This is the all-new Volvo V40, the Swedish car company’s latest rival to the Ford Focus, VW Golf et al. It will be officially unveiled at the 2012 Geneva motor show next month.
Volvo is being particularly bullish about the prospects of its new V40, with Volvo president and CEO Stefan Jacoby claiming the new model ‘will give our toughest competitors a headache’.
So what’s Volvo proudest of on the new V40?
The safety technology, of course. The V40 features Volvo’s Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake system, an upgraded version of its City Safety low-speed collision avoidance system (which now operates at speeds up to 31mph; currently 19mph on other Volvo models) and a world-first pedestrian airbag. There’s a Lane Keeping Aid too, and Park Assist Pilot to calm your parallel parking nightmares. The project manager for the new Volvo V40, Håkan Abrahamsson, believes it will score top marks in the Euro NCAP safety crash tests.
There’s also the promise of ‘class-leading driving dynamics’ with claims that the V40’s chassis ‘is designed to offer the agile, connected experience that creates true driving pleasure’. Most appealing for the enthusiast will be a 250bhp version of Volvo’s turbocharged five-cylinder engine that will shift the V40 from 0 to 62mph in 6.7 seconds, but the range will stretch all the way down to a 1.6-litre diesel that emits just 94g/km CO2. Every engine and gearbox combination features stop/start tech.
Anything else?
The curvaceous exterior styling is influenced by the S60 saloon, while the interior design is simple, clean and uncluttered – would you expect anything less from Scandinavian design? The instrument cluster is fully digital and can be personalised.
‘The all-new V40 wraps you in a super-comfortable cockpit with outstanding ergonomics and technology that make you feel informed, focused and relaxed. This driver-centric approach is what modern Volvos are all about,’ said president and CEO Stefan Jacoby.
The new Volvo V40 will be built at the company’s factory in Ghent, Belgium, and Volvo plans to sell 90,000 units a year, with 85% of production set to be sold in Europe.
Volvo will release more details about the new V40 at the 2012 Geneva motor show in March.
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