Volvo S40 Tested 2007-01-01

Rating Quick Summary Average. Great at absorbing the strain of long journeys, but overpriced compared to key rivals.

Full Road Test

Volvo has always done good business with its smaller models, and the S40 is no exception to the rule. It offers distinctive styling, solid construction and comprehensive standard safety equipment. However it may find itself stranded in limbo by the marketplace - more expensive than mainstream rivals but not impressive or exclusive enough to cut it against the premium brands.

Design is definitely shrunk-down generic Volvo, with the S40 looking like an S80 with some of the air let out. On the inside, there is an impressively constructed interior, including an innovative "floating centre stack" dashboard console that gives the cabin a real touch of class. Space is good for front seat occupants but tight in the back. Standard equipment levels are reasonable, and all versions get excellent standard safety kit - Volvo's know-how when it comes to impact protection remains second to none.

Being based on the same set of mechanical underpinnings as the Ford Focus gives the car plenty of dynamic competence. It drives cleanly and accurately with good chassis responses and impressive high-speed refinement, although ride quality on larger alloy wheels gets very choppy. The Focus commonality also means it boasts a comprehensive range of engines.

The entry level 1.6 litre petrol unit really lacks punch, but the 1.8, 2.0 and 2.4 litre petrol motors all deliver decent urge, and the range-topping T5 is positively rapid (although with a pricetag to match). The S40 is also available with the excellent 1.6 litre diesel engine, by far the most sensible powerplant in the range, along with the 2.0 and 2.4 litre "D5" units that are also offered in the V50. The D5 is worth avoiding: loud, crude and far too expensive to ever justify itself through fuel cost savings.