Volvo XC40 vs BMW X1: Real World Performance Comparison

Both the cars produce 190PS of power and 400Nm of torque, with their respective engines paired with an 8-speed AT

With the introduction of the XC40, Volvo entered luxury compact SUV segment in the country in 2018. Here in India, it rivals other compact luxury SUVs like Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and the BMW X1. Let’s see how the the Volvo fares against the X1 in a real world performance comparison.

Before diving into real world figures let’s see how the two compact SUVs fare on paper.

	Volvo XC40	BMW X1
Engine	2.0-litre	2.0-litre
Power	190PS	190PS
Troque	400Nm	400Nm
Transmission	8-speed AT	8-speed AT

On paper, both the compact luxury SUVs are evenly equipped. They both are powered by a 2.0-litre engines which produce an identical 190PS of power and 400Nm of torque and get an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Performance Comparison:

Acceleration and Roll-on Tests:

	0-100kmph	Quarter Mile	Kick down (20-80kmph)
Volvo XC40	8.83s	[email protected]	6.05s
BMW X1	7.98s	[email protected]	5.47s

Despite being powered by a similar engine-transmission combination, the BMW X1 is quicker than the XC40 on all three front. The difference is marginal though, it is courtesy of BMW’s quicker 8-speed gearbox. The 8-speed unit for both the cars is sourced from Aisin but the Volvo’s gearbox is tuned for relaxed driving. The quicker gearbox will sure give the BMW an edge on the track, but but won’t have much effect in real-world use.

Braking Distance:

	100-0kmph	80-0kmph
Volvo XC40	40.32m	25.23m
BMW X1	43.37m	26.70m

While the BMW is better at gaining speed, Volvo is better at losing it. In both categories, the Volvo took less distance to stop compared to the BMW. Both the compact SUVs get disc brakes at both ends, and neither of the carmakers have revealed the kerb weight of their respective cars. If the BMW is heavier than the Volvo, that might be the reason behind it taking more distance to shed speed.

Also Read: Volvo XC40 vs BMW X1: Variants Comparison

Fuel Economy:

	Volvo XC40	BMW X1
City	13.56kmpl	12.02kmpl
Highway	20.03kmpl	20.37kmpl

The results are a mixed bag here. Where in city the Volvo is more frugal than the BMW, out on the highway, the BMW does an extra 0.34km for every litre of diesel it sips.

Let’s take a look at this in terms of fuel expenses. Here’s how much you’ll have to spend on if you plan to clock an average of 1000km every month based on three different driving patterns (based on real-world fuel efficiency figures listed above). The calculation has been done considering the price of a litre of diesel at Rs 70.

	25% in city, 75% on highway	50% in city, 50% on highway	75% in city, 25% on highway
Volvo XC40	Rs 3911.6	Rs 4328.1	Rs 4745.3
BMW X1	Rs 4032.7	Rs 4629.8	Rs 5266.2

From the above table, it is pretty clear the difference between the running cost of both cars is negligible (not more than Rs 521.2 /1000km). So, it won’t make a big difference to your wallet if you want to buy the BMW for the slight extra performance it offers.

Verdict: The BMW beats the Volvo on the performance front, albeit marginally. However, when it comes to braking the Volvo takes the lead. In terms of fuel economy, while the Volvo is more frugal in the city, the BMW is more frugal on the highway.

Since, on the performance front both the compact SUVs are neck to neck, we will suggest you to make your decision on the basis of creature comforts and the value for money proposition. That said, if you still not sure about which of two should you go for, checkout our detailed comparison review here.

Also Read: 2019 Audi Q3 Unveiled; Will Take On BMW X1, Volvo XC40 And Mercedes-Benz GLA

Read More on : Volvo XC40 Automatic