Volvo V40 review

One would think that, of all the luxury car brands building a rival to the confident, tough and no-nonsense VW Golf, it would have to be Volvo. But no: for years, Volvo missed the point of a premium five-door hatchback, giving us little hatchbacks, little pickups, and little three-door coupes instead. By the law of averages, he had to stumble upon a winning recipe at some point: the launch of the V40 five-door hatch is everything.

It is an essential car for the brand. It’s meant to be a step up for Golf buyers, for those who don’t want the gleam of an Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series. of a rather shrewd-looking Volvo, and even the bonnet has been kept low and sporty thanks to the clever addition of a pedestrian airbag. Underneath is a Volvo version of the slim Ford Focus platform, along with a range of engines that put even Bluemotion Golfs to shame for their efficiency. There is no doubt about its potential.