First Drive: Volvo V40

The all-new Volvo V40 is billed as the Swedish manufacturer’s most important model in 20 years. The new premium hatchback will be sold alongside the C30 coupe-hatch and is likely to replace the choice of the ageing S40 sedan and V50 estate for most buyers, meaning the demands on the V40 are high.

Volvo’s parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, has committed to doubling the company’s sales by 2020, meaning the V40 has been set a sales target of 90 000 units annually. If that wasn’t enough, when you consider how well versed the competition are in the premium hatchback arena, you realise that expectations are even higher still.

Volvo’s first job was to make the V40 look appealing enough to entice 90 000 new buyers for the foreseeable future. Thankfully they stand a good chance. At a glance, the new V40 could momentarily trick you into thinking it’s a two-door body style and, combined with a low roof (29 mm lower than a C30), sculptured bonnet lines and rising rear flanks, the V40 imparts a low and wide stance.

Chris Benjamin, Design Director at Volvo’s Californian studio in Camarillo, north-west of Los Angeles says, “I wanted a car with a wedge shape, a high tail and wide shoulders. I see it as a combination of coupé and a sports wagon. Volvo has always done estates well and has had some classic coupés too.”

Adding definition and detail to the car’s exterior are a wide, high-gloss grille with LED day-time running lights set into the lower corners. LEDs are also used in the door mirror turn indicators, tail lights, third brake light and in rear number plate illumination.

The interior offers as much passenger space as you’d expect to find in a practical hatchback. The boot will hold 335-litres of cargo with the rear seats in their upright position (43 percent more than the C30). Designed to seat three people, the rear bench has been sculpted accordingly, but the middle seat is compromised slightly due to the outermost seats being moved inwards. Then again, how often and for how long do you actually seat three adults in the back? On the plus side, this rear seat layout affords more elbow room and means rear passengers have a better view past the seats in front. Speaking of which, the front seats are fashioned in a sporty-looking design and provide adequate support.

The gear shift lever suffers from the same fate as that of the Ford Focus ST we drove last week, which is to say it is positioned slightly too far back and requires an un-natural lift and tuck of one’s shoulder and elbow. Fortunately the 6-speed automated Geartronic transmission offers a way around this niggle. An array of storage pockets, compartments and cup-holders, help to make the V40 a truly practical vehicle.

One of Volvo’s strengths lie in the quality of their interiors and the V40 is no exception. The V40 features the firm’s trademark floating centre console and minimalist dashboard design, which although a little predictable, still looks fresh in this latest application.

The surfaces are of a high quality finish and the dark grey textured dashboard, features contrasting chrome surrounds on the air vents and a built-in 5-inch colour display. The three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel incorporates controls for the sound system and cruise control, while all-new LCD driver instrumentation offer easy-to-read and bright colour displays; even if the amount of information available can be a little overwhelming at first. The interior is also well insulated and makes for a quiet and relaxed journey, with typical levels of tyre noise from any excessively rough road surfaces.

The Volvo V40 is built on a modified version of the Ford C1 platform, which was initially used by the Volvo C30, although the electric power steering, as well as the suspension spring and damper rates have been noticeably revised. Stefan Karlsson, Volvo’s Manager of Vehicle Dynamics and Calibration said the company’s goal was to achieve, “great balance of ride, handling, steering and braking, as well as the driver assistance functions.”

As a result, the V40 is probably the best steering Volvo to-date, offering a weight and speed that meet expectations whatever the circumstance. Where past models may have put up with your enthusiastic driving, the V40 feels quite happy to oblige. The suspension also plays a key role in the V40’s charming dynamics, riding bumps and undulations well, with a progressive nature. On bumpier roads it can become a little jittery when fitted with the 18-inch and 225/40 profile wheel and tyre combo, but on the whole it’s very good; better than the C30 and better than the Focus on which it’s loosely based.

Power comes from a selection of 4- and 5-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, all of which feature engine stop/start technology. The petrol range includes the T5, T4 and T3, with 187 kW, 132 kW and 110 kW respectively. The 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder, T5 offers 360 Nm of torque with an additional 40 Nm available via an overboost function, while the 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder, T4 and T3 both churn out 240 Nm with an additional 30 Nm on overboost. The V40 T3 is equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission, while the T5 is mated with a 6-speed ‘Geartronic’ automatic as standard. The T4 can be had with either a 6-speed manual or ‘Powershift’ dual-clutch transmission.

Of the petrol-powered V40 models driven at launch, the T3 would prove adequate for most, as the combination of power and torque, together with the fluidity of the 6-speed transmission made for a more involving drive, with the benefit of good economy when cruising quietly. We’ll have to wait for early 2013 to see the T5 and R-Design models On our roads.

The V40 diesel range includes the D3 and D2, with 84 kW and 110 kW respectively. The 2.0-litre, 5-cylinder, D3 turbo-diesel engine offers 350 Nm of torque, while the 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder, D2 provides 270 Nm of twist. The V40 D3 is equipped with a 6-speed ‘Geartronic’ automatic as standard and requires 5.2 L/100km of diesel on average, while the D2 is equipped with a 6-speed manual and is capable of a phenomenal 3.6 L/100km according to Volvo.

Of the diesels, the D3 is the preferred choice. A strong surge of torque with ample power gives the premium hatchback more than enough ‘go’ around town and plenty of punch on the open road. The D2 is a worthy alternative, with excellent economy and class leading emissions of just 94 g/km of CO2, but it does need to be worked a little harder.

You can’t mention Volvo without mentioning safety. Suffice to say the list is a long one and the most comprehensive in the motoring world, never mind the premium hatchback class. The company recently announced a target to have nobody die or be injured in a Volvo by 2020 and followed this up with the V40 having achieved the highest safety score ever recorded by the Euro NCAP safety agency at 98 percent.

Thomas Broberg, Senior Technical Advisor of Safety at Volvo said, “It is a fantastic result. We are very proud to have one of the world’s safest cars and we’re taking yet another important step toward our 2020 target.”

Noteworthy safety technology includes: Auto Brake; Pedestrian Detection; City Safety; Lane Keeping Aid and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS). Special mention, however, must go to the V40’s claim to featuring the world’s first pedestrian airbag. It works with sensors fitted to the front bumper that detect contact between the car and a pedestrian, at which point the rear end of the bonnet rises and the airbag inflates across the lower edge of the windscreen and A-pillars.

While the Volvo V40 may not be streets ahead of its rivals in terms of practicality or performance, it still manages to compare favourably. Take into account the V40’s style and pioneering safety levels, however, and its rivals will find it hard to beat.

All models feature a 5-year/120 000 km warranty and 3-year/60 000 km service plan.

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