They say that style is never out of fashion, but for Volvo style has never been a concern, we have been led to believe the Swedish firm favour’s a functional, safety first approach, their design language over the years seemingly inspired by the carpet slipper. Inevitably times and attitudes change and the sleek design of the V40 is perhaps an indication that style is now the way forward, the inspiration for which comes from the spark of imagination, a trait unique to the human species. The V40 finally cracks the code of Volvo=Safety=Sweden and it reads, stylish.
And the uber boutique styling continues with the interior, its cosmopolitan outlook is full of reserved minimalism. This is contemporary modernity wrapped in a very appealing form factor inside and out. The V40 is a compact premium hatch and squares up to a very competitive market having to face down the likes of the VW Golf, Mercedes A Class and BMW 1 Series to name but a few. On design styling alone the V40 can look it at its competitors straight into their collective headlights and strike a pose.
However the compact premium sector isn’t just about design, and it isn’t necessarily about the brand or about the expense, as auto reviewer’s constantly go on about. Its about perception, for example the Golf is the rule, the exceptional exception on which others are judged. However the rules are being constantly re-written but is it enough to elevate the V40 into the pantheon of c-segment greatness? Available in seven trim levels with over 50 model derivatives to choose from, the V40 is available with a choice of two diesels and two petrol powerplants.
“They say that style is never out of fashion. For Volvo style has never been a concern. We have been led to believe the Swedish firm favor’s a functional, safety-first approach, their design language over the years seemingly inspired by the carpet slipper and a bag of Werther’s Original.”
Prices start from around £19k for entry level models and up to £33k for top of the range specs. The V40 D3 R Design Nav costs around £24k, R Design denotes 17 inch low profile alloys, lowered and stiffened suspension and unique decals such as a satin finish to the grill, twin tail pipes and an 8 inch TFT display replaces the traditional analogue dial instrumentation.
The interior is lined in half leather/suede seats and its a fine example of a cosseting interior design. The press loaned vehicle was fully loaded with kit Cruise control, keyless entry, Sat Nav fantastic audio system its all there no complaints. In keeping with Volvo’s safety mantra the R Design came fitted with optional driver aids. BLIS, a blind spot indicator, a lane keeping aid, driver alert, distance alert, collision warning indeed, state of the art safety technology that was the domain of the luxury car sector a few years back. Perhaps the show stealing toy of them all was Park Assist, this innovative technology, through the use of on-board sensors, is able to automatically parallel and reverse park. No steering input is required, just manual clutch control, it is a deadly accurate system, not a mere show stopper.
But the V40 still has to entertain from behind the wheel, and the 5 cylinder, 2.0 litre turbo diesel with its 150bhp and 350Nm of torque is entertaining enough thanks to its characteristic baritone pitch under acceleration, but crucially the D3 has punchy straight-line performance, 0-62mph takes 9.1 seconds which is not particularly fast, but fast enough. The ride and handling make for a sensible compromise between comfort and dynamics, the V40 feels settled and at home on twisty road routes. Despite the stiffened and lowered suspension body roll was an overly subtle presence, nevertheless the chassis felt balanced and stable thanks to good levels of grip. Those 17 inches low profile tyres looked great, yes it causes an increase in wind and tyre noise but not so much as to be overbearing.
The compact nature of the V40 means there is the inevitable compromise with the interior packaging, initially when you sit in the V40 you do feel its compact dimensions, elbow room is perhaps the first indication. The biggest surprise came in the back, there was plenty of knee room and head space for the average sized person, but if you’re over six foot-two then you then might have to cower a little some what. Boot space isn’t huge but even so the 335 litre’s is usefully practical and you can always lower the rear seats to increase load space by up to 1,032 litre’s. The V40 as with many modern cars is fitted with electric steering, its more fuel efficient for that long distance cruise but the side effect is a fidgety steering setup, it feels uncannily like a steering wheel peripheral for the Playstation.
But its on the motorway where the V40 R Design will eat up the miles returning 51 mpg on a combined cycle, it also comes with stop/start technology which helps lower C02 emissions to 114 g/km which means lower annual tax. By now the average auto review would be saying the V40 is expensive, so buy a BMW 1 Series, yes that’s right pay more for less, when will these motoring journalists ever learn. However the V40 is every bit as good as its rivals, the ride may be a bit too hard for some tastes in R-Design spec, but crucially the V40 is good fun to drive, it doesn’t matter what V40 spec you go for just don’t buy a BMW 1 Series over a V40, why would you pay more for less style?
