2003 Volvo V40 Reviews

The V40 shows Volvo finally has a handle on how to fight in the prestige hatch market. And it needs to, given the Swedish car will take on the likes of Audi's A3 and the BMW 1 Series in Australia.The company has recently tried to shrug off its cardigan-clad conservatism by building better looking cars; the V40 marks the move to building better driving ones.VALUEVolvo Cars Australia head Matt Braid says the entry level D2 diesel variant will "be under $40,000." Just how much under will be determined by how much advanced safety gear he can afford to pack in to the 1.6-litre turbodiesel.The key new technology - the improved City Safety software and a pedestrian impact airbag system - will be standard on all models.The look and feel of the interior plastics on the V40 is a marked step up and the equipment level is predicted to better its rivals. For the record, the A3 starts at $41,300 and the BMW runs from $39,593.TECHNOLOGYAs a car pitched at the the prestige market, there's a lot of tech in the V40 and most of it is useful. An instrument panel with three separate themes brings, according to Volvo, the "interaction between car driver and driver into a new dimension". Rubbish, but it's a good marketing gimmick that might impress potential buyers.The information, layout and colours change depending on the theme - Elegance, Eco and Performance. Bluetooth with audio streaming will be a more appreciated feature but owners will be rewarded if they take the time to dig through the menus and learn what this car can do.STYLINGWide and low is the look Volvo set for the V40 as to emphasise size in the compact hatch. It works - the car squats on the road and the wedgy design is instantly identified as a Volvo front or rear. The interior is a step up from the C30 and shows Volvo is serious about beign seen as a prestige player.The grey plastics on previous cars has been replaced by a classier charcoal look that is soft to the touch on all the key surfaces. A five-inch infotainment screen jumps to seven inches if the satnav option is ticked but the resolution is good even on the base unit. The only criticism applies to the back seats where adults will be longing for legroom on anything but a quick trip around town.SAFETYSaving lives - both the occupants and those around them - is the hook Volvo has long hung its hat on. The V40 takes that to the next level for a compact hatch and Volvo expects five stars. Eight airbags are standard, including the world first pedestrian impact airbag.The system uses seven accelerometers to determine if the front bumper has hit a human leg, rather than a pole or shopping centre bollard. If it is human, it gives more than the metal objects. At that point the system fires a pair of explosive charges to pop up the rear of the bonnet, giving more cushioning distance before the pedestrian hits the engine - and making room for an airbag to deploy and cover the bonnet/windscreen area and the bottom of the A-pillars.The City Safety software pre-brakes the car if it anticipates a hit with the back of another vehicle and the threshold has been raised from 30km/h to 50km/h in the V40. Blind spot assistance, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, rear parking cameras and automated parallel parking are also on the menu.DRIVINGA taut chassis - this platform is shared with the Ford Focus from the days when Volvo and Ford were sharing beds - sharp steering and sporty suspension make the V40 a genuinely fun drive. Dare to let the base D2 turbodiesel engine come off the boil and it has the pulling power of a teen afflicted with an acne outbreak.It is the same 1.6-litre engine found in Peugeots, Citroens and Minis and will be fine for city duties. Push it and the manual really needs to be ratcheted up and down the ratios to overcome tall gearing and a thin powerband. The tight uphill turns of the test route didn't flatter it, with the manual often revving too hard in a given gear but upshifts then cause it to slip under the 1750rpm threshold where the turbo kicks in.The quest for fuel economy sees it ride 10mm lower than the rest of the range but that - and the 18-inch rims fitted to our test car - means bumps are more noticeable. The 2.0-litre D4 oilburner is a much more rewarding drive.The six-speed auto (Volvo's dual-clutch automated manual transmission won't be available until late next year) works well with the 130kW/400Nm and the ride is more forgiving without hurting the car's cornering ability. The 2.5-litre petrol T4 destined for Down Under duties wasn't at the launch and the range-topping T5 isn't expected to be seen until later this year.VERDICTThe V40 shows that Volvo has a handle on what it takes to fight in the prestige compact market. The safety side can't be questioned so it's a case of pricing. If Volvo gets it right this car should be cross-shopped from the VW Golf up to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.Volvo V40Price: from $40,000 (estimate)Resale: N/AEngines (at launch): 1.6-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder, 84kW/270Nm (D2); 2.0-litre turbodiesel five-cylinder, 130kW/400Nm (D4); 2.5-litre turbo five-cylinder, 132KW/300Nm (T4);Transmissions: Six-speed manual, six-speed automatic, front-wheel driveBody: 4.37m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.42m (H)Weight: from 1357kgThirst: 3.6L/100km diesel, 94g/km CO2 (D2 manual); 4.3L/100km diesel, 114g/km CO2 (D4 manual); 5.2L/100km, 136g/km CO2 (D4 auto); T4 auto figures not released

In Sweden you can take classes in how to drive a car economically. Or, you could simply buy one of Volvo's new V40s, because the super smart hatch will do all the work for you. It has three different drive modes, selected from a carousel in the centre of the instrument panel, one of which Eco mode and is designed to reduce fuel consumption. It's not the only reason you'd buy the car, but it's certainly a drawcard - not to mention safety.BACKGROUNDThe V40 is Volvo's first 'proper' hatch, with four doors (five if you count the hatch) and room for three in the back. Prior to this it produced the C30, but it was a niche model, a funky four-seat hatch with only two doors and a tiny luggage area. As such the V40 (the V's for versatility) is likely to have much broader appeal. In fact, Volvo expects the car to become its biggest selling model worldwide. In Australia, however, its sales star is the XC60 - a mid-sized, five-seat SUV or offroader.DESIGNNot only does it look the goods, with sculpted panels, a low profile, wide stance and signature black tailgate - the V40 performs well too. The sporty dynamics (yes, sporty) really raise the bar for the Swede - better known for building safe cars than exciting ones.Inside, it's the same story, with darker trim that gives the car a premium feel, along with a more sophisticated LCD style instrument panel that changes colours plus a stylish illuminated gear shift knob. The seats are comfy and both driver and passenger sides have lumbar adjustment.Volvo reckons it's the most dynamic model that it has built to date and we're inclined to agree, after a searching test drive this week on some of Italy's treacherous mountain roads.Due for launch here in a little over six months, the V40 has all the makings of a game changer for the company, depending on the price and how much of the tech that we saw is actually standard.ORIGINSLike the C30 it's based on the same platform as the Ford Focus that enjoys an enviable reputation for sporty dynamics. Ford, by the way, used to own the company and even though Volvo is now owned by the Chinese the two still share some technology. V40 replaces both the S40 sedan and V50 wagon and maybe even the C30 which is also being phased out (more likely it will be replaced by another model - perhaps a V30?).RANGEWe got to drive three models of which two will be coming to Australia: the D2 1.6-litre four cylinder diesel, the D4 2.0-litre five cylinder diesel and the T4 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol model.The last one is not coming, at least not in its present form, and this is where it gets confusing. We will be taking the T4 - but with a five cylinder engine of the same capacity.A hero, high performance 2.5-litre turbocharged T5 R-Design model will be joining the trio too. It wasn't available to drive in Italy, but will be available from launch here in February.THE STATSThe D2 is good for 84kW/270Nm and 3.6 litres/100km and is basically the same engine that's in the current C30. It will be the entry level model and will be available as a six-speed manual only.The D4 puts out 130kW/400Nm and 4.7/5.2 litres/100km and will be available with a six speed manual or six-speed automatic. The five cylinder T4 puts out the same 132kW of power as its four cylinder cousin, but 300Nm of torque instead of 240Nm and will be available as an auto only. No fuel figures available.The T5 R-Design pumps out 187kW/360Nm and uses 7.9 litres/100km and will be auto only (odd that as a performance model there is no manual). All models are fitted with automatic stop/start to save fuel along with the ability to regenerate power.CHOICESThe driver has some choices to make before moving off, like how much assistance they want with the steering, which provides three levels of support: low, medium and high. Then there's three drive modes: Eco, Elegance and Performance, with different colour schemes for each - green for Eco, Amber for Elegance and red for performance. You can change drive modes on the move using a one of the steering column instrument stalks, but the car must be stationary to change the steering.THE DRIVEOf the three, the D4 with the larger diesel engine was the standout. The smaller D2 lacks torque off boost and this presents  a problem coming out of the rising, hairpin corners that we encountered. It is necessary to brake heavily and turn in sharply, dropping speed quickly and engine revs with it.As a result the engine is often left stranded between first and third gears, lacking any help from the turbo until the revs pickup - too fast to change down and too slow to change up.An auto would help smooth things out (are you listening Volvo?). Fortunately with plenty of grip the car can carry more corner speed than usual which helps alleviate the problem.The larger D4 is a revelation in comparison, with strong performance across the rev range and an auto to make things easy. Relatively quiet inside, it is not plagued by the same problem and was a pleasure to drive in most situations. Pricing it up is probably the only way to entice people into the smaller diesel.The T4 is also lively, feels lighter but lacks the torque of the diesel. The auto is much busier to compensate. As such we look forward to driving the torquier five cylinder version.Changing the drive modes and adjusting the steering makes a perceptible difference, but whether it's a novelty or used on a daily basis remains to be seen. In terms of fuel consumption, we got 7.8 litres/100km from the D2, 10.9 from the D4 and 14.7 from the T4 that we drove. Note though that all were being pushed hard.NEGATIVESAll-wheel drive is unavailable. There's only a space saver spare wheel and rear legroom is tighter than expected. There's no paddle shifts in sight either and they're needed  to keep pace with the competition.We applaud the addition of a digital speedo, but deplore the fact it is available only in performance mode. Not mention the fact that the navigation still does not provide speed camera warnings, although it does tell you what the current speed limit is.SAFETYComes with eight airbags and a whole range of safety systems - some standard, some probably not. It has not been crash tested yet, but Volvo is confident it will score a full five stars. They include a driver's kneebag and, in a world first, a pedestrian protection bag. The latter sits like a bra around  the lower part of the windscreen when activated to protect a pedestrian's head from injury in the unfortunate event that they are struck by the car.The car also brakes automatically when it detects a threat in front, the blind spot warning now also warns of rapidly approaching traffic and the rear parking sensors warn of approaching traffic from the sides when reversing out of a carpark.The lights also dip automatically when high beam is selected and parking assistance is also available. It will detect whether a space is large enough to accommodate the car, then reverse park with little intervention from the driver.COMPETITORSVolvo is targeting the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and soon to be released Benz A-Class - but not surpisingly the VW Golf. It believes the V40 is more of a premium product and will be priced accordingly, with the kick off figure likely to be $39,990. We reckon it sits somewhere between the two in terms of market perception and could appeal to buyers from both groups.

There was a time when being a “bloody” Volvo driver was anything but cool, but the Swedish brand best known for its bland styling and boring safety message is enjoying a new image that pokes fun at its staid past. It all began with a new generation of models that were more pleasing to the eye. Gone were the boxy old shapes that resembled high rise dwellings on wheels, replaced by softer curves that better fitted modern times.Volvos began to blend in instead of standing out for the wrong reasons. Traditional Volvo owners, who appreciated the engineering, build quality, and, yes, even the styling may not have been so enthusiastic about letting the past go, but the company had to attract new buyers and the new models were clearly aimed at doing that.Among the new models was the 1997 40 series, made up of the S40 sedan and its V40 wagon variant.MODEL WATCH While Volvo claimed safety as its own realm in the 1970s when it relentlessly sold its safe and sound message, by the time the 1990s rolled around it had lost its gloss.Safety was no longer the strong selling point it had been, and car buyers were shopping for excitement. In any case Volvo’s rivals were at least equal in safety terms so there was no real competitive advantage either.By the time the new 40 series was launched in 1997 Volvo’s drab boxy shape wasn’t only dated, it so identified the Swedish cars that it was an impediment to sales. It was clearly time to move on.The 40 series effectively replaced the oddly styled 440, which had died in sales terms. Unlike the 440 the new 40 series was pleasantly styled, much in line with contemporary styling trends, with clean lines and softer edges that were in stark contrast to previous models form Gothenburg.While the shape might not have been recognisable as being traditional Volvo there was no mistaking the trademark grille with its diagonal slash and familiar Volvo badge. Even with the new styling direction there was no mistaking the new 40 series as a Volvo.The S40 and V40 were essentially the same, the S denoting the sedan model, the V standing for variant or wagon. The body differences were from the rear doors back, the front was the same.Mechanically both models were the same. Initially there was just the one engine available, and that was a smooth 2.0-litre double overhead camshaft 16-valve all alloy four-cylinder unit which boasted 103 kW of peak power generated at 6100 revs and 183 Nm of torque which arrived at 4500 revs.Not generally renowned as a performance car, the 40 series was something of a surprise packet if you were prepared to rev it hard and high to realise its performance potential.The performance was boosted by the introduction of a 1.9-litre turbocharged engine a few months after the initial launch. With the turbo under the bonnet the T-4 40 series boasted 147 kW of peak power.Early in 1998 Volvo also launched the T sedan and wagon with a 2.0-litre engine and 118 kW of peak power.A five-speed manual gearbox was standard, or for an extra $2000 there was a four-speed auto available, and the drive was through the front wheels.On the road the auto was smooth in its operation but tended to hunt between gears, and soaked up some of the four-cylinder’s power to dull the performance which was more evident with the manual ’box.The ride was a little solid for what was a family sedan, but the handling was safe and secure, although it exhibited the usual front-wheel drive tendency to push wide at the front when pressed.There was no lack of features in the 40 series. Standard equipment included air-conditioning, power windows, central locking, power mirrors, cloth trim, and four-speaker sound.The better equipped SE, priced at a $4000 premium, included leather trim, woodgrain highlights, CD sound, climate control air-con, sports steering wheel, and alloy wheels.When you selected the T-4 you also got 16-inch alloy wheels, traction control, sports suspension and sports seats.IN THE SHOP Generally the 40 series is living up to Volvo’s reputation for reliability, so look for a service record that can be verified. It should either be from a Volvo dealer or acknowledged service specialist.Major services are due every 45,000 km and it’s important to replace the cam belt every 125,000 km. Failure to do so risks severe internal damage if the belt breaks.Look carefully for signs of dodgy crash repairs, mismatching paint on adjacent panels, overspray in door openings, boot or bonnet openings, variable panel gaps, and doors or tail gates that don’t open and close smoothly.IN A CRASH The 40 series was packed with safety features that makes it a worthy buy on the used market.Front airbags for the driver and passenger provided protection in frontal crashes, while Volvo’s side impact protection system afforded protection in side impacts.Add to that front seat belt pretensioners, and built-in baby seats that match toddlers to the adult seat belts, and you have an impressive secondary safety package.Primary safety package includes ABS and dynamic stability assistance to help avoid crashes in the first instance.OWNERS SAY Joe Perillo has owned two V40s, the latest a 2.0T. He says the turbo provides more than adequate performance, the compact size is good for city driving, while open road driving is nicely European and very enjoyable. He sums up by saying the V40 is a lot of fun for such a practical car.Glenys Allender is very satisfied with the 1997 Volvo S40 T4 she has owned for two years. On the positive side she says it has excellent fuel economy, smooth power, superb handling, powerful brakes, its good sized boot, and solid build quality. Negatives include the hard ride, faulty fuel gauge, and poor headlights.LOOK FOR • safe and secure handling• bumpy ride• solid build quality• good safety• attractive stylingTHE BOTTOM LINE Solid compact family sedan with good performance and handling without the traditional boxy styling.RATING 70/100

Volvo claimed safety as its own realm in the '70s when it relentlessly sold its "safe and solid" message, but by the time the '90s rolled around it had lost its gloss.  By the time the new 40 series was launched in 1997 Volvo's drab, boxy shape was dated and was an impediment to sales.Model watchThe 40 series replaced the oddly styled 440, which had died in sales terms. Unlike the 440, the new 40 series was pleasantly styled, in line with contemporary trends. But there was no mistaking the trademark grille with its diagonal slash and familiar Volvo badge.The S40 and V40 were essentially the same, the S denoting the sedan model, the V standing for variant or wagon. The body differences were from the rear doors back.Mechanically both models were the same. Initially there was the one engine available, and that was a smooth 2.0-litre, double overhead camshaft, 16-valve, all-alloy, four-cylinder unit that gave 103kW of peak power generated at 6100 revs and 183Nm of torque, which arrived at 4500 revs.The 40 series was something of a surprise if you were prepared to rev it hard and high to realise its performance potential. That was boosted by the introduction of a 1.9-litre turbocharged engine. The T-4 40 series gave 147kW of peak power with the turbo under the bonnet. Early in 1998 Volvo also launched the T sedan and wagon.A five-speed manual gearbox was standard, or for an extra $2000 there was a four-speed auto with the drive through the front wheels.  On the road the auto was smooth in its operation. Yet it tended to hunt between gears, and soaked up some of the four-cylinder's power to dull the performance, which was more evident with the manual box.Ride was a little solid for what was a family sedan, but the handling was safe and secure. It exhibited the front-wheel-drive tendency to push wide at the front when pressed.  Equipment included airconditioning, power windows, central locking, power mirrors, cloth trim and four-speaker sound.The better equipped SE, priced at a $4000 premium, included leather trim, woodgrain highlights, CD sound, climate-control aircon, sports steering wheel and alloy wheels.  The T-4 had 16-inch alloy wheels, traction control, sports suspension and sports seats.In the shopThe 40 series is living up to Volvo's reputation for reliability, so look for a service record that can be verified. It should be from a Volvo dealer or acknowledged service specialist.Major services are due every 45,000km and it's important to replace the cam belt every 125,000km. Failure to do so risks severe internal damage if the belt breaks.Look for signs of bodgy crash repairs, mismatching paint on adjacent panels, overspray in door, boot or bonnet openings, variable panel gaps and doors or tailgates that don't open and close smoothly.  Front airbags for driver and passenger provided protection in head-ons, with the side impact protection system for side-on crashes.Add to that front seatbelt pre-tensioners, and built-in baby seats that match toddlers to the adult seat belts, and you have an impressive secondary safety package.  The primary safety package includes ABS and dynamic stability assistance.Owner's viewGlenys Allender says her 1997 Volvo S40 T4 has excellent fuel economy, smooth power, superb handling, powerful brakes, a good-sized boot and build quality. Negatives are the ride, faulty fuel gauge and poor headlights.Rating 14/20 Solid compact family sedan with good performance and handling without the traditional but rather boxy-looking styling