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The forthcoming Volvo XC40 is the automaker’s opportunity to redefine the compact SUV segment. It’s an ideal move as compact SUVs continue to find favor with customers; the segment is one of the auto industry’s fastest growing pockets, and Volvo expects the XC40 will generate growth and strong revenue. The XC40 will arrive alongside the XC60 and XC90, polishing off Volvo’s SUV catalog.
Solid Start
Thus far, over 13,000 XC40 orders have been taken from local retailers, a solid number given it’s Volvo’s first small premium SUV. Recently, the first customer-bound XC40 rolled off the assembly line at Volvo’s plant in Ghent, Belgium. To commemorate the event, a number of notable and high-profile figures were on hand, including Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, Volvo Cars Chief Executive Officer and President HÃ¥kan Samuelsson, and Javier Varela, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing and Logistics, Volvo Cars. “This is a proud day for Ghent, the company, and all our employees here,” Samuelsson said.

Beautiful Beast
Volvo has been making considerable investments in the Ghent plant in recent years, preparing it for XC40 production. Since Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) underpins the new XC40, many of the investments were directed at making Ghent a global export hub for other CMA-based vehicles. An 86,000 square foot addition was tacked onto the b...