Test drive Volvo V40 D4: Volvo feeling
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Test drive Volvo V40 D4: Volvo feeling

Test drive Volvo V40 D4: Volvo feeling

With the V40, the folks at Volvo decided to hit the table and once again offer the safest car in its class. Sounds familiar. And the brand reveals its dynamic side. This sounds familiar too.

Nostalgia can get on your nerves. I'm talking about people who sigh for the romance of spring driving with the Volvo 440, a car with orthopedic sock charm. People who think that with the 740 station wagon cut off like an ax, Volvo design has reached its highest and final stage. People who are outraged if a Volvo turns faster than a tram. People like the author of these lines.

But if Volvo had listened to people like us, the company would have gone bankrupt and followed the fate of Saab. Instead, ten years ago, Volvo decided to rediscover itself. Now, with the V40, this process is finally complete. For the first time, a new compact Volvo has not changed its base. The next few lines may only interest the nostalgia: The 343 was actually a DAF, at 440/460/480 the game was involved. Renault, the first S40 / V40 was the result of a relationship with Mitsubishi; the next generation (S40 / V50) was based on the Ford Focus II platform.

In search of identity

Now the V40 retains its current base, but in a redesigned form. There was an independent suspension - MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear, the wheelbase grew by only seven millimeters. But the new model has finally broken with the image of its predecessors - the seating S40 sedan and the slightly inadequate Volvo V50 station wagon. With a sloping rear end and a length of 4,37 meters, the V40 is a competitor to models such as the Audi A3 and the BMW block.

He wants to shine in the elite, not live in the crowd, he offers dynamic design instead of restrained pragmatism, sport instead of transport. But, despite all this, the new model is in no hurry to stick out the tongue after the competition. He has his own character, and he remains a real Volvo. It's not just the broad shoulders in the back, reminiscent of the old P1800, or some of Volvo's recent shortcomings, such as a large turning circle and poor visibility. The V40 now embodies the brand's traditional values ​​of meticulous workmanship, high-quality materials, thoughtful ergonomics and a high level of safety.

Taking care of people

Safety in general is a major theme: the V40 comes standard with eight airbags, seven inside and one outside. In the event of a collision with a pedestrian, the airbag covers the lower windscreen and the A-pillars within 0,05 seconds. But the efforts of technology are aimed primarily at making catastrophes impossible in principle.

Emergency Stop System City Safety and Pedestrian Detection (Standard) is active at speeds up to 80 km/h and can completely prevent accidents up to 35 km/h, and above this speed, reduce the impact speed to 25 km/h, mitigating the consequences of an accident. As an option, Volvo offers a whole host of assistants - from a coordinating and lane changing assistant to fine-tuned cruise control with a stop and start function, a driver assistant, a warning of passing cars when reversing out of a parking lot - all the way to not very effective traffic sign recognition.

Welcome Home

It turns out that the V40 driver is practically not needed. It's good that I still take it on board. Four adults sit comfortably in the large, long-travel front seats, as well as the rear seats, cleverly designed in a two-seater version – it would be too cramped here for three. Only the very tall ones touch the frame top of the proposed additional panoramic roof. Otherwise, passengers travel in a compact car quite widely. Some restrictions are imposed only by the insufficient volume of the trunk - with the intermediate bottom raised, 335 liters of luggage are placed in it, which must be carried over the high rear threshold and through the narrow opening.

The maximum 1032 liters is also far from the family's requirements. However, the low flexibility of the passenger compartment increases slightly when the front right seat backrest is folded down. This means the huge saloon watch can still be transported, which is typical Volvo owner's cargo from 740 station wagon brochures. However, they need to be fixed very tightly, because the dynamics of the V40 no longer have anything to do with the serious restraint of previous models.

Caution!

In the case of the test car with the optional sports suspension (880 leva) and 18-inch wheels, this affected agility and time in the slalom and ISO tests, which would be inconvenient. Toyota GT 86 or BMW 118i. In this regard, nothing changes even the otherwise accurate, but responsive with a slight delay in all three modes, the steering system with an electromechanical amplifier. While Volvo models were frankly not very pleasant to drive in the old days, the V40 gets into the innermost corners and tackles them safely and quickly, albeit with a slight tendency to understeer.

The downside of good dynamics is poor suspension comfort. With 18-inch wheels, the V40 bounces over bumps, and the cabin has a distinctly short travel feel. On the track, things are better. There, a sleek aerodynamic body (Cx = 0,31) smoothly penetrates the surface layers of air, while in the background a five-cylinder diesel hums quietly. Unlike the gasoline turbo engine and 1,6-liter four-cylinder diesel that Ford bought, the powerful and economical 40-liter unit is made by Volvo. The friendly and slightly slow six-speed automatic dampens the initial fluctuations during gas supply and shifts smoothly, but not always adequately, at least somewhat spontaneously reacting to manual intervention. The VXNUMX is calm and fast paced.

This Volvo model opens up to everything new, but with traditional values ​​preserved, it again offers a cozy home for aloof nostalgia. However, the word "nostalgia" comes from "coming home."

text: Sebastian Renz

Evaluation

Volvo V40 D4

With its robust, agile and modern V40, the Volvo brand is firmly established in the premium compact segment. Safety equipment can serve as a benchmark - in contrast to suspension comfort.

technical details

Volvo V40 D4
Working volume-
Power177 k.s. at 3500 rpm
Maximum

torque

-
Acceleration

0-100 km / h

8,2 with
Braking distances

at a speed of 100 km / h

37 m
full speed215 km / h
Average consumption

fuel in the test

7,8 l
Base Price61 860 levov

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