Volvo, Geely Working To Create New 40 Platform

2016 Volvo V40 Cross Country (Credit: Volvo )

Get ready for a third generation of the Volvo S40. Volvo and Geely engineers are reportedly working together on creating a new modular platform for the compact car, which would make a reappearance in markets around the world.

Car News China originally broke that story of this collaborative effort, confirming rumors that have been swirling around that Volvo will be leveraging three major vehicle platforms: 40, 60 and 90. The plan is to create a sedan, wagon and crossover for each one, with the possibility of niche products such as the S60 Cross Country to be thrown in the mix. This would flesh out the Volvo model lineup and help the brand to compete better on a global level.

According to the Car News China story, the future Volvo XC40 will be manufactured at a facility located in Zhangjiakou in Hebei Province. The Geely Cross will be manufactured in the same factory. Powering the SUV will be a turbo 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which was created solely by Volvo, and it’ll be assembled in the same location. It’s anticipated that it will church out up to 180 horsepower, but such figures could easily increase for the U.S. market.

There’s also strong indications that Volvo will offer a plug-in hybrid version of the XC40. If that’s the case, expect to see dramatically higher total system output. Also, whatever the SUV comes equipped with, the V40 and S40 will likely pack as well.

The future XC40 will be going up against some stiff competition, such as the Mercedes GLA and BMW X1, while the S40 will also be fighting hard to establish itself again in the market. The XC40 will likely hit the market by 2019, with the V40 and S40 arriving not too long after. All three promise to be more premium than many likely are expecting, plus come with plenty of sleek styling, proving that Volvo has turned over a promising new leaf.