A senior Volvo official told Indian Autos Blog at the Geneva Motor Show that the company is ready to launch its next product, the V40 Cross Country, in the Indian market in mid-2013. The first examples of the car will be on display at dealerships in 12 cities next month as a preview to existing customers and interested buyers. The cars will undergo homologation meanwhile and by July, will be launched in the market.
Volvo will launch the car by targeting customers who already have a big luxury car, and are looking for a runabout in the city with excellent practicality as the key USP. The V40 Cross Country would also be the first Volvo to be primarily meant for young buyers in India as the C30 hatchback, the most youthful model in the Swedish car maker's stable, is ruled out until maybe the next generation is ready for consumption later this decade.
There is no plan at the moment for local assembly or for 4WD technology. The two engine configurations frozen for India are the 1.6L turbo petrol engine and a 2.0-liter diesel engine (Ford engines) that will pair to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Around 150 units have been allocated this year for the Indian market, but if there is a higher demand, more vehicles will be flown in.
Volvo is likely to price the Cross Country at around 25 lakh rupees.
