Volvo XC40 R-Design review: The baby SUV joins the top five hit list — and potentially lands Car of the Year

THIS time next month you’ll be fed up.

You’ll be a stone heavier. You’ll be skint. You’ll have a year’s supply of toiletries you don’t want.

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And there’ll be no escape from the endless torrent of year-end quizzes, 2018 predictions (er, royal wedding, royal baby, Man City to win Premier League) and no-longer-seen-in-2017 celebrity deaths.

That’s why I’m getting in early with my Car of the Year, or at least my top five, while you’ve still got the appetite.

Drum roll, please, for the . . . Ford Fiesta ST-Line, Skoda Karoq, Seat Arona and Hyundai i30N (which is nailed on for a podium place, if not the top step). Then we have Volvo and the XC40, which has just elbowed the XC60 from the shortlist — chiefly for being ten grand cheaper.

It also means all five cars cost less than £28k.

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So, the XC40. Let me fill you in.

The XC40 has all the goodness of the XC60 and XC90 but looks more edgy, more chunky, with much personalisation. Two-tone paint job? Lava orange carpets? If you like. Nice Swedish flag “tab” on the front wing.

All the infotainment and connectivity has filtered down from the bigger SUVs (9in upright touchscreen, 12.3in digital driver’s display, both standard), making the cabin look smart and clutter-free. And simple things like huge door pockets (by moving the speakers into the dash), under-seat drawers for iPads, tissue box-size centre console, and a flip-out glovebox hook for your chicken korma, all please.

The boot floor also folds upwards with more shopping hooks. And while I’m down at that end, boot space and rear passenger space are decent.

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Of course, safety is king at Volvo and this baby SUV will protect you, your family — and everyone else around you.

Should a pedestrian, cyclist or “moose” (that’s what they said) step into the road and you fail to react in time, it will automatically apply the brakes. That’s standard kit.

You can also add adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, 360-degree cameras, cross traffic alert and so on.

Prices. The not-so-basic base model is the £27,905 T3 Momentum petrol (1.5-litre, 3cyl turbo) coming next summer. That’s front-wheel drive and manual.

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The D3 Momentum 2-litre diesel is £28,965 and — listen to me, readers — offers much better mpg and lower CO2. Finance from £308 a month. Pure electric version to follow in 2019.

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For the record, my test car was the higher-powered 190hp D4 diesel with all-wheel drive and paddle-shift auto, arriving in March.

It’s brisk and the steering is nicely weighted but you’ll much prefer to sit back, put on your Spotify playlist and cruise around in comfort. It’s easy to drive and easy to park. Unlike an XC90.

I’ll make a 2018 prediction now. If you buy an XC40, you won’t be disappointed. But if you wait three years and pick one up second-hand, when it’s half the price, you’ll be as happy as Harry.

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