Volvo is a luxury brand that produces quality vehicles at a fairly reasonable price. Although more expensive than some brands, Volvo offers reliability, quality, and high-tech features that make one-time Volvo buyers lifetime Volvo buyers. But one of its newest vehicles is gaining so much traction, it may actually be the most popular one in the lineup.

The hottest Volvo model of them all

The Volvo brand released its sales numbers from May 2020, and like most auto companies, sales percentages were down from the previous year. While most in the industry are experiencing losses in the current climate, there is a surprising underdog in the Volvo lineup that isn’t suffering as badly.

According to Volvo, the company as a whole experienced a sales decrease of 2.5 percent in May 2020 over the previous year. But one of its newest recruits to the lineup, the small Volvo XC40 SUV, experienced a different change.

The XC40, which debuted in 2018, sold 1,715 units in May 2019. One year later, in May 2020, the automaker sold 2,305 XC40s. This change results in a 34.4 percent increase year-over-year for the month of May. This growth is not just impressive, but also indicative of the XC40s newfound popularity. And if current sales numbers indicate where the XC40 is going, it’s straight to the top.

The XC40 steals the spotlight in the lineup

After debuting for sale in 2018, the Volvo XC40 quickly gained popularity and footing among fans. And after just its first full year of sales, the XC40 is one of the brand’s best-selling vehicles. According to Volvo, the brand set a “sixth consecutive global sales record in 2019” with the help of the new XC40 SUV.

In 2019, the larger XC60 SUV was the company’s best-selling vehicle across the globe. But its newer, smaller sibling, the XC40, was the brand’s second-best-selling vehicle across the globe, a tremendous achievement for a new-to-the-lineup vehicle.

In 2019, Volvo sold a total of 705,452 cars across the world. While more than 204,000 of those sales belong to the XC60, the XC40 comes in a close second, selling 139,847 units globally. But only 17,654 of those XC40 models were sold in the U.S. Although the XC40 has seemingly stolen the spotlight from other vehicles in the automaker’s lineup across the globe, many more U.S. buyers will need to get on board with what the rest of the world knows.

And Volvo is taking advantage of the XC40’s new popularity and plans to target a bigger audience for even bigger sales results. A plug-in hybrid and an all-electric model will be making their way around the world, offering even more benefit to its blossoming fan base.

Why people love the Volvo XC40

Car and Driver experts rarely hand out perfect ratings, but the 2020 Volvo XC40 is one of the few exceptions. According to Car and Driver, the 2020 Volvo XC40 earns a perfect 10/10 rating, as well as the distinction as “Editor’s Choice.”

As an entry-level SUV, it’s smaller and catered toward’s today’s versatile driver. Calling it “the baby Volvo crossover,” Car and Driver experts point out that the XC40’s personality is definitely “fun and funky,” but it still adheres to the “brand’s core values” perfectly.

As to be expected from the Volvo brand, the XC40 comes loaded with a luxurious interior, as well as a slew of tech and safety features. In addition to looking nice, the XC40 also comes with a choice between two powerful engines, a comfortable and spacious interior, and plenty of cargo space.

Overall, the Volvo XC40 offers new buyers “fresh and funky looks” in a “fun-to-drive” package.