Andy, what do you think of Volvos? Well now, arent the the standard joke car about being square with boringh drivers and the funny lights that stay on all the time. If you ever want to annoy a volvo driver, flash him and then tell him his lights are on and its only 1:30 in the afternoon!!! Enought of that, on with the review!!!
Volvo's S40 and V40 models consigned angular 1970s styling to the past and ushered in curvaceous and stylish looks that harked back to cars like the P1800S, star of the 1960s TV series 'The Saint'.It was a box on wheels that made skodas lok like streamlined supercars.
They looked forward, too, to the rounded S80, a trend-setting luxury saloon contender, the gorgeous C70 Coupe and Convertible models and the latest V70 estate. The sharp-edged trend of the Seventies is now but a distant memory, thank goodness.
The S40 saloon and V40 estate models provide an all-important first step on the Volvo ownership ladder at prices starting from £14,495 including standard air conditioning - £4,000 less than you'd pay for an entry-level BMW 3 Series saloon. Since launch, the range has been continuously improved and the latest substantial changes, dubbed 'Phase II' by Volvo, have taken three years of development work culminating in new engines and transmissions, retuned chassis, upgraded specifications and additional safety features.
As is often the case these days, the 'facelift' has been done with only minor surgery. Close showroom examination will reveal subtly restyled bumpers and side marker lamps, the double headlamps previously confined to the outgoing top models and limited-edition Xi, plus new brighter tail lamps and restyled alloy wheels. Will the neighbours notice?
If you haven't sat inside one of these cars for a while, you may well appreciate the latest round of changes. Among a host of detail revisions, the centre console is completely new and higher than before with subtly restyled air conditioner and stereo controls.
The most major changes are under the bonnet - to the turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. The petrol T4 versions have their capacity increased from 1.9 to two litres though, surprisingly, power (200bhp) and torque (300Nm) haven't changed. New twin-scroll turbocharger technology (borrowed from the 2.0T light-pressure turbo engine) does however give improved engine response and lower fuel consumption, according to the engineers, while the increasingly popular 2.0T itself now develops five extra horsepower at 165bhp along with more torque and reduced fuel consumption.
Diesel buyers haven't been neglected, either. Though it's not very long since a 95bhp 1.9-litre turbocharged direct-injection engine was introduced, it has now been replaced by a pair of 'common rail' units developing 102bhp and 115bhp which return over 52mpg on the EC combined cycle.
The non-turbo mainstream 1.6, 1.8 and two-litre petrol engines are carried over unchanged; they were all improved quite recently with almost every moving part changed in pursuit of lower fuel consumption, better performance, improved comfort and lower emissions. In the 122bhp 1.8 for example, fuel economy is 5% better, while rest to sixty takes just 10.5s on the way to 124mph.
A revised Mitsubishi derived 125bhp 1.8-litre unit will arrive in a few months with its clever Gasoline Direct Injection (GDi) technology that claims to rival diesel economy while offering strong performance. The stopwatch figures aren't much different from the standard 1.8 but the average consumption figure of over 40mpg certainly is impressive.
Having passed its styling cues on to the new S80, V70 and C70 coupe and cabriolet, it's only fair the S/V40 should get something in return and it has: all two-litre petrol engines now have the option of the V70's new five-speed automatic transmission. Volvo says the lower first gear, additional ratio and consequent reduced gaps between ratios improve the performance while reducing fuel consumption.
Inflatable Curtain (I
C) airbag technology is the other legacy from the S/V 40's newer big brothers. The curtain-shaped 'bag substantially reduces the risk of head injuries in a side impact by inflating in 25 thousandths of a second (how do they measure that?) to cover the upper part of the inside of the car from the front to rear pillars.
A driver's airbag is, of course, standard with the passenger one still a no-cost option as Volvo shuns switch-off systems while maintaining that parents don't want an airbag in front of a child seat. Speaking of which, the new Isofix mounting system is now standard for the rear seats, too.
'Phase II' changes have been made to the chassis to make the cars even more appealing to enthusiastic drivers while keeping the overall emphasis on the safe, predictable handling that traditional buyers expect. The ride and handling have been further improved by widening the front track by 18mm to allow larger tyres to be fitted and by extending the wheelbase 12mm together with detail changes to the settings front and rear.
At launch several years ago, base models were just that - rather basic. No longer. Continuous specification upgrades have given all models air conditioning, remote control central locking, electric front windows and electrically adjusted and heated door mirrors. You can also choose various option packs whose extra features cost much less than what you'd pay if you ordered them individually from the options list. New options include gas discharge headlamps and satellite navigation integrated with the stereo.
It all adds up to a carefully thought out, smartly presented and thoroughly updated package. If you're thinking about one of the quality German marques, you really should put the S40 or V40 on your shopping list. Or, if you run the likes of a Mondeo, you'd do well to consider trading up.