Although the Swedish brand is still some ways off its target of building fool-proof, self-driving, uncrashable cars by 2020, the V40 is a sensible motor vehicle that left a lasting impression on this scribe.
This small Volvo hatch preserves the Swedish brand's mantra of safety-first, but just about everything else is very different to the Ovlov's of yore. And it needs to be if Volvo wants to appeal to customers looking for more than just the pinnacle of safety.
About the size of a Toyota Corolla, the V40 range starts at $36,990 (plus on-road costs), but this one is the T4 Luxury variant, a $45,990 proposition. As such you get more zing from a better engine along with leather seats and other primo features that make the plonking down behind of the steering wheel more appealing.
This one is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol five-cylinder engine that bangs out 132kW/300Nm, enough poke to raise an eyebrow while still capable of returning low fuel economy figures. The V40 T4 Luxury also comes standard with time-saving features, like sat-nav, voice controlled Bluetooth phone operation, automatic headlights and wipers, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and cruise control.
It presents a sporty three-element digital instrument cluster which is the ducks guts, I love it. It looks equal parts sporty, sophisticated and high-tech, plus it's super legible at all times of day. In hindsight, it's probably the best digital instrument display I've used, and there are a few different colour and data schemes to flip between (though they takes half a minute to switch).
Although this model is the 'Luxury' variant, all V40s come with electrically adjustable driver's seats which makes finding a comfortable driving position easy. The seats themselves are also good, holding you snugly when you whip through corner but without squashing you in too tightly.
The central instrument and infotainment panel is relatively intuitive but it doesn't have the elegant simplicity of the latest Audi A3. That said, I really liked the 'floating' centre stack, which has a decent amount of storage behind it, which partly makes up for the lack of a sunglasses holder.
The absence of rear-seat vents was an issue for me, but oddly not for my three year old in the back… Go figure. That said I really liked the ability to child-lock the windows and doors via one button push from front seat.
In terms of the driving experience, Volvo has done a great job too.
The steering is easy and direct and the engine and transmission smooth and willing. As a result the car is effortless to drive in all scenarios (except off-road, it's quite low). Large steering wheel buttons make fielding phone calls, initiating cruise control and fiddling with the radio easier than most, and the rorty little five-cylinder engine gives the car more character than most. Only the new three-cylinder turbo-petrol MINI Cooper beats it for powertrain involvement.
Ride quality is generally good, the suspension setup straddling a line between sportiness and comfort. The Volvo V40 absorbs big bumps easily but for some reason smaller cracks and lines on the road seem to resonate more sharply.
There are also a few things that make the car feel more luxurious than say a Volkswagen Golf or a Hyundai i30. The way the doors close, the supportive seats cushions and supple leather add a level of refinement you don't always get with small cars.
It goes without saying that Volvo puts safety at the forefront of all its vehicles and even in the V40, the smallest, most affordable car in its range, comes with seven airbags as standard on all models – there's even a pedestrian airbag under the bonnet.
Dynamic and advanced stability control, cornering traction control, anti-lock brakes, LED driving lights, SIPS, WHIPS and a remote-controlled panic alarm are also standard issue.
A potential life-saving feature that's been getting lots of publicity lately, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), is fitted to all V40 models – automatically metering-out maximum brake power at speeds of up to 50km/h if it senses an object, whether a person, vehicle, animal or object, the system is effective.
On a chock-o-block 60km/h three-lane road in Melbourne, Queens Road (some may know it), I feel the full force of AEB. A car bangs on its brakes hard and late, for a snappy left turn into a side street, then AEB kicks in. It's abrupt, violent even, as it slams on the brakes. I feel rather than hear the anti-lock brakes chattering away, but the pre-tensioning of the seat belts does a good job, keeping me from head-butting the dash.
It is an effective accident avoidance system and something that might save or life, or at least a minor shunt. I'm all for it.
The Volvo delivers class-leading safety features, including a heavily reinforced passenger cell to keep occupants safe in the event of a crash, and when launched in Australia in February 2013 it had the highest Euro NCAP safety rating ever recorded. ANCAP lauded it too, labelling the car a 'stand-out performer' too.
Living with the V40 for a week left me torn... Would I buy one of these? Or would I opt for a Mercedes-Benz A-Class or an Audi A3?
The Audi A3 appeals to me on many levels, and strikes me as better value overall. But there's something undeniably charming about this new-generation Volvo.
I expected the V40 would sit a rung lower than the very popular Audi and Mercedes luxury hatches, but you know what? It's a contender. It looks good, feels good, drives well, is quiet, and has a handful of unique features and design quirks that leave a lasting impression.
Indeed, there's a lot to like about the Volvo V40, but if I had to point fingers then the steering could use more feel when you're honking through corners at full throttle. But I don't think too many buyers will care, and it's not like you can't enjoy spanking it hard.
The V40 T4 variant also loses a couple of points due to its lack of a Volkswagen Golf-like dual-clutch transmission, which would improve shift times and further reduce fuel consumption. The lack of capped-price servicing doesn't help, either, and the boot felt small, its 335-litre capacity lagging behind class-leaders.
Still, the days of dowdy, boring, pipe-and-slippers Volvos are well passed, and the modern-day Volvo can more than hold its own against more fancied competition.
What we liked: | Not so much: |
>> Easy to drive | >> Small boot |
>> Standard safety features | >> Capped-price servicing not offered |
>> Overall quality and refinement | >> Dual-clutch auto only on some models |
Also consider:
>> Audi A3 Sportback (from $35,600 plus ORCs)
>> BMW 1 Series (from $36,900 plus ORCs)
>> Mercedes-Benz A-Class (from $35,600 plus ORCs)