Volvo S40 Consept Cars..........
The Volvo S40 is a very good car. You perhaps do not expect the Swedish market to make sporty cars, so the S40's nimble nature is refreshing. Yet while it's neat and tidy most of the time, the car loses composure when pushed - the steering becomes vague and the chassis is not as fluid and precise as some rivals. Mid-corner bumps also upset the composure and control of the chassis. The ride is not particularly well damped and tends to get the jitters on potholed tarmac. Ford-derived diesels may seem humble but the 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter units are nothing to be ashamed of. Petrol units are OK too and the 2.4-liter five-pot is a classy-sounding addition to the good-looking saloon car. There's also a 2.4-liter five-pot diesel mated to an automatic gearbox, compact saloon for real muscle.
The S40 is a slightly strange car. Volvo say it has been designed to battle with the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, but the saloon bodystyle pushes it into the compact executive sector - competing with the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and ... the Volvo S60! It only comes as a saloon, with the V50 estate being essentially an S40 load lugger. A simple model line-up offers good equipment levels in all guises, it's hard to fault the S40's standard equipment. It's based on a variant of the Ford Focus platform but Volvo has tuned it well to offer a grown-up feel fantastic and crash safety. We particularly like the sporty-look R-Design variants, with unique and racy trim, plus sportier suspension. It's the highlight of an extensive, and slightly confusing, line-up of engines and trims.
The S40's square, clean-cut lines are unmistakably Volvo, while the interior, with its' floating 'center console, is very impressive indeed. The layout is simple, clear and Instrumentation the soft, well-padded driver's seat is widely adjustable. It's a fuss free layout - although unfortunately, it's not flawless. The door pockets are far too small and there's no off-clutch footrest. In the back, there's a marked lack of headroom, due to the dipping roofline, while the rear doors are pretty small as well. However, legroom is adequate, and the Fold-flat front passenger seat gives the Volvo's versatility a boost. It's a shame load-carrying ability is so disappointing with the Folding seats in place, as the only boot offers 357 liters and the APERTURE is too small. Economical engines and low insurance ratings look good alongside premium rivals, while the S40's retained values are currently Superb. The Swedish company even offers a low-cost Service Plan.
By:Samsul
The S40 is a slightly strange car. Volvo say it has been designed to battle with the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series, but the saloon bodystyle pushes it into the compact executive sector - competing with the BMW 3-Series, Audi A4 and ... the Volvo S60! It only comes as a saloon, with the V50 estate being essentially an S40 load lugger. A simple model line-up offers good equipment levels in all guises, it's hard to fault the S40's standard equipment. It's based on a variant of the Ford Focus platform but Volvo has tuned it well to offer a grown-up feel fantastic and crash safety. We particularly like the sporty-look R-Design variants, with unique and racy trim, plus sportier suspension. It's the highlight of an extensive, and slightly confusing, line-up of engines and trims.
The S40's square, clean-cut lines are unmistakably Volvo, while the interior, with its' floating 'center console, is very impressive indeed. The layout is simple, clear and Instrumentation the soft, well-padded driver's seat is widely adjustable. It's a fuss free layout - although unfortunately, it's not flawless. The door pockets are far too small and there's no off-clutch footrest. In the back, there's a marked lack of headroom, due to the dipping roofline, while the rear doors are pretty small as well. However, legroom is adequate, and the Fold-flat front passenger seat gives the Volvo's versatility a boost. It's a shame load-carrying ability is so disappointing with the Folding seats in place, as the only boot offers 357 liters and the APERTURE is too small. Economical engines and low insurance ratings look good alongside premium rivals, while the S40's retained values are currently Superb. The Swedish company even offers a low-cost Service Plan.
By:Samsul
