MOTORING
Classy Swede
T
he Volvo V40 has joined the market in a very competitive area of premium class five door hatch backs . Opposition will come from the likes of BMW with 1 series , Audi ’ s A3 , Volkswagen ’ s Golf and the list continues .
Volvo have sharpened up the V40 ’ s styling taking tips from the more expensive Volvo models , the V40 has been restyled with addition of the ‘ Thor ’ s Hammer ’ headlights that are fitted to the new XC90 SUV .
To compliment the look Volvo has added a larger badge than before and they have concealed the Radar sensor all of which gives the V40 a strong visual identity .
Changes at the rear of the car are minor and less noticeable , it was always a good looking car anyway with its own identity .
The most economical V40 of the many on models on offer the D2 was my choice for a week ’ s test . With the market heading strongly in that direction I thought it would be a choice for a car you would use for your day to day travels . I was not wrong . The V40 D2 is powered by118bhp 2.0 litre diesel engine which drives through a sixspeed manual gearbox .
The V40 D2 does feel a lot livelier than the figure 10.5 seconds suggests for the 60mph dash , the engine is smooth quiet and loaded with low down power . I was amazed at the economy figure of 78 miles per gallon , bearing in mind the Volvo is a medium sized car and a well built one at that .
I was able to achieve a very respectable 75 miles per gallon , which did include a couple of lengthy journey ’ s cruising at the legal limit , but mostly it was short trips where you
68 www . businessfirstonline . co . uk would expect to use more fuel .
Volvo have done some work on suspension set up of the V40 as it did surprise me when the roads became a bit more twisty and bumpy . It handles extremely well composed on the road with a sharp turn in and it just loves corners which it tackles with ease .
It is good to drive and also comfortable for four passengers , the boot may not be the largest , but this size of a car was never designed to be a load lugger .
The interior is just Volvo and that is a good thing as it is not the same as anything else . The seating position is great , the seats , I think probably the best on the market as by Ian Beasant , BUSINESSFIRSTMAGAZINE motoring correspondent
Volvo always pay attention to the what I think is the most important part of any car and that is where you spend all your time – the seats .
They offer support and comfort in all the right areas and you can drive comfortably all day reaching your destination without the hint of an ache .
The rest of the interior is all about the floating centre console where you find all the switches for nearly everything , it is very neatly and simply packaged making it easy and logical to use .
The V40 is as good as the competition it is up against , I think it might be a little better as it does stand out from the crowd .