The XC40 is the smallest of all Volvo SUVs, making it ideal for city driving and mini adventures.
Available in both electric and gas drivetrains the XC40 features state-of-the-art tech, creative storage solutions and a panoramic roof.
If you’re considering it as your next vehicle, you may be interested to know where exactly its being made.
This article will cover exactly that, read on to find out…
Table of Contents
Where Are Volvo XC40s Being Made?
The Volvo XC40 is made in Belgium at Volvo Cars manufacturing plant in Ghent and also in China at the Luqiao plant. XC40s for the USA and Europe are built in Ghent whilst the Luqiao plant serves the Chinese market and exports to countries in other continents, including the Americas and Oceania.
In 2019, due to growing international demand, Volvo decided to produce the XC40 in China as well as Belgium.
The Chinese plant is located in the Zhejiang province, close to the harbors of Shanghai where the vehicles are shipped across the world.
The Ghent plant is the original production facility for the XC40 and has produced this model since its release in 2017- it is also one of the busiest Volvo plants in the world producing the largest volume of cars per year for Volvo.
Are Volvo XC40s for the US Market Produced in the US?
Volvo XC40’s for the US market are made in Belgium at the Volvo Cars manufacturing plant in Ghent.
In 2019, XC40s were also added to the production line at the Chinese plant in Zhejiang.
However, due to the ongoing trade war between America and China, the production of XC40s for the U.S market will remain in Belgium at the Ghent plant.
Ghent Facts:
- Started operating — 1965
- First model — Volvo Amazon (1965-69)
- Peak production — 266,673 (2011)
- 2019 production — 225,000
- Current output — 1,000 cars a day
- Current parts per car — 3,500
- Current workforce — 6,500
Are They Assembled in the US?
XC40 models are assembled at the plant that of which they are built.
For the US and European markets, XC40s are assembled in Ghent, Belgium.
For other world markets such as China, South Africa and Australia – the cars are assembled at the Luqiao plant in China.
You may also be interested in our article: how long do Volvo XC40 last?
How Can You Check Where a Specific XC40 Was Made?
The easiest way to check the manufacturing location of your XC40 is by finding the vehicle’s VIN number and running it through an online VIN decoder.
There are a number of ways that you can find the VIN number of your XC40:
- Tap Settings in the center display’s top view -> Proceed to System -> System Information ->Vehicle Identification Number.
- On the first page of the Warranty and Service Records Information booklet
- On the vehicle’s registration card
- By looking at the dashboard through the vehicle’s windshield.
You can also decode your VIN manually.
The first letter or number of the VIN will tell you the production location.
For example, if the first character is L, this means your car was made in China.
The 11th digit indicates which manufacturing plant your vehicle was assembled at.
For example, if the digit is a 2, then the car was built at the Ghent Plant in Belgium.
Are Chinese-built Volvo XC40’s Better than European-built Volvo XC40s?
Despite China having somewhat of a negative reputation when it comes to manufacturing, you can expect all XC40’s built at the Luqiao plant to meet Volvo’s high safety and quality requirements.
Volvo is a world-renowned vehicle manufacturer and as such, they aim to keep the quality of their cars as standard across all of their production facilities.
Where Is the Volvo XC40 Designed?
There is currently no available information as to where exactly the XC40 was designed – although we suspect it was in Volvo’s hometown of Gothenburg in Sweden.
The original sketch designs for the XC40 came from a British exterior designer, Ian Kettle and were built upon by Volvo’s Chief design officer, Thomas Ingenlath who is based out of Sweden.
Volvo has design centers in three major locations across the world.
- Gothenburg in Sweden.
- Camarillo, California, U.S.A,
- Shanghai, China.
Where Are Volvo XC40 Recharge Made?
Volvo’s first ever fully electric SUV, the XC40 Recharge is built at the Ghent plant in Belgium.
Volvo has said they are committed to reducing their CO2 footprint per car by 40% by 2025 and so they are ramping up production of their hybrid and electric vehicles.
For the same year, they expect 50% of global sales to come from fully electric cars, with the rest hybrids.
XC40 Recharge facts:
- Offers a projected range of over 250 miles on a single charge
- Has an output of 408hp.
- The battery can charge to 80% in 40 mins on a fast-charger system.
Related: 6 Best & Worst Volvo XC40 Years (Pictures & Stats)
Where Is the Volvo XC40 Made for the UK Market?
Volvo XC40s for the UK market are all made in Belgium at Volvo Cars manufacturing plant in Ghent.
XC40 powertains available in the UK consist of:
- Mild Hybrid: Saves you fuel by recovering energy when you brake however offers only a small amount of electrical assistance to the engine.
- Electric: Runs completely off an electric battery
- Hybrid: Part gas, part electric.
Where Is the Volvo XC40 Made for the Australian Market?
Volvo XC40’s for the Australian market are built in China at the Luqiao plant and then shipped to Australia.
Volvo does have a manufacturing plant in Brisbane, Australia, however it is purely focused on building Volvo trucks.
XC40 powertains available in Australia consist of:
- Gas
- Electric
- Hybrid
Where Is the Volvo XC40 Made for the Canadian Market?
Volvo XC40s for the Canadian market are all built and assembled in China at the Luqiao plant.
XC40 powertains available in Canada consist of:
- Gas
- Electric
You may also be interested in our article: Where are Volvo XC60 made?
Is Volvo Planning to Move Its Production?
From our research, we do not think Volvo will be making any drastic changes any time soon to the production locations of the XC40 now that the plant in China has begun production alongside the plant in Belgium.
This was done to ease the pressure on the Ghent plant.
Volvo as a company however, is continually expanding and they recently opened a new manufacturing facility in South Carolina, and are currently building another new plant in Chengdu, China, which will be named the Polestar plant.
Is Volvo Hiring or Firing in the US?
With the new factory in Berkley County boosting its production rates, Volvo is likely to be hiring new staff in the U.S, and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.
Volvo have committed to investing over US$1 billion in manufacturing operations in the United States., creating around 4000 new jobs for the factory in South Carolina.
Many job sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor are regularly updating new jobs at Volvo.
Positions can also be found on the Volvo careers page or by contacting your local Volvo dealership.
You may also be interested in our article: where are Mazda CX-5 made?
Is Volvo an American Company?
Volvo is originally from Sweden, but is currently Chinese-owned.
They have factories, dealerships and offices across the world.
Resources
https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/volvo-adds-xc40-production-china
https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/australians-bought-record-numbers-of-chinese-cars-in-2020
https://europe.autonews.com/blogs/volvos-ghent-plant-gets-new-challenge
