V40

New grill, new engines and Thor's Hammer. That's what was new when the Volvo V40 got a facelift last year.

Volvo V40 — A small Sunday excursion to Gardermoen and Dal.

Thor's Hammer is Volvo's new, unique trademark. The hammer-shaped running lights not only do a good job as running lights, they create a recognition effect. You realize right away that they belong to a Volvo.

It is not easy to spot the V40's facelift at first glance. The biggest change is under the bonnet. "My" V40 this Sunday had the new D2 engine with 120 HP and 280 Nm of torque between 1500 and 2250 rpm. It is a detuned version of the same 2-litre that is in the D3. The "old" D2 engine from Peugeot was not very responsive until the turbo kicked in. The new D2, on the other hand, responds to the gas already from idle. Not only is it more fun to drive, - it also has lower consumption. Stated EU consumption is only 0,36 liters per mile. Joke or fact?

Stated EU consumption is factual

The destination for the Sunday trip was Gardermoen, then to the used fair in Letohallen in Dal. The way home from Dal went south via the old E6 through Mogreina, county road 454 between Jessheim and Kløfta, and then the motorway to Oslo. Mixed driving and partial weekend traffic. Not so far from the driving program that forms the basis for measuring "EU consumption". Door to door, the average consumption was 0,36 liters per mile with an average speed of 69 km/h. Just before I turned off the main road the numbers were even better, namely 0,35 liters per mile and 72 km/h. Volvo's own consumption figures are respectively 0,36 and 0,39 – country road and mixed driving. The manual 6-speed gearbox is well adapted to Norwegian speeds. In 6th gear you can cruise at 80 km/h at 1200 revs. If you drive a lot, you will appreciate very low consumption.

Extra ground clearance

It is possible to drive long distances in a V40. Completely effortless. I really like the seats. They are better than the chairs you find in many furniture stores. I have borrowed a V40 Cross Country. It has off-road effects in plastic and is raised by 40 millimeters compared to the regular V40. It's not so easy to see from the outside, but behind the wheel I noticed the difference. Not on the driving characteristics, but eye level compared to other cars. I think the V40 Cross Country looks like a scaled down version of the previous XC60. You can ask yourself if you need a car that just looks as if it has four-wheel drive when almost all models come with front-wheel drive. You must upgrade to engine size T4 (190 HP turbo petrol) to choose four-wheel drive.

The SAS museum

On the west side of Oslo Airport Gardermoen is the SAS Museum. It is only open on Tuesdays and Sundays. It has free entry and contains a fine collection of objects – so-called memorabilia – associated with early flight. The museum has access to a small lookout tower where it is possible to study and photograph the air traffic on the western runway, but it was unfortunately closed due to ice and snow. Damn winter!

From the SAS assembly I went on to the Leto hall. There was a large second-hand fair with lots of snuffers. Wedding dresses, tumblers and old Dinky Toys toy cars in original boxes from the 60s and 70s. The customers at the toy cars were men - at least as gray-haired as me. It was fun to have a look, but I didn't buy anything. Not this time.

The V40 belongs to the premium Golf class

In terms of price, the V40 Cross Country competes with cars such as the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. I imagine the latter is more widespread than the V40. At least this applies to the models that offer hybrid solutions, which the V40 does not. The V40 is not the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the premium Golf class. But it is a real alternative. Right now I think Volvo has the best diesel option in the class.

If you are interested in the V40 Cross Country, I would take a look at the T3. With a 6-speed manual gearbox, you get a 2 liter turbo petrol engine that produces a whopping 150 HP and a torque of 250 Nm between 1300 and 4000 (!) revolutions. On paper, this is an excellent powerhouse. EU consumption for the V40 Cross Country T3 is stated at 0,55 liters per mile. Given that this consumption is also achievable in everyday driving, with today's fuel prices and an annual mileage of 30 km, you can save NOK 000 per month by choosing diesel over petrol - purely theoretically, that is. This is worth taking into account if you are considering leasing.

A V40 Cross Country Basis with D2 and manual gearbox costs NOK 330. Fully equipped with winter tires, the invoice price can probably end up around 900. Of equipment you mustn't ha, is Thor's Hammer (the driving lights). I also recommend Volvo's leather seats. I would also consider speed-sensitive steering. The steering is, in typical Volvo fashion, quite heavy. It feels suitably stable and heavy on the motorway, but perhaps not optimal at lower speeds. I think the infotainment system on the V40 is getting old compared to the best. I also don't like the award-winning button cluster on the center console, although it looks stylish.

So how much Volvo is the V40 Cross Country?

Let's start with the engines. They are shared between several Volvos, - including the D2 and T3 drive units discussed here. The seats are genuine Volvo seats. There are 4 good seats. Fifth man will have to waddle on the center console. The interior is otherwise solid and will hold up well for several decades. The luggage space is slightly smaller than in the ordinary Audi A4 and VW Golf, but significantly larger than in the hybrid models. The V40 is not a distinctly family car, - more a car for families with children out of the "nest", younger people or small families. Security is top notch. The V40 was tested in 2012 and received almost the top score. Only the regular V40 has been tested. Not the V40 Cross Country. It may just be imagination, but I feel that a slightly higher car gives even more safety.

- At least it gives an extra Volvo feeling.

Not the biggest in the class, but quite alright luggage compartment of 324 litres.

You can choose between three different digital instruments. Here ECO. I prefer Performance with the red background.

The back seat is quite stylish - like a two-seater.

No, this is not the dashboard in the V40. The atmosphere is from the SAS museum.

VOLVO V40 CROSS COUNTRY

Facts

D2 2-litre turbodiesel with manual 6-speed gearbox:
Performance: 120 HP
Torque: 280 Nm between 1500-2250 revolutions

T3 2-litre turbo petrol with manual 6-speed gearbox:
Performance: 150 HP
Torque: 250 Nm between 1300-4000 revolutions
Please note that if you order the T3 with Geartronic, you will instead get a 1,5 liter engine with the same performance, but the torque is delivered at a different rev range.

Dimensions and capacities:
Length: 4370 mm
Width: 1857 mm
Height: 1458 mm
Wheelbase: 2646 mm
Net weight: 1575 kg (D2 manual) / 1569 kg (T3 manual)
Petrol tank: 62 litres
Luggage compartment: 324 litres
Trailer weight w/brakes: 1500 kg

Prices:
D2 with 6-speed manual gearbox: NOK 330
T3 with 6-speed manual gearbox: NOK 333

Metallic varnish: NOK 7
Leather interior: NOK 11 (recommended)
Digital instruments: NOK 3 (recommended)
Front armrests: NOK 500
Reversing camera: NOK 7
Rear reversing sensor: NOK 5
Leather-covered handbrake: NOK 500
Speed-sensitive steering: NOK 2 (recommended – not present on test car)
LED light with Thor's Hammer: NOK 6 (a "must")

Source: www.volvo-cars.com

NCAP test results:
euroncap.com

The SAS museum
Opening hours
Tuesdays 10.00 – 15.00
Sundays 12.00 – 16.00

SAS Museum on Facebook

The SAS Museum on Google Maps' Street View

Surprisingly high feel-good factor.

Who drives the Volvo V40?

I think almost every V40 on the road has some kind of advertisement on the side, a logo for a government agency or rental car company. Maybe the V40 falls between two seats? The die-hard Volvo people looking for a spacious family car - which the V40 is definitely not - and young people who prefer BMW and Audi to Volvo?

The other day I got to drive the Volvo V40 - as a hire car in the company's company. It was a 2015 model with the "old" 2 HP D115 engine. I note that there are currently 333 V40s for sale on Finn.no that are less than 3 years old. No less than 280 of these have a D2 engine. While neither are particularly cheap, might it be possible to get a good used car buy on the V40 these days?

The Volvo V40 is not a bad car. Read why.

Look-and-feel

I got a solid first impression, both aesthetically and functionally. First of all, I liked the seats with woven leather details, pleasant to look at - and not least to sit in. I liked the digital instruments. They look like conventional analog clocks, but are actually a digital display. The pointer on the tachometer, for example, is pure computer graphics. The two high-placed screens give a premium feeling. The award-winning center console is certainly beautiful - in a kind of Nordic Light Design - but it has too many buttons. I can't read what it says on them while I'm driving. The climate control is easy to operate, and the DAB radio could fortunately be operated from the steering wheel. There was also good sound.

When the key is inserted into the dashboard, the engine can be started and stopped with the Start button. The handbrake is elegantly sandwiched between the center tunnel and the driver's seat like on a sports car. The handle is made of soft leather. The center armrest and door armrest feel comfortable. I drummed my knuckles on some surfaces of hard plastic, but thought that this holds up well for premium class, - fully on par with the Audi A3 and BMW 1 series.

Driving pleasure

The PSA group's 1,6 liter turbodiesel with 115 horsepower is the same as that found in the Citroen C4 and C5, Peugeot 308 and 508, BMW 116i, Ford Focus and Mondeo, as well as the Volvo V60 and V70. I gave a four for driving pleasure when I tested the same engine in the Citroen C4 and a three in the Volvo V60. I think this drivetrain gave more driving pleasure in the slightly lighter Volvo V40. The gearbox was very easy to work with. The interchange is absolutely ideal for Norwegian roads. You can engage sixth gear from 80 km/h, and there it stays fine from 1200-1300 revs.

The torque is a whopping 270 Nm. I note that it seemed a little sluggish from a standstill, but as soon as I finished first gear, the response was good.

On the way home, I turned off the motorway at Vinterbro and followed Gamle Mossevei inwards towards Oslo. This is a very easy-to-drive car. I downshift, into the turn, step on the gas, upshift - playfully easy and totally effortless. The car itself likes to be driven sporty, but the D2 drive - which is based on utilizing the torque, is not distinctly sporty.

I give a strong four for the driving pleasure.

Comfort

The seats are nothing short of amazing. I mentioned they were beautiful to look at with exposed stitching and woven leather details. I particularly liked the rear seating arrangement with 2 shaped seats and a simpler middle seat. Behind the wheel, I immediately found a perfect driving position with full lumbar support, thigh support and the headrest was exactly where it should be.

During driving, the suspension provides good comfort without feeling soft. In terms of noise, you can barely hear the engine, but there is some rumbling from the road, especially on rough asphalt, which the V40 shares with other good cars in this class.

The V40 has 4 major advantages - 2 at the front and 2 at the back. — The V40 has 4 major advantages – 2 at the front and 2 at the back.

Place

The trunk is 335 litres, which is below average in the class (VW Golf: 380 litres, Citroen C4: 408 litres). You can fold down the rear seats, but it can be difficult to load large items due to the limited loading opening. The space conditions in the compartment seemed good. The rear seat is designed with two comfortable seats and a small middle seat. On long journeys, four passengers sit like kings, while I imagine that the fifth person will have it worse.

Feelgood feeling behind the wheel. Pleasantly low rpm at 80 km/h.

Safety

The V40 was tested in 2012 by Euro NCAP and received a top score. It was praised for having its own pedestrian airbag that automatically opens the hood slightly at the rear to soften any collisions with a lot of road users. Since its introduction in 40, the Volvo V2012 has been available with adaptive cruise control with emergency braking, but it was not installed on the test car. I noted the blind spot warning, and otherwise I would highlight good braking properties and good headrests as positives for the feeling of safety.

Economy

As a new car today, the V40 D2 Momentum costs NOK 320 in a special emission-friendly version with reduced CO000 emissions, while the regular price is NOK 2. That is 337-000 more than a similarly equipped Citroen C50. The C60 is an excellent car, offering a significantly larger boot but not as much fun to drive as the V000. You can also count on getting more in trade-in for the V4 than the C4.

The engine has proven to be durable and can withstand high km distances. The PSA engine is used in taxi traffic all over Europe, and you can therefore count on good operating economy.

I was not able to measure the fuel consumption, but the factory figures for mixed driving should be 0,38 liters per mile. My experience with other cars with the same models is that consumption is between 0,45 and 0,50. Not bad. "My" V40 also had an eco-meter. Completely unnecessary, as it is difficult to drive uneconomically with this drivetrain. Besides, I think eco-meters belong to the cars of the eighties.

The Volvo V40 is built in Ghent, Belgium, along with another bestseller, the XC60. — The Volvo V40 is built in Ghent, Belgium, alongside another bestseller, the XC60.

Conclusion

Initially, I was of the opinion that there should be opportunities to make a good used purchase on the V40 now that it had arrived in a facelifted version. The Volvo with 115 HP turbodiesel is an ideal car for those who cover many miles a year. Many people would probably choose the V70 eDrive for that job, but I would choose a V40 D2, as long as I didn't have to carry large objects with me. If you buy a 1-3 year old V40 D2 with moderate mileage from, for example, a leasing company, you can expect many nice miles on the road with a high feel-good factor, without the car falling apart, and a good trade-in price.

An ideal car for car commuters.

Very comfortable seats and driving position.
Safety – both measured and felt.
Expected operating economy.

Small luggage space for its class.

Facelift for the 2017 models

Overall, the 2017 facelift is pretty minor. The most visible are the new grill and new running lights. These changes suit the car well. Other changes are mainly related to new color codes for the exterior paint and interior panels, including the steering wheel. It is now possible to order a dark roof cover for your new V40. Earlier this year, the engine was upgraded to 120 HP and torque 280 Nm at 1500 rpm.

We have driven the V40 Cross Country

See

Volvo.no

HONEST ABOUT CARS

Volvo V40 Cross Country

Stated EU consumption is factual

Extra ground clearance

The SAS museum

The V40 belongs to the premium Golf class

So how much Volvo is the V40 Cross Country?

Facts

Who drives the Volvo V40?

Who drives the Volvo V40?

Look-and-feel

Driving pleasure

Comfort

Place

Safety

Economy

Conclusion

Facelift for the 2017 models

See