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The new Volvo XC40 gets an Irish debut with a pop-up shop on Dublin's crowded Grafton St. It was 1988 since a car has been allowed to drive down Grafton Street, but pedestrians flicking to the shops in the run up to Christmas will get a change to see the new Swedish crossover, which is expected in pretty short order to become Volvo's best selling model.
The shop, at 32 Grafton St, contains one Volvo XC40 D4 in Momentum spec with 'Fusion Red' paintwork. Anyone who's interested can peruse the various colour and trim options, play with the 'Sensus' infotainment system, the Harmon-Kardon stereo, and enjoy some Fika.
Fika, in case you were worried, is a Swedish tradition of having a small break, a coffee, some sweet treats, and a chat. Think of it as a Swedish version of the Danish 'Hygge' but with less hugging and, in this case, more Volvo.
Patricia Greene, Head of Communications at Volvo Car Ireland, said: "We're very excited to bring Volvo to Grafton Street for the countdown to Christmas. As Ireland's premium shopping street we feel Grafton Street is a great fit for the Volvo brand and allows us to give shoppers a truly unique experience and reach a new demographic of shoppers who may not have been overly familiar with the Volvo brand before."
The XC40 was originally unveiled at Milan Fashion week, and given that its Irish launch location rubs shoulders with Rocks The Jewellers and Victoria's Secret, we'd suggest that the Swedes are trying to put the XC40 in front of some of the 57-million people who traipse Grafton St every year who, perhaps, haven't had the Volvo brand on their fashionable radar.