill it up racecar style without unscrewing a cap.

Engine performance bonuses come in the form of a 169 kW 45 TFSI unit and a 228 kW TTS quattro S tronic. The former is paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch 'box while the TTS gets a 6-speed S tronic. If you option in the S line sport package or Audi magnetic ride, the body is lowered by 10 mm.

Pricing

Audi TT Coupé 45 TFSI S tronic – R 670 000

Audi TTS Coupé quattro S tronic – R 782 000.

Suzuki XL6 Previews New Ertiga

Uber drivers rejoice, for there is a new Ertiga in the works.

Suzuki has teased a rendering of its new compact seven-seater station wagon, the XL6.

This new XL6 MPV measures 50 mm longer, 40 mm wider and 10 mm taller than the current Ertiga and those numbers should provide for better passenger comfort and superior luggage volumes.

Significant styling upgrades tally LEDs for both the head- and taillights (dramatically improving the overall design), and an all-new fascia, representative of Suzuki’s current global design language.

Suzuki’s cabin architects have added more black trim to the cabin, while ergonomics improve with the introduction of a height-adjustable driver’s seat. The middle-row occupants also benefit from an upgrade to individual seats, with armrests, instead of the Ertiga’s bench.

The most significant interior equipment upgrade is a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, which is both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.

General specification includes dual front airbags, brake force assisted ABS and rear parking sensors linked to a reversing camera.

Powering the XL6 is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, good for 78 kW and 138 Nm, driving the front wheels via a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

The official global reveal of XL6 is expected later this month, with distribution to individual markets being confirmed after that date.

2019 Audi A1: A First Look

The all-new Audi A1 is due to be revealed in South Africa in the next month or two, but Ciro de Siena had a chance to meet the newcomer early. Here's a preview of the Audi A1.

The A1 is Audi's gateway into the brand. Now built on the MQB platform, the newcomer is larger than the outgoing model and will be going on sale in the next 2 months. You can see the all-new Audi A1 at the SA Festival of Motoring, being held at Kyalami from 22-25 August 2019.

New Car Sales In SA: July 2019

According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), the declining sales trend persisted during the month of July 2019. Take a look at the new car sales summary below…

2019 has been a tough year for the local car market with retractions being a common theme every month. July was no different and in the event, aggregate domestic sales declined by 3.7% while the passenger car market shrunk by 8.2%.

However, on the positive side, export sales surged by 21.1% and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales improved by 2.9%.

Ghana Msibi, WesBank Executive Head of Motor commented, “While the small interest rate cut during July was warmly welcomed by industry and consumers alike, it may take some more incentive from the Reserve Bank to jump-start the economy and entice consumers back into the new vehicle market. While small, its effects will be enjoyed by household incomes in the longer term, but another cut before the end of the year would be welcome and effective.”

New Car Sales Summary – July 2019

Aggregate new car sales of 46 077 down by 3.7% (-1 779 units) compared with July 2018.
Passenger car sales of 29 477 down by 8.2% (-2 617 units) compared with July 2018.
LCV sales of 13 852 up by 2.9% (+391 units) compared with July 2018.
Export sales of 34 297 up by 22.1% (+6 216 units) compared with July 2018.

Best-selling cars in SA

Toyota Hilux – 2 996 units
VW Polo Vivo – 2 621 units
Ford Ranger – 2 217 units
VW Polo – 2 076 units
Nissan NP200 – 1 730 units

Sales Outlook

Despite interest rate cuts in July 2019, market conditions remain challenging.

“The economy remains tough,” says Msibi. “Retrenchments across the board are hitting all sectors hard and the motor industry is feeling the effects of significantly reduced spending power. Consumers simply cannot afford to replace their vehicles, never mind enter the market for the first time.”

However, a better second half of the year is expected to materialise and exports will remain strong for the rest of the year with large gains expected.

The Journey Karoo: Opel Crossland X Tackles Swartberg Pass

Cars.co.za, in association with Opel South Africa, will be seeking adventure and fine food in the Karoo for the next episode of The Journey taking place from 6-9 August 2019. Here’s how you can follow The Journey and engage with us on social media!

Since the inception of The Journey (#TheJourneyAfrica) back in 2016, we have visited incredible places and driven countless kilometres in an effort to showcase the diverse natural beauty of South Africa and its people, but also Africa in general, and we hope that The Journey series has inspired you, to get into your car, and experience and savour the world in which you live.

So far, we have explored unforgettable landscapes in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Zambia. We have surfed a wild river wave far from any ocean, ridden waves in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, dived for sunken Land Rovers and even scaled mountains in the Drakensberg and Lesotho. The Journey has been amazing, but it’s far from over…

Watch previous episodes of The Journey on our YouTube Channel (and don't forget to subscribe!)

Where to next?

The diesel-propelled Opel Crossland X will be taking The Journey team to Die Hel and back…

For the next iteration of The Journey, we are 'Crosslanding' into the heart of the Karoo behind the wheel of the recently introduced and diesel-powered Opel Crossland X 1.6TD Enjoy. Special guest appearances will be made by talented Karoo chef, Hendry 'Kokkedoor' Olivier, whom you will recognise from the Kokkedoor TV series on kykNET. Fashionista and TV presenter Danine Naidoo will be accompanied by captivating model and actress, The Little Harlequin. Our guests will be hosted by Journey veterans, Cars.co.za Co-Founder, Ross McIlroy and our very own motoring journalist and photographer, Gero Lilleike.

To Die Hel and back! This the first time that we will be going to such a remote location in front-wheel-drive cars and Chef Hendry Olivier will be presiding over the first-ever Journey Karoo Potjiekos Cook-Off that will see guests preparing traditional Karoo recipes in the remote cultural heritage site of Gamkaskloof, also known as ‘Die Hel’, which forms part of the Swartberg Nature Reserve, a World Heritage Site.

The Journey team will also be visiting the well-known Karoo town of Prince Albert as well as traversing the famous and spectacularly beautiful Swartberg Pass.

The Swartberg Pass is roughly 24 km long and was the last major pass constructed by renowned South African road engineer and pioneer, Thomas Bain, in 1884 and was completed in 1887. It's considered to be the crown jewel in Bain’s historically significant roadbuilding career.

The Journey Karoo is taking place from 6-9 August 2019 so be sure to follow the accounts below and track the #TheJourneyAfrica to see what we are getting up to along the way! Please note that due to the remoteness of Die Hel, coverage during The Journey will be limited, but we will do our best to share as much with you along the way as possible.

Follow The Journey Karoo on Social Media

The Journey

Instagram – @thejourneyafrica and follow #TheJourneyAfrica

Opel South Africa

Instagram – @opelsa

Twitter – @OpelSA

Facebook – @OpelSA

Chef Hendry Olivier (Instagram – @hendryolivier)

Photo Credit: Netwerk24

Danine Naidoo (Instagram – @daninenaidoo, Twitter – @daninenaidoo)

Photo Credit: On-Air Entertainment

The Little Harlequin (Instagram – @the_little_harlequin)

Photo credit: LuceD

Gero Lilleike (Instagram – @GeroLilleike & Twitter – @GeroLilleike)

Photo Credit: Luke Patterson

Ross McIlroy (Instagram – @rizziziousmar)

Photo credit: Troy Davies

Volvo XC40 T3 R-Design (2019) Review

This T3 R-Design was a finalist in the Premium Compact category of the 2018/19 #CarsAwards and it's one of the most affordable derivatives in the local Volvo XC40 line-up. Nonetheless, it still costs nearly R600 000. Is there enough substance to its undoubted style? Is there merit in choosing such a vehicle equipped with a manual 'box?

We like: Refinement, quality, efficiency, practicality

We don't like: Slightly too firm-riding, you should really rather buy an automatic

Fast Facts

Price: R565 400 (August 2019, without options)
Engine: 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbopetrol
Gearbox: 6-speed manual
Fuel economy: 6.3 L/100 km (claimed)
Power/Torque: 120 kW/265 Nm

Own a Volvo? Tell us about your experience here.

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Where does it fit in?

Stylish, and even more so in R-Design trim, the XC40 remains one of our favourite premium compact crossovers.

For a start, the market for manual-transmission premium crossovers is ridiculously small. According to Lightstone Auto, only 9 XC40 T3 R-Designs have been registered in the first half of the year, one of which we assume is pictured here. And it's not just Volvo… An obvious rival is the BMW X1 sDrive18i (also with a manual transmission), but BMW SA has sold the sum total of 1 (yes… ONE), of them in the first 6 months of 2019.

And that's it… The new Audi Q3 will arrive on the local market soon and we already have pricing for the Ingolstadt-based firm's local line-up – check it out here – there won't be a manual derivative. We're pretty sure the next-generation Mercedes-Benz GLA won't be offered with a clutch pedal, either. So… we guess that if you really don't want an automatic, then at least the Swedes are catering to your preference. But, given the indications from the market (sales figures), we wouldn't be surprised if this particular variant quietly disappears from the price lists in the coming months/years.

All of which makes this review quite tricky. So, we're going to look at the XC40 T3 R-Design in general, without focusing too much on the manual transmission (which is pretty good, to be clear), and imagine that you'd rather buy the automatic, which costs only about R30 000 more.

OWN A Volvo? Please tell us about your experience here.

How it fares in terms of…

Design & Packaging

With its striking design, dual-tone finish and large wheels, the XC40's design hides very practical packaging.

We're big fans of the design of the XC40 – it simultaneously manages to look premium and youthful, and its overall appeal is enhanced by the R-Design package. So equipped, most of the accented features become gloss or matte black, and you also get the dual-tone exterior paint finish that works so well with this car's design. R-Design brings 19-inch wheels as standard, but our test unit featured even larger 20-inch items (R15 500). The wheels look the part, but they may play a role in the slightly too-firm ride – remember R-Design includes a slightly firmer "Sport" suspension.

Compared with the more basic Momentum specification, the cabin of the T3 R-Design is suitably more "posh". It feels like a quality product from the moment you take a seat behind the height/reach adjustable, leather-wrapped steering wheel. Leather upholstery is standard on this derivative, and adds significantly to the overall premium ambience, as do the standard digital instrumentation and large Sensus infotainment touchscreen.

But strip away the veneer of what is undoubtedly a very stylish offering, and you're left with a car that also offers impressive practicality. It's spacious all-round (rear legroom, in particular, is quite impressive), and the load bay is a sizeable 460 litres, expanding to 1 336 litres with the rear seats folded down. Suffice to say the XC40 is clearly not just a pretty face… it also can function as a practical – yet very stylish – family car, with aplomb.

Comfort & Features

Quality and "interesting" material choices imbue the XC40 cabin with a premium, but fun air.

For nearly R600 000 (base price) the T3 R-Design represents a decently equipped vehicle, although there are plenty of nice-to-have features that remain on the optional extras list. Still, leather upholstery is standard, the front seats feature electric adjustment (and memory for the driver), and there's a more comprehensive smartphone integration system included in the price, as well as an inductive charging pad.

You also get dual-zone climate control (operated via the Sensus touchscreen), cruise control, rear park assist, keyless entry, navigation and a whole raft of safety systems; 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, hill-hold, hill-descent control, lane-keep assistance and Isofix child-seat anchorages for the outer rear seats.

The seating position is superb, and it's likely to be that way for a driver of almost any size, because the steering column covers a generous range of rake- and reach adjustment, and the front seats (with manually extending cushions) are highly adjustable too. It is clear that careful attention to detail was paid to the layout of the cabin and particularly storage spaces – a well-sized pad is located close to charging outlets (2 x USB ports), plus the door pockets are sizeable and, in the case of our test unit, featured neat, durable-looking black carpeting. Nice touches abound…

Performance & Efficiency

Equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission, this XC40 is claimed to consume an average of 6.3 L/100 km.

The XC40 appears quite compact in the metal, but it's longer and wider than a Mini Countryman, to name but 1 example, and every bit as large as the more conventionally-styled BMW X1. This means it's no lightweight – its kerb weight of 1 497 kg actually makes it heavier than the entry-level X1 derivative. So the plucky 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbopetrol underneath the Gothenberger's bonnet will clearly have its work cut out for it…

Having said that, the XC40 makes admirable use of the peak outputs (120 kW and 265 Nm of torque) at its disposal. Maximum torque is available from 1 850 to 3 850 rpm, and if you use the gearbox considerately, you will rarely stray out of the motor's ideal powerband. That said, most drivers will definitely miss having a self-shifter, particularly in typical city-traffic situations. Volvo claims a 0-100 kph time of 9.3 seconds and a 200-kph top speed, but all you need to take away from that is that the XC40 comfortably – and surprisingly, quietly – reaches swift speeds.

One of the most important characteristics of this downsized motor is fuel efficiency. Volvo claims a consumption figure of 6.3 L/100 km; we achieved an indicated 7.8 L/100 km, but we still rate that as good, considering the mixed driving conditions the test unit endured during its time in our fleet.

Ride & Handling

The going is by no means harsh, but the XC40 rides better with the standard suspension and smaller wheels.

The XC40 is one of the higher-riding compact premium crossovers, with a ground clearance of 211 mm (compared with the Mini Clubman's 165 mm). The seating position is also quite high, so from behind the 'wheel you feel like you're in command of a bigger vehicle than you are. And yet, the XC40 never lumbers like an unwieldy SUV – it feels light and nimble. There's also a lovely uniformity to the way its controls are harmonised, and consequently, the Volvo makes an impression of quality, refinement and comfort. But its excellence could be further boosted by 2 things, however…

Firstly, though the ride is well-controlled, it's just a tad too firm on poor surfaces. It might be possible to achieve greater suppleness in your XC40 by not opting for the Sport suspension (part of R-Design) and bigger wheels fitted to this particular test unit. Secondly, while the manual 'box is a good one, we can't quite understand why this derivative exists, because an automatic transmission would far better suit the character of this vehicle.

Price and warranty

The Volvo XC40 T3 R-Design costs R565 400 as standard, but there are many options to consider. The striking Fusion Red metallic of this test car is a R2 950 option, and the bigger wheels (which we would not recommend, unless an overly firm ride quality would not bother you) cost R15 500. There are also 3 comprehensive packs to choose from that bundle together attractive features, but you can individually specify items, such as a front and rear park assist setup (R5 750), a reverse-view camera (R6 400) and a high-performance Harman/Kardon audio system (R10 750).

The standard price includes a 5-year/100 000 km warranty and 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan which is, of course, excellent.

Verdict

Given its all-round excellence, the XC40 deserves to sell in far greater numbers. But we'd suggest opting for an automatic derivative.

The Volvo XC40 has not garnered so many award nominations (and reaped the silverware, in many cases) without good reason. More practical than, say, a BMW X2, and more stylish than, say, a BMW X1, it strikes a perfect balance between practicality and stylishness. We can't really think of a reason why you should buy this manual-transmission variant, however, but we can recommend this car, in automatic guise, without hesitation.

Looking to buy a new/used Volvo XC40?

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Ford Confirms Huge 7.3-litre V8

Ford is going big and betting on the future of a massive petrol V8.

In a global automotive supply chain where engines are getting smaller and vehicles electrifying, Ford has shown it has no fear of being contrarian, very contrarian…

The American brand’s bakkie business is a crucial aspect of its profitability and to keep customers happy, Ford is now going to build an enormous naturally aspirated V8 engine.

This new petrol engine has been engineered specifically for heavy-hauling duty in Ford’s F-Series bakkies. It makes relatively modest power for its capacity and will be available in 2 grades, with the more powerful version curiously destined for Ford’s smaller F-250 and F-350 bakkies, and the less potent V8 doing duty in the huge F-450 and F-550 bakkies.

Displacing 7.3-litres, Ford’s new V8 is the largest new mass production petrol engine revealed in a very long time. It features oversized main bearings, sitting on a forged steel crankshaft, and special piston cooling jets to keep combustion temperatures lower when hauling heavy loads. Like many large capacity American V8 engines, it does not feature overhead camshafts but instead secures valve actuation by a pushrod system.

The lower output version peaks at 261 kW and 645 Nm, whilst a more potent grade of the 7.3-litre petrol V8 is good for 320 kW ad 644 Nm. And yes, it is curious that the lower power engine makes a smidge more torque, but those are the figures that Ford has confirmed.

Proving the adaptability of Ford’s 10-speed automatic, which does duty in the local Ranger, Everest and Mustang product lines, the 7.3-litre V8 will be available with this transmission – which should make towing heavy rigs, an absolute breeze.

Although Ford’s new 7.3-litre V8 makes very little power for its displacement, the marketing impetus is exceptional engine longevity – especially for those bakkie owners who work their vehicles hard by towing massive loads.

If you have not done so yet, give our Ford Ranger Raptor video a watch, it's awesome!