Long-termers

LONG-TERMERS VOLVO XC40

A (very) cold snap lets Ted Welford see how ‘our’ hybrid XC40 copes in more challenging conditions.

You’d think that growing up in rural Yorkshire I’d be acclimatised to a cold winter, but oh boy is this season not a highlight of mine.

It’s always a shock to the system when the temperature plummets, and I was helped quite massively last winter by having a pick-up for the coldest spells, meaning I wouldn’t think twice about heading out in a blizzard or on the snowy, ungritted roads around us.

But this year I’m back in a more ‘normal’ car, and despite how the Volvo XC40 looks with its chunky plastic wheel arches, high-set driving position and plentiful ground clearance, ‘my’ hybrid long-termer is actually front-wheel-drive. As a side note, the B4 petrol is all-wheel-drive, as is the P8 electric model, for those wanting that extra traction.

However, despite my initial preconceptions, and thinking how easily a quite heavy frontwheel-drive car would get stuck, KM70 XKO has really surprised me.

On a recent Sunday, when there had been snowfall followed by ice overnight – arguably one of the worst driving conditions – I thought I’d brave the weather to take the dog for a good long walk. While thankfully the main roads were all quite clear, some of the other stretches weren’t.

One particular section of tarmac could only be described as sheet ice and has one steep uphill stretch. I was adamant that the XC40 would barely get a fraction of the way up on its standard-fit Pirelli tyres (it’s not on winters or all-seasons). But to my amazement it didn’t even struggle, going straight up with no skidding at all – amusingly passing the tyre marks where people had had to give up. I was particularly impressed.

This latest cold snap has also reaffirmed one of the XC40’s best features, which is the app that goes with the car. It essentially means your smartphone can connect with it, allowing for a range of functions to be accessed remotely. There are some that are impressively useful, such as being notified if you’ve left the car unlocked, with the app then letting you secure the car, regardless of where you are. There’s also a feature that lets you send sat nav routes to the car, but given I tend to default to Google Maps anyway, I’ve yet to use it or really see the point of it.

But by the far the best thing that the app lets you do is warm the car before you get in. I know it’s a first-world problem, but it’s quite unpleasant to come to a car that’s cold and frozen. However, with the app, you can heat the car up before you get to it by programming it for up to 15 minutes. It even gives you control over the heated seats and steering wheels, meaning you’ll soon have a warmed backside and toasty hands when getting in.

If you have the same routine each day, you can even set a timer, meaning the car will automatically heat up for you. In the summer months when your car might be too hot – oh, how we can dream – it also works the opposite way, meaning the Volvo will be cooled down for you. This isn’t a Volvo-exclusive feature of course, but the Volvo app seems especially slick.

It’s also rather good if, like me, you’re big into your stats, with a particular favourite feature being the ‘usage’ map that tells you how many miles have been electric. Over the past seven days, for example, my XC40 has done nearly 50 per cent of its miles purely on electric, which is pretty good going and emphasises the benefits that a plug-in hybrid can bring.

With KM70 XKO sadly set to return to Volvo in the new year, I aim to keep enjoying it up until the very last second. And should the weather take a turn for the worse again, I’ll know that a cold interior is one thing I won’t have to worry about!

THE KNOWLEDGE

Volvo XC40 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T5

Price (as tested): £49,125 Engine: 1.5-litre petrol-electric

hybrid

Power:

258bhp

Torque:

425Nm

0-60mph:

7 seconds

Max speed: 112 mph Emissions: 47-57g/km CO2 Economy): 117.7-134.5mpg Mileage: 8,220

This month’s highlight:

Using the app to warm the car up before getting in – great with the weather being so cold!

OTHER CARS WE’RE DRIVING

Skoda Octavia vRS Estate

Mileage: 11,487 The Octavia has quickly become the go-to car for motorway slogs or trips to the local tip.

Nissan Juke N-Connecta

Mileage: 10,546 The Juke has already been put to work transporting Christmas presents and festive cheer!

WE’VE WON!

Within a month we’ve won not one, but two awardsan achievement that we are all very proud of.

Our customers voted First Response Finance as the ‘Best Car Finance Provider’ in the Consumer Credit Awards 2021. The second recognition came from our dealer partners who voted us ‘Finance Provider of the Year (Sub-Prime)’ in the Car Dealer Power Awards for the second consecutive year.

Cars, motorbikes, vans- it doesn't matter what type of vehicle we are financing, our award- winning service remains the same.