New XC40 boasts innovative storage solutions.
Volvo has found a solution to the lack of “suitable and functional” storage space inside the modern vehicle car – a solution that will debut with the new XC40.
As part of the XC40’s development phase, Volvo Cars’ customer research team spent time investigating how city dwellers around the globe use their vehicles on a daily basis – and, more importantly, how they store their belongings in those vehicles.
“As we spoke to people about how and where they store the things they carry with them daily, it was quite clear that most of today’s cars are falling short in this area,” said Louiza Atcheba, Model Brand Manager for the 40 Series at Volvo Cars. “Phones slide around in the mid-console, takeaway bags are at constant risk of falling over and people fumble behind the wheel as they try to get service cards out of their wallets. We set out to solve these and many other issues we encountered.”
In order to provide better storage space in the doors of the new XC40, Volvo designers decided to move the speakers from the door, creating enough storage in the door compartment for a laptop and a tablet, or a couple of water bottles.
“Another focus area was to make a usable space for your phone which offers wireless charging as well as USB ports,” said Conny Ewe Blommé, Senior Design Manager at Volvo Cars.
A small fold-away hook has been added to the glove compartment, allowing you to secure small shopping bags. In addition, both front seats offer a storage space under the seat.
The XC40 also offers slots for credit and service cards that can be neatly inserted into the dashboard, making them readily available when needed.
“In the trunk we have designed a smart floor system which can fold and separate your luggage and allows you to use the full luggage space without removing the floor from the car. The rear-seat electronic folding mechanism gives you a flat loading floor at the touch of a button,” Blommé added.
The XC40 includes a fold-up trunk divider with two hooks to help secure shopping bags or other luggage, along with four load hooks that make loading luggage a simple task. A private locking storage compartment has also been added under the load floor.
