Volvo V40 India review

Luxury hatchbacks are a breath of fresh air in a country where car choices are either too mainstream or too elite. And there are plenty to pick now from the Mercedes-Benz A-Class to the BMW 1 Series and Mini Cooper. Then there’s also the V40 Cross Country to appeal to the more discerning premium hatchback buyer. The V40 hatchback adds to this list of niche cars that appeal to a young or young at heart owner. Can it jostle for space in this tiny segment then? On paper, it certainly gets our attention because the V40 has more power and torque and is also bigger than its rivals. It’s got a longer equipment list and to top it all, the V40 is the cheapest premium hatchback you can buy. What matters is real world performance though, so let’s take it for a spin…

Design and Styling rating_4.5_rating

You’d have to be an aesthetically daft person to not appreciate the V40’s design, more so over the V40 Cross Country. Soft and smooth lines and rounded shapes rarely give a car such an aggressive appearance and the V40 somehow gets this magical mix right. It certainly is a head turner. The ‘passion’ red colour it came with on our test car also gets the R-Design package. It’s same as the package as the one we saw on the S60 and XC60 – glossy R-Design grille, alloy wheels, split chrome tipped exhaust pipes, contrast silver mirror cases and R-design mouldings for the windows. 

LED DRLs in the front bumpers are dimmable and a neat LED strip in the taillamps highly the signature kink. The V40 is also a large hatchback – 4.37 metres in length, 1.78 metres wide and with a 2.64 metre wheelbase. If there’s a slight concern, it’s the low 133mm ride height that could get the underbelly scrapped if not driven with caution over speed bumps. 

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Interior and space rating_4.0_rating 

Step into the V40 and you are welcomed by a hatchback that offers highly comfortable seats. Volvo has certainly aced passenger comfort in its cars, be it with the quality of leather, contouring of the seats or adjustability. The driver and passenger seat are powered, there are R-design pedals, leather for the handbrake and gear lever and the R-Design steering wheel as well that is thick and nice to hold. If there is one thing I don’t like, it’s the template styling going into every Volvo. It will not be a problem for the V40 owner but say when it’s time to upgrade from a V40 to an S60, the interior will feel the same. 

A nice touch is the set of bottle holders integrated in the rear seats that can flip close if a third passenger wants to squeeze in. These seats flip and fold 60:40 and open up a large loading bay, so the V40 also scores well on the practicality front. The boot at 324 litres is adequate when the rear seats are in use. All the V40 lacks is a touchscreen multimedia system and a reverse parking camera, although the front and rear parking sensors do a good job of protecting the bumpers. 

Features and equipment Rating_4.5_rating

For a car that comes in as a CBU and gets priced lesser than its German rivals, there is no skimping on equipment. And it’s all standard fare on the R-Design trim V40, none of the optional nonsense. The R-Design V40 can even parallel park itself at the touch of a button. It’s got rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, traction control and more airbags than any other hatchback offers. There’s even an airbag for pedestrians under the bonnet to cushion the crash if you accidentally knock one. The V40 also comes with city safety that applies brakes automatically under 50kmph to avoid a accident when the driver isn’t attentive. 

Engine and performance Rating_3.5_rating

Volvo is offering the V40 in India only with a diesel engine as of now in D3 trim. Unlike the S60 and XC60 that have moved forward to the modern Drive-E 4-cylinder engines, the V40 is powered by the older 5-cylinder 2.0-litre engine. It’s got the legs to run its course but lacks the refinement we liked in the newer Drive-E mills. The engine also gets quite loud when revved hard and the gearbox holds it for a bit before shifting up. With 150PS of power and 350Nm of torque, there is no shortage of firepower for the segment, but the V40 weighs a fair bit more at almost 1.6 tonnes so the power to weight ratio is lower than what you get in a 1 series. 

The V40 diesel’s six-speed automatic gearbox is not as intuitive for a sporty drive. It works perfectly fine as a relaxed cruiser but ask for quick shifts at higher revs and it reveals the chink in its armour. You don’t get paddle shifters but can choose you shifts via the tiptronic function when complete control is required, and its here when the V40 gets enjoyable. It works best when you don’t redline through gears as the V40 has a weak top end. Upshift around the 4000rpm band and the V40 will maintain its brisk pace while keeping things smooth. 

Ride and handling Rating_3.5_rating

Like the S60 and XC60 R-Design the V40 R-Design gets stiffer strut braces that reduce body roll and help track your desired line into corners. The steering doesn’t offer much feedback but stability is impressive at high triple digit speeds. Brakes are strong too as is grip from the 225/45 R17 Michelins. The ride quality however isn’t supple enough. Even slightly broken patches filter in and the larger ones need to be negotiated gingerly. The V40 doesn’t get the mix between low and high speed ride well enough. The highly comfortable seats help to an extent but a suppler ride could have made this a better city car.

Fuel Economy and price Rating_4.0_rating

As we’ve said before, the V40 aces when it comes to pricing. Despite Volvo not commanding the sort of premium its German counterparts enjoy, the desirability quotient of the V40 is high. And it comes extremely well equipped too for just 27.7 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. To put it in perspective, the A-Class is the closest on the price front at Rs 28.45 lakh, the 1 Series costs Rs 29.5 lakh and the Mini Cooper 5 Door is priced at a crazy Rs 36.1 lakh. So there you go, it’s good value for money to buy the V40. As far as efficiency goes, the V40 is rated at 16.81kmpl which is no surprise, considering its output and weight. 

Verdict Rating_4.0_rating

The Volvo V40 hatchback is a well built car that comes equipped to the gills, is priced well and looks smashing from all angles. The gruff engine note and the slightly lethargic gearbox are mild dampeners in what is otherwise a well rounded package. Sure the V40 will not be the only car in your high profile garage but as the luxury hatchback to potter around town, it does its job very well.