A Safe Bet - Volvo V40

“Push! Push! I want you to push it!” Came the pleas from the back seat. Had I not had the benefit of context and just heard the audio track of this scene, I would have sworn there was a doctor behind me giving instructions to a mother in labor- which in a way, wasn’t far off-it was a Swedish Volvo Executive is telling me to push their newest baby, the Volvo V40, he continued, much to the initial horror of Volve Philippines’ marketing director, Loi de Guzman who was riding shotgun with me along the challenging roads outside Verona. I was holding back quite a bit courtesy to my passenger – especially considering that the airline had lost all of our luggage and none of us had a change of clothes should anyone’s breakfast decide to make a comeback- but soon enough, despite some tire howl, controlled understeer and the odd intervention of Volvo’s incredibly intelligent stability systems that were flashing like Christmas lights on the dash, everyone seemed quite relaxed. I up the pace a bit half expecting some phantom braking from my passengers, yet amazingly, both are still at ease. I push just a bit more. The V40 is remarkably obedient and quite comfortable flirting with the limit of adhesion.  There’s none of this nervousness or lack of confidence that most of the previous chassis’ seemed to have under pressure, which was making light work out of what would normally be quite challenging conditions.  I’m not saying it is a track car or anything, but if it was never meant to compete head to head with a 120D in terms of handling, someone in Volvo obviously didn’t get the memo. An American mini van’s steering is nice. So is the Mercedes Arcos truck that I drove last week. This is not. This is dynamic, alive and kicking. Not only is it talkative, it speaks three different languages without losing anything in translation. The V40 now features Volvo’s first ever electric power steering system with three modes (Eco, Normal and Performance) to keep you wired into the whole experience. And while it is not quite as direct as a Toyota 86, it is the most obedient road-legal Volvo I have ever driven. Built up from the Volvo  P1 platform, that also moonlights as a Ford Focus, Volvo has managed to modify it further to create a dynamic new experience in the hotly contested premium compact segment. But despite sharing the platform, the six speed Powershift transmission and the brilliant new 1.6 liter Ecoboostengineof the Focus, don’t fool yourself into thinking that this is simply a Scandinavianized Focus. Because asides from offering some Volvo exclusive engines like the 2.0-liter, 5 cylinder diesel to be offered locally in the D4, paired with Volvo’s 6 speed driver adaptive Geartronic automatic transmission, a lot of engineering had to be done to not only incorporates Volvo’s new electronic power steering system, but more importantly, their premium suspension setup, which includes a five-link rear end that can go toe to toe with an A3, a 1-series, the CT200h from Lexus or Mercedes’ new A class. Technically speaking, it is larger than both the A3 and the One series, but has a tad lower roofline, giving it more of a fastback look than hatch. Personally, I think it looks great. A bit too conservative around the front, perhaps, but a genuine Scandinavian sleeper. If it is true what all the designers I have spoken to over the years have told me about picturing an actual person they are designing it for, they must have a picture of Goldilocks hanging up on their cork boards. Because as nice as it is, the C30 has been just a bit too small. The V50, was too big. The V40, however, is, you guessed it, just right. So despite arriving after a bit of trial and error, when you consider that it has the enormous task of having to replace those two models, I can safely say that it has been worth its’ wait twofold. Asides from the sleek styling, dynamic handling and trademarked Volvo ride quality, Volvo have now thrown in some nifty features like theater lighting in the cabin that uses LED lights that adjust automatically based on your climate control, as well as the same TFT displays on the instrument panel that we first saw in the Nissan GTR and the Lexus LFA. Simply switch mode, and the display switch mood. There are three to choose from-Elegance, Eco and Performance-which makes the whole driving experience more involving. Volvo also offers an active city park, which takes the guess work out of parallel parking by scanning the road for an empty spot the automatically steering you through sensors and drive by wire steering, as well as Active Cruise Control that maintains the speed of the car ahead and adjusts accordingly, plus creature comforts like a panoramic sunroof and a premium sound system. And if that hasn’t got the big 3 worried, just think, we haven’t even talked about its’ core competence yet-safety. With new innovations like the world’s first external pedestrian airbag that juts out from the hood to  cushion the blow from the widescreen, and ‘Cross Traffic Alert’ that uses radar sensors at the rear end of the car to alert the driver to crossing traffic from the sides when reversing out of parking space, the V40 doesn’t just set a new standard in safety for its class, but the entire automotive industry. There’s full-speed collision warning and crash avoidance system, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blindspot monitoring, road sign information, driver alertness monitoring systems, seven airbags, traction and stability control that includes corner traction and engine drag control and a torque-vectoring system, plus pyrotechnic front and rear seatbelt pre-tensioners and active city stop that works up to 50km/h, that has given the V40 the highest combined score of any vehicle ever tested by Euro NCAP. Philippine specs will vary, of course, but the good news is that most if not all of these features can be offered on indent. So ironically, just when its competitors thought it was safe, with Viking Cars launching the V40 T4 at 2,288,888 and 2,495,000 for the D4, there has never been more of a danger than now. Originally posted in C! Magazine    April 2013 Edition Author:  James Deakin