Declan Colley: Volvo V40 holds its own in premium compact sector
Indeed the whole concept of a premium compact car was not even thought of until Audi launched the A3 range in 1996 and while the idea of forking out larger amounts of money than you might have expected for a Golf/Focus sized car might have made some laugh heartily, the concept actually took such a hold that all of a sudden there were a load of manufacturers on the bandwagon.
You had BMW and Mercedes follow suit and, interestingly, Volvo which, at the time was still under the stewardship of Ford and their contender, the V40, was basically an upmarket iteration of the Focus, built as it was with a host of the Ford’s running gear.
However, when Volvo’s ownership changed into the hands of the Chinese Geely Corporation a few years ago, agreement had to be reached between the Americans and the Chinese about how this was going to work going forward.
And in fairness to all parties concerned, it was agreed that such as the V40 would be allowed to continue to utilise some Ford bits and bobs without forcing additional development costs onto the new enterprise.
Gradually Volvo started utilising their own engines, developed in-house, and Ford’s input into the whole endeavour has sharply declined post 2012. Indeed the V40 we tested recently was fitted with one such engine, the D2 two-litre turbodiesel unit and this has become one of the core selling pillars of the range.
But, details of the V40 aside, this car will always be a historic one because it is the first Volvo to be made under Chinese ownership, coming to the market as it did prior to the wildly critically acclaimed XC90, S90 and V90, all of which have indicated a thorough resurgence for the only global car manufacturer still based in Sweden.
So, while the V40 may be a notably historic car, it may not be remembered in history for being a brilliant one. Certainly it is a very nice car and one which is eminently liveable-with, but it will certainly not go down in the annals of time as being Volvo’s greatest ever.
Having first seen the light of day in 2012 and intended by Volvo/Geely as a replacement for the S40 and V50 models, both of which were relatively successful sellers for the company and which had many stalwart fans, the V40 has just received something of a mid-life make-over in order to keep it competitive with such as the BMW 1 Series and the Audi A3 — not to mention the more mainstream VW Golf.
It is a good looking car which in some ways is vaguely reminiscent of some of Volvo’s 1960’s cars such as the P1800 and, in terms of styling, that is not a bad thing at all, harking back as it does to a time when the Swedish company forged its’ own unique path.
Now I don’t mean to suggest that this thing is a throw-back or anything, because it is not. It is part of a very carefully planned and executed strategy aimed at putting in place a series of foundation stones upon which Volvo will built its’ future — the above mentioned XC90, S90 and V90 all being other critical building blocks.
As the V40 is the smallest Volvo out there right now, it is nevertheless a very important one, as might be indicated by Volvo’s 800,000 unit sales target for the car globally, and will play an important role for the company going forward. And it will play an important role not because it has to, but because it is good enough.
Although the performance figures for the D2 engine will not be setting anyone’s pants ablaze with the excitement of it all — 118 bhp output, 11-plus seconds for the 0-100 kph dash and a top speed just shy of 190 kph — it is actually a really nice engine to live with and drive.
Although it does have a typical turbodiesel sweet spot — the 280 Nm of torque is delivered between 1,500 and 2,250 rpm — and to get the most of it the majority of your work will have to be done in those confines.
But that is not as restrictive as it might seem as, in tandem with the slightly notchy six speed ’box, it allows you a surprisingly wide sphere of operation and allows you extract the maximum from the engine without having to dole out any severe and mindless thrashings. Thus the engine is very responsive and once you keep it spinning in its optimal power band, it will reward you greatly.
Rewards are also to be hand on the consumption front where the claimed figure of 3.7 l/100 km (76 mpg) might be a tad on the optimistic side, but even demanding drivers can expect to see a return well north of 55 mpg.
Throw in the 89g/km CO2 emissions and you will also only have an annual tax bill of €180.
On the road the car is surprisingly well sorted and the ride and handling are both exemplary, even if there is a touch of unwanted torque steer if you get too stroppy with the loud pedal when taking off from a standing start.
The thing is though, that even by comparison with its more exalted German rivals, the Volvo is very much on the money in these critical areas.
And, when it comes to looking after you and your passengers the V40 comes with a raft of safety kit, interior quality levels a lot of others could take note of and, in ‘Momentum’ trim as tested, a rake of worthwhile stuff that will make your driving life a lot more comfortable and easy.
The tester was also fitted with the €2,200 ‘active technology pack’ which includes active ‘bendy’ lights, heated front seats and a park assist system.
Given that there is already a clatter of standard kit, the latter might be deemed by some to be a little extravagant, but for the active lights alone it is worth it, in my view.
The V40 is a very decent buying prospect and even though its replacement will not be too long coming — sometime in 2018 I reckon —this model is well-equipped to keep the show on the road until then.
Good looks, decent pricing, excellent equipment levels and unbeatable safety levels will combine to keep the sands of time at bay for another while longer.
Colley’s verdict
- From €28,045 — €31,595 as tested.
- A de-tuned version of Volvo’s own two litre turbodiesel, but an excellent companion nonetheless.
- Almost spectacular.
- Terribly competent rival for premium small car contenders from Germany.
- 3.5/5
