Volvo S40 (2004 – 2012) Review

January 0001

Stunning looking 40 Series Volvo based on C1 floorpan of Ford Focus II, replaced Carisma-clone 40 Series, pitched against A4 and 3-Series. Built at Ghent in Belgium rather than the Nedcar plant at Born in Holland.

Dimensions: Length 4,468mm; Width 1,770mm; Height 1,452mm; Wheelbase 2,640mm; Front track 1,535mm; Rear track 1,531mm.

Range of Ford and Volvo engines from Ford's 1.6 Zetec S to Volvo's 2.4 litre 220bhp T5. Saloon, estate and coupe bodies. Built at Volvo's Ghent factory (rather than the Volvo/Mitsubishi Nedcar plant, Volvo's share of which has been sold to Mitsubishi).

Has confident, meaty steering feel from electro hydraulic rack and excellent roadholding. High standard of trim. Comfortable seats. Extremely strong and crash-safe.

Launch engines: 2.0D 4 cylinder diesel with 136bhp and 340Nm torque; 2.4i 5 cylinder with 170bhp and 230Nm torque; and 2.4 T5 5-cylinder with 220bhp and 320Nm torque. Further engines from Winter 2004 to include: 1.6 4 cylinder with 100bhp and 145Nm torque; 1.8 4 cylinder with 120bhp and 160 Nm torque and 1.6 4 cylinder diesel with 110bhp and 240Nm torque. 5 Star Euro and USA NCAP occupant safety rating and 2 Stars for pedestrian safety.

From January 2005, 1,596cc chain cam Mazda petrol engine with 100 bhp, 0-60 11.6, top speed 115, 39.2 mpg (Combined cycle), 172g/km CO2, VED Band C, from £15,298. 1,560cc Ford/PSA 16v diesel with 110 bhp, 240Nm torque, 0-60 11.7, top speed 127 and 57.6 mpg (Combined cycle), 129g/km CO2, VED Band A (diesel), From £16,568.

Free 3 year servicing offer to March 2005. Useful self-maintenance feature: by pulling out 2 metal slides you can remove the entire front lamp unit to change side, head, main beam bulbs and indicator.

January 2007

Facelifted for 2007 with chunkier look more akin to 2nd generation S80. Production from May with first UK deliveries early July. Tail lights now LED.

‘Floating’ console centre stack has revised controls and is complemented by a multi-function centre tunnel storage area, a more compact handbrake design, and a revised armrest that’s longer and further forward for greater driver comfort. It can also flip through 180 degrees to act as a useful table for rear passengers.

New hard drive-based RTI road traffic information and satnav system and a redesigned remote key fob with Auto Open and Auto Close for all side windows and sunroof. Optional Active Bi-Xenon headlamps that swivel the light beam in continuous sync with steering direction.

Hazards automatically activate if any airbags go off. During emergency braking or when the anti-lock function is activated, the EBL Emergency Brake Lights function flashes all three brake lights five times a second to warn following drivers of the emergency braking manoeuvre. ISOFIX mountinghs in the rear seats now standard, as is water repellent glass2 on the front side windows for enhanced visibility in poor weather.

DPFs optional with 1.6 and 2.0 diesel engines. Without they were EU3. With DPFs they were EU4. DPFs compulsory from January 2008. The D5 diesel engine available with six-speed manual that can can handle the engine’s full 400 Nm of torque, compared to the 350 Nm of the auto. D5 an EU 5 engine. T5 model has 10 hp increase, taking output to 230 bhp.

D5 6-speed manual has phenomenal torque from low revs. Will pull cleanly from around 850rpm. (Torque is actually restricted from 400Nm to 350Nm because 400 would be too much for the chassis.) 6th gives 37.5mph/ 1,000rpm.

Volvo has designed a mounting bracket for the Garmin navi 760, eliminating the need for suckers on windscreens. Dealer installed and self powered it fits on top of the dash and can be folded away when not in use.

January 2008

Ford/Getrag Powershift Automatic sequential six-speed transmission announced. Twin wet clutches (like VAG DSG) for fast and smooth changes. Over 47 mpg and less than 160 g/km CO2. Optimised for powerful diesel engines. The new Volvo automatic Powershift transmission was available to order from late February 2008 on the 136PS two-litre turbodiesel versions of the Volvo C30, S40 and V50 with a recommended retail price of £1,250. Operating as two parallel manual gearboxes, Powershift has twin wet clutches that work independently of one another. One clutch controls the odd gears (1, 3, 5 and reverse) while the other handles the even ratios (2, 4 and 6).

Volvo S40 and V50 from May 2008: In the S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon, the RTI Navigation System has been updated with a new driver interface, new colours and a refresh to the menus and symbols and is now offered at a reduced recommended retail price of £1,500. The Family Pack now includes the Passenger Airbag Cut Off Switch, and is priced at £260 RRP.

The 2.4i petrol engine is no longer available and prices across both saloon and Sportswagon ranges generally remain stable, with minor amends to the R-DESIGN Sport which increases by up to £200 whilst the R-DESIGN SE Sport decreases by up to £190 OTR.

The S40 range starts at £13,995 OTR for the S40 1.6S and the V50 start price remains unchanged at £15,995 OTR for the 1.6S. Standard equipment on these entry level models includes ECC (Electronic Climate Control) with AQS (Air Quality System) and pollen filter, DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control), power windows, leather steering wheel, 6-speaker radio/CD system and an auxiliary input for MP3 player.

Power mirrors with an autofold function now standard1 across the Volvo model range. Mirrors can be set to fold in automatically when the car is locked, and fold out again when the car is unlocked. Communications Pack have also revised and now includes RTI Navigation System, Keyless Drive and Bluetooth® Handsfree System.2

Bluetooth handsfree system is also available as an individual option for a RRP of £200 on the Volvo C30, S40, V50 and C70. This handsfree system automatically recognises a Bluetooth® compatible mobile phone as it enters the car and seamlessly takes over, allowing the driver to switch freely from the mobile phone to the handsfree system. By simply touching the blue button, the Bluetooth® handsfree system will listen to commands and make calls.

A new Homelink option is available across the Volvo range for a RRP of £501 . With buttons integrated in the sun visor, Homelink allows the occupants to operate remote controlled home appliances, such as a garage door, home alarm and exterior lighting, without leaving the car.

New colour additions with Savile Grey being added to S80, C30, V50 and S40. The new DRIVe range, under 120g/km, launched October 2008 starts at £17,260 for the S40.

February 2009

Volvo S40 DRIVEe Start/Stop 1.6D 109 hp/240 Nm, 107 g/km, 70.6 mpg combined. When the driver puts the gear lever into neutral and releases the clutch while at a standstill, the engine switches off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. This technology has reduced fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions by 4-5% in mixed driving conditions. Start/Stop technology is particularly effective in urban traffic, when the saving can be as much as 8%.

When the car is at a standstill and the engine is switched off, some electronic systems such as the air conditioning step down to standby level in order to save fuel. However, Volvo's Start/Stop system continuously monitors the comfort level and automatically reactivates the air conditioning if, for instance, the temperature increases in the passenger compartment. The system does not set any limits for comfort-focused features such as the sound system or other facilities that the occupants will want to maintain.

Made possible due to an additional small battery which supports the larger battery by providing extra power. Thanks to this extra battery, Volvo's DRIVe models also feature particularly quick and smooth start-up. The audio system also remains unaffected when the starter motor is activated. This distinguishes Volvo Car's solution from other systems offered by the competition. The standard larger battery has also been upgraded to handle up to 175,000 Start/Stop cycles.

The driver receives feedback about system status via the in-car information display. The Start/Stop function can be engaged and disengaged via a DRIVe button in the centre console and in the default setting, the function is activated.

The second new feature in the C30, S40 and V50 DRIVe 1.6D with Start/Stop is a regenerative charge facility. This charges the battery as soon as the driver releases the accelerator or brakes while a gear is engaged. By harnessing the car's kinetic energy, the alternator does not have to use diesel fuel as a power source to recharge the car’s battery. Fuel savings of between 2 and 3% have been achieved with this function.

April 2009

DRIVe technologies combines with sports-inspired R-DESIGN bodykit to offer C30, S40 and V50 models with low levels of emissions and the highest levels of visual appeal. The new DRIVe R-DESIGN models are available to order now with prices starting at £17,240 for the C30 while the S40 and V50 start at £19,095 and £20,595 respectively.

May 2009

2010MY changes announced. The C30 coupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon DRIVe models now all feature the intelligent new Start/Stop function which brings CO2 emissions down to 104 g/km and improves fuel consumption up to 72.4 mpg. The sports-inspired R-DESIGN specification and body styling has also been introduced to the DRIVe range offering CO2 emissions of 119 g/km and up to 62.8 mpg in all three models1.

The S40 and V50 ranges start at £14,745 and £16,495 OTR for the 1.6 S models with the DRIVe with Start/Stop range commencing at £17,495 for the S40 and
£18,845 for the V50.

May 2010

New five-cylinder 2-litre turbodiesel from the all-new Volvo S60 made available throughout Volvo Cars' model range and replaces the familiar four-cylinder 136 PS unit in the C30, S40, V50, C70, V70 and S80. All new engines are available to order now.

The new five-cylinder 2.0D diesel is, in principle, the same engine as the well-established 2.4-litre diesel, but its displacement has been reduced with a shorter stroke to optimise fuel consumption. The injection system also has a different type of piezoelectric fuel injector compared with the D5 engine. These injectors minimize fuel consumption with their exceptionally rapid and precise injection pulses under high pressure to promote extremely efficient combustion.

As part of Volvo's new engine nomenclature and to simplify Volvo's engine badging, all new engines, including the new five-cylinder 2.0D, will be badged depending on the power output. For example, the 150 PS version of the new 2.0D in the C30, S40, V50 and C70 is named D3 and an uprated 177 PS version of this same engine is labeled D4.

In its lower state of tune, it produces 150 PS and is badged D3 while an uprated 177 PS version is named D4. Both emit only 134 g/km of CO2 and offer drivers 55.4 mpg in the C30, S40 and V50 and 47.9 mpg and 154 g/km in the C70. The D3 and D4 are available in both manual and automatic transmission across all four models.

The C30, S40 and V50 are also available with a new four cylinder 1.6-litre diesel engine - badged D2. Fuel consumption in all three models is 65.7 mpg, which corresponds to CO2 emissions of only 114 g/km. The engine produces 115 PS and 270 Nm of torque and now comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The previous 1.6D 109 PS DRIVe engine with Start/Stop will remain in the C30, S40 and V50 ranges along with the 1.6, 2.0 and range-topping T5 petrol engines. The 2.4i and D5 are no longer available in the C30, S40, V50 and C70 models.

The D2, D3 and D4 engines all meet the Euro 5 emission standards. Another facet of Volvo's 2011 Model Year update is a change in the specification hierarchy with the introduction of the ES trim level. The ES replaces the S specification and includes all the features and safety systems you would expect from Volvo.

November 2010

DRIVe models with CO2 emissions of 99g/km. Continuing development of Volvo’s DRIVe models has resulted in sub-100g/km CO2 versions of the C30 hatchback, S40 saloon and V50 sportswagon, making the V50 the most versatile of any sub-100g/km car on the market today. The changes mean all three are exempt from road tax and return up to 74.3mpg on the combined fuel economy cycle.

In addition, following Volvo Car UK's successful campaign to remove the Alternative Fuel Discount from the London Congestion Charge, all three models are exempt from the Congestion Charge saving the owner of all three cars up to £2500 in charges. DRIVe models are available in ES, SE and SE Lux trim levels.

March 2015

Volvo S4 shown to be 4th most reliable European car more than 3 years old and out of manufacturer warranty

in data survey of Warranty Direct policy warranty claims. (Excludes KIAs, Hyundais, Toyotas and others with 7, 5 and 4 year warranties.)