Wendy reviews the Volvo V40 T5 R
What do you think of when you think Volvo? Safe is usually the first word which springs to mind for most people.
Volvo is still perceived to be a premium brand, but somewhat conservative; the preserve of older folk.
But the latest Volvos are anything but bland.
They are beautiful, dynamic cars. And fast too, in the case of today’s review car, the V40 T5 R Design.
But for some reason, too few people venture into Volvo showrooms to test drive these vehicles. They just aren’t as aspirational as the German models for some reason, hence Volvo’s current tag line: “Consider Volvo”.
And if you look at the sales figures you can see why they’re imploring people to add a Volvo to their wishlist - last month just 206 Volvos were sold in SA.
Compare with Mercedes-Benz’ figure: 2 934 cars. Or the BMW Group: 2 372. Even Jaguar Land Rover sold 591.
The V40, which was introduced to the local market last year, replaces the old S40 sedan and the V50 estate, and is clearly intended to spice up the range and appeal to younger buyers.
The line-up features a range of engines and spec levels, starting at around R290 000 and going up to this range topping beaut - the T5 R Design, which has a price tag of R406 000, and joined the rest of the line-up this year.
It’s in the same league as the Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport, Renault Megane RS, the Subaru WRX hatch, the Astra OPC and the Golf GTI, but with a bit of a heftier price tag.
THE LOOKS
It looks instantly like a Volvo but also very different, which is a design feat of note. The rear view, in particular, is what gets heads turning. The front end looks very low to the ground, but it is cleverly angled sharply upwards, so you’re unlikely to connect with tarmac at sharp angles or over speed bumps.
At the back, the R-Design is finished off with twin exhaust pipes, plus a sporty deep rear diffuser, and it sports a racy set of dark alloys.
THE PERFORMANCE
Under the bonnet is the upgraded 2.5-litre in-line five-cylinder turbo engine which produces 187kW and 360Nm, and catapaults the car from naught to 100 kays in just over six seconds. Yee-haah!
And it’s married to a glorious 6-speed automatic Geartronic gearbox.
There’s plenty of grunt when you need it, especially for overtaking on country roads, as we discovered when driving the V40, four-up, to a Midlands wedding on Tuesday.
The acceleration is there, and the exhaust grunt satisfying, but the power is Volvo style - not jarringly brutal, but the rich, creamy smooth kind; my kind of power.
It’s got great grip and poise in the bends, too. Very classy.
THE SEATS
For years I’ve said Volvos have the best seats and this Volvo gives me no reason to retract that. They are beautifully designed, covered in soft luxurious leather and super comfortable. In this model, only the driver’s seat is powered.
THE INTERIOR
In keeping with Swedish design, the interior is very clean, uncluttered and classy.
The multimedia screen is impressive, with good graphics and options which even oldies would find relatively easy to navigate.
A glaring omission on a car of this type and price is rear camera - it’s got the park distance “beep-beep” but no camera, which you’d expect.
THE SAFETY
The V40 achieved a five-star Euro NCAP collision safety rating, getting the highest ever recorded results by the institute. It has seven airbags and every collision avoiding, pedestrian sparing feature imaginable. Enough said.
THE VERDICT
A beautifully designed and engineered car; sporty but classy, and very fast, too, in Volvo’s refined, non-OTT way.
THE NUMBERS
ENGINE: 2.5 litre petrol, 5 cylinder
TRANSMISSION: Six speed automatic
0-100km/hr: 6.1 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION: Claimed combined average of 7.9 litres/100km
POWER: 187 kW @ 5 400 rpm
TORQUE: 360 Nm @ 1 800 - 4 200 rpm
- Wendy Knowler