2015 Volvo V40 Test Drive Review

Volvo V40 Review

Car Tested: 2015 Volvo V40 R-Design

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 33.93 lakhs

The Volvo V40 is a desirable hot hatch that offers great performance and driving fun

We drove the Volvo V40 Cross Country a couple of years back and came out impressed with the kind of uniqueness and fun it offers. It is a delight to drive with its well sorted dynamics and engine. The rugged crossover inspired appearance and the swoopy new Scandinavian design language gives it a distinct attitude. The Cross Country instantly became a popular Volvo product in India. Now the Swedish automaker has launched the regular version of the hatchback. It is supposed to be more sporty and youthful and that is what we explore this time around with the new V40 R-Design.

Motor Quest: The Volvo V40 hatchback made its global debut in 2012. The Cross Country version was first launched in India in 2013. After acquiring a positive response due to its unique styling, Volvo has launched the regular hatchback in 2015. The V40 is based on Ford’s Global C platform.

Exteriors – At first glance you would feel that the V40 Cross Country has got a clean shave while retaining a subtle moustache, which comes with the R-Design trim. The overall stance looks lean, which is further accentuated with a 12 mm lower ground clearance than the Cross Country. Apart from the roof rails and black body cladding, the V40 hatch looks the same. The sporty styling cues include the front bumper along with the rear that has a diffuser instead of a skid plate. The 17-inch 5-spoke alloys on the V40 R-Design look striking. The Passion Red test car of ours got tremendous attention everywhere it went.

Interiors – The driver focussed cabin of the Volvo V40 welcomes you with a smart black themed interior. There is a big contrast between the R-Design trim’s black interiors and the Cross Country’s beige and brown colour tones. The Cross Country feels more airy and elegant from the inside and this feeling you don’t get from the dark toned V40. Instead, you feel snug and eager to drive off instantly with the sporty setup. The dashboard design is the same, the steering wheel feels good to hold having thumb contours as well as contours for the palm on the outer side. The instrument cluster is digital having a TFT display with three display modes. Sport has a red theme with a digital speedo while the Elegance and ECO have blue and green themes respectively, looks excellent in the dark.

The interiors of the V40 look sporty, are tech laden

The display on the centre console feels a tad small in size which is not a touch screen. The controls are placed on the floating panel below, which is cluttered with zillion buttons for every function, including a dial pad for calling. There is a brushed silver accent on the panel with blue stripes on either side that looks cool. Sadly there is no navigation system but Bluetooth connectivity that syncs contacts and music. The setup of Bluetooth takes a while but the phone and audio quality is excellent. Our test car didn’t come with a rear parking camera but it is an optional equipment which you can buy. The car comes with parking sensors all around, which also offers Park Assist that steers automatically into the parking and you just have to brake and accelerate.

In terms of comfort, the seats are very supportive and have ideal cushioning for comfortable long journeys. Both the front seats are electrically adjustable having memory seats that are also linked with the rear view mirror settings. Air conditioning is very effective that chills the cabin within seconds and the automatic climate control has comprehensive settings to choose from. There are some ergonomic issues for the right-hand-drive market like ours. The handbrake is LHD biased, trunk opening lever is on the passenger side and the internal rear view mirror too is more flexible for the passenger side, which doesn’t tilt much towards the right, which is the driver’s side. Rear legroom is decent but not generous and headroom too is limited for tall passengers. As I said earlier, the black theme makes the cabin feel less airy but the fixed panoramic roof brings some relief. The boot capacity at 335 litres is adequate and underneath you will find a 16-inch space saver instead of a puncture repair kit.

Performance – The Volvo V40 gets the same diesel engine as the Cross Country. The 2.0-litre 5-cylinder turbo diesel produces 150 HP at 3500 RPM and 350 Nm of torque at 1500-2750 RPM. There is some lag under 1800 RPM but post that, there is an unadulterated surge of torque, which makes it a seriously fast car. You can imagine the thrust of 350 Nm torque on a hatchback this size. There is no flat spot as the V40 continues to accelerate until the 5000 RPM redline. The 5-pot motor is loud at higher revs but doesn’t sound crude. Refinement is good and NVH is kept well under control.

The rich surge of torque from the 5-cylinder diesel feels very pleasing indeed

Mated to this engine is a 6-speed automatic transmission that is butter smooth at part throttle inputs. Once you give it the beens there is a slight pause between shifts but not too annoying. There are no paddle shifts, which would have been quite fun on this hot hatch. There is a manual mode though and a Sport mode too for having fun. The regular D mode is efficiency oriented and shifts early but slot into the ’S’ mode and the throttle response is instant and gear changes happen near the redline. The motor also feels good for relaxed cruising. At 100 km/hr in top gear, the engine hovers around 1800 RPM, slight dab on the throttle is good enough for overtaking trucks on the highways. The Volvo V40 will provide you with decent efficiency of 11 km/l in the city that can stretch up to 13 km/l on the highways.

Driving Dynamics – Last time with the V40 Cross Country we mentioned how much fun the car is and praised the well balanced ride and handling it has. With a lower ground clearance, I was expecting marginally better handling but it is more or less the same. Yes, the body roll has reduced a bit and the low profile tyres provide fantastic grip. Now what goes against it is the low speed ride, which feels slightly more stiff and with a lower ground clearance, there are more chances of scraping the under belly. The steering feedback is positive and along with that nimble handling, the V40 can be extremely fun around the ghats. Braking performance with all the electronic aids is terrific as the car stops without any drama.

Safety and After Sales Service – I think we should re-name this section as ‘Volvo and After Sales Service’ because Volvo simply means safety, which is the Swedish automaker’s top priority. No car at this price comes with so many safety features on offer. The City Safety feature is standard across all Volvo cars that applies brakes automatically under 50 km/hr if it detects obstacles and the driver doesn’t apply the brakes on time. There are 7 airbags, pedestrian protection system, ABS, ESP, Emergency Brake Assist and so on. The after sales network compared to the German brands is limited but Volvo is continuously growing its presence across the country for better reach and access.

Verdict – Volvo has done a clever job by introducing the V40 regular hatch after launching the Cross Country in India. The latter has got decent popularity in the country among other premium hatchbacks and the V40 further amplifies the young and sporty appeal with its athletic new styling. You get more attention than you would expect from a car at this price point and people are curious to know the brand as well, which is a positive thing. Some features are missing but there are many distinct and useful gadgets which compensate very well. Power is in abundance and you would never ever feel the need of more power. All in all, it is quite a desirable car for enthusiasts as well as people looking for a premium hatch to break the mundane.

The Volvo V40 comes across as a well rounded car that doesn’t disappoint at all. It is great value for money considering a premium hatch and that too a CBU import. Unfortunately the Volvo brand still doesn’t have that snob value in India as people here prefer the more popular German brands. However the Swedish automaker is getting more takers than before, thanks to the frequent introduction of new and appealing cars in India.

What’s Cool

* The sporty R-Design elements makes it look HOT!
* Performance enthusiasts would love the all-black interior theme
* Long list of safety features along with the magical auto park assist
* Strong engine performance pushes you back into the seat
* Handling and high speed stability is of top order

What’s Not So Cool

* Centre console needs some digitalisation

Alternatives: BMW 1-Series, Mercedes A-Class

The signature Volvo curvy tail lights on the V40 look fantastic in the dark

Volvo V40 Specifications

* Engine: 1984cc, 5-cylinder, twin scroll turbocharger
* Power: 150 HP @ 3500 RPM
* Torque: 350 Nm @ 1500-2750 RPM
* Transmission: 6-speed automatic
* Top Speed: 210 km/hr
* 0-100 km/hr: 9.3 seconds
* Fuel Consumption: 11 km/l
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Suspension: McPherson Struts (Front), Multi-Link (Rear)
* Tyres: 225/45/17
* Brakes: Ventilated Disc (Front), Disc (Rear)
* Safety: ABS, EBD, Traction Control, ESP, Park Assist System, Blind Spot Monitoring, 7 Airbags, City Safety

Volvo V40 Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 4369 mm X 1783 mm X 1420 mm
* Wheelbase: 2647 mm
* Front/Rear Track: 1559/1546 mm
* Turning Radius: 5.45-metres
* Ground clearance: 133 mm
* Boot Volume: 335-liters
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 60-litres
* Kerb Weight: 1578 kgs

Testers’ Note:

Picture Editing – Sri Manikanta Achanta

Further Reading –

Volvo V40 Cross Country Test Drive Review