• Volvo XC40 wins Best Small Hatch title and V60 is named Best Estate in the UK Car of the Year Awards 2019
• Judges praise the XC40 for its original thinking, great design, interior space and flexibility
• V60 acclaimed for its individual styling, driving dynamics, practicality and spaciousness
• Both models are now in contention for the overall UK Car of the Year title – currently held by the Volvo XC60
Volvo has sustained its winning ways in the UK Car of the Year competition, claiming two category wins. As Best Small Hatch and Best Estate respectively, the XC40 and V60 models are now in contention for the overall Car of the Year award, currently held by another Volvo – the XC60 mid-size premium SUV.
The double honours in the 2019 contest are a further independent validation of the brand's success in comprehensively renewing its model range, delivering new cars that are desirable, distinctive and at the cutting edge of connectivity and safety technology.
The UK Car of the Year Awards judging panel comprises 29 of the UK's best-respected motoring journalists, who write for influential titles such as The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Telegraph, Top Gear, Auto Express, CAR, Auto Trader, HonestJohn.co.uk and Motoring.co.uk. Their objective scrutiny of the short-listed models assesses each across a wide range of criteria, including performance, design, practicality and equipment levels.
They expressed great admiration for the XC40's originality and design appeal; in the words of judge Matt Robinson, the XC40 is "a breath of icy-cool fresh air from Sweden". Tom Sharpe focused on interior quality and space, saying: "The XC40 delivers all the quality of the Swedish brand's more expensive products with a typically clutter-free and Tardis-like interior space."
The V60 elicited a similarly warm response, with Alisdair Suttie commenting: "Volvo is the past master of the art of the estate car, and the V60 encapsulates that perfectly. It's spacious and practical, comfortable, superb to drive and strong on value." In Matt Robinson's opinion, the model "might well be the best-looking estate car ever to make production", while Alex Grant said it "reinvents Volvo's presence in the compact executive segment".
Customers are clearly sharing the experts' high opinion of the premium XC40 and V60, new models that have excelled since their launch, helping drive Volvo's UK new car sales to their best performance in 28 years in 2018. The momentum is being sustained into the New Year, with January sales volume up by an exceptional 80% year on year.
Jon Wakefield, Volvo Car UK Managing Director, said: "These awards reaffirm the all-round strengths and appeal of our new model line-up. We aim to provide customers with the best possible choice, no matter what their needs, and will continue to develop these model ranges with new powertrains and the latest advances in high-tech equipment."
For more information on the Volvo XC40 and V60, and to use the online car configurator, please go to www.volvocars.com/uk
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