• P11D Value: £28,965
• BIK band 2018/19: 29%
• SUV
• 4-litre Petrol 140hp/220Nm
• Performance: 9.0secs/124mph
• Economy (On test) 36.1mpg
• CO2: 146g/km

What is it?

It’s Volvo’s newest, smallest and most affordable SUV and the T3 is the entry model in the XC40 range starting at £1,400 cheaper than the entry-level diesel.

And……. It’s a 3-cylinder engine, again the smallest in the Volvo line-up.

This is the first time Volvo has produced a 3-cylinder and this 1.5-litre unit is related to the company’s 2-litre, 4-cylinder unit. They’ve just chopped a cylinder off.

A little simplistic, but that’s roughly what they’ve done.

Why would you want an XC40 T3?

• It’s a great little town car, compact but pretty nippy while having a decent amount of flexible space.
• Interior appointments: Our model was very well kitted out with an eay to use, swipe screen to guide you through modes and functions. It’ like having your ipad in the car.
• Fully functional with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto etc.
• The bird’s eye view reversing camera
• Comfortable seats and high levels of passenger safety.

What might put you off an XC40 T3

• Performance is generally fine but the 3-cylinder game is given away on the motorway where acceleration struggles in the high gears once past 60mph.
• Actually, fuel economy is not that great, we averaged 36.1mpg over a 550 mile mix of town, country and motorway. Around town, this dipped to just above 30mpg.
• Price? This is a small SUV and it comes without four-wheel drive and it doesn’t quite hit the premium level Volvo aspires to against, say the smaller BMW or Mercedes-Benz rivals.
• Some of things you might like, come at a cost. The Xenium Pack of Power glass tilt and slide panoramic sunroof with sun curtain, 360 degree surround view parking camera, automatic parallel and 90 degree Park Assist will set you back an additional £1,600. If you don’t want the sunroof, but do want the parking camera that’s £700 alone.
• Apple CarPlay and Android also cost an extra £300.

Verdict on the Volvo XC40 T3

Loved it. When you think Volvo, you generally think big, particularly when it comes to SUVs, but the Swedish company has genuinely done a great job downsizing.

Compact on the outside, very well kitted out inside. Even though powered by a 3-cyclinder engine, it relaxing and comfortable to drive whether its about town or on a long motorway run.

The engine does not come across as particularly ‘thrummy’ like some 3-cylinders and it’s only if you really push things on that it starts to run out of puff.

We never really noticed the turbo which delivers power pretty smoothly and the engine itself sounds and feels smooth enough with little vibration through the pedals or steering wheel.

the manual gearbox has a positive feel to the shift and while the car cruises nicely at 60-70mph, any acceleration required for overtaking does involve some gear-hopping.

Steering feels light, particularly useful while twiddling around town although you can add weight by switching to dynamic mode.

Every car gets a big touchscreen with sat-nav and while Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and that 360 degree bird’s eye view reversing camera cost extra, they are well worth having.

There are also get LED headlights, climate control and rear parking sensors on every car.

What else should you know?

The Volvo 3-cylinder engine will eventually be paired with a plug-in hybrid.

Volvo offers an all-inclusive finance service that means you can have a new XC40 every couple of years with all insurance and tax costs thrown in.

You can also take advantage of spending 14 days a year in one of Volvo’s bigger models if you need it, so all you need to do is pay for your fuel.