Seansene 1st Gear April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 (edited) Been looking forward to this for some time now. Partly because the S60R was such a revelation, and partly due to the fact that the new baby Volvo shares a lot under its skin with the Focus MkII. Looks-wise, the S40 is handsome enough, with very strong (new) Volvo cues, a slightly upright glasshouse and an even more pronounced boat-like rear end. Sadly, this comes at the price of boot space, which at 404 litres is simply not competitive. [inline S40new_1_wp_ex_800_1.jpg] Inside, the blackness of the seats and trim seem a little sombre, but the cushions themselves are massively comfortable, as expected. The hyped 'floating' centre console seems like a neat trick and makes good use of what's usually wasted space, but i can't help wondering about how ICE lovers will deal with al thi non-customizable equipment. [inline S40new_6_wp_in_800.jpg] At 2640mm, the S40's wheelbase is generous enough for an FWD premium compact (whatever that is). The 'roominess index' SM Motors quotes in its large showroom billboard puts it ahead of both the 3-Series and A4, and I'll believe that. There's ample legroom both front and rear for normal people, though, rear headroom is curiously tight. Blame the 'coupe-like' profile (SE's word's not mine), it can euphemistically be described as cosy... [inline S40new_5_wp_in_800.jpg] A further pity is the fact that the 220hp T5 is only available as an auto, albeit with Geartronic manual overide. The (female) SE couldn't see why we would want anything else, but said that if we really really really really wanted a manual they could indent one, at a premium, of course... Anyways, I figure 320Nm of torque (yep, all the way from 1500-4800rpm) kind of offsets the power loss of a slushmatic. The gearbox isn't half bad either, though reaction to fast throttle inputs isn't quite up to keeping with its sporty credentials. The brakes could do with more feel too. In fact, the steering could do with lots more feel - it's light, which isn't a bad thing in itself, but hardly weighs up at speed, and there's only a vague hint as to what those 205/50-17 rubbers are up to. Nik akined the feeling with driving a Stream, not the greatest of compliments, I can tell you. One thing I can't really fault is the delivery of the engine. Being an LPT, it's very linear, but boy can it still bungee you into the horizon! And beside the 5-cylinder noise, there's hardly anything to inform your senses of your progress, until you watch the speedo. Really, 120kmh felt like 100, and I usually have a good gauge as to how soon I'm losing my license. Wind and tyre noise are noticeably absent, as we reached dodge'em velocities. Boy, that's addictive! And so we come to my biggest complaint of the day: the roads. Yes, you read right - we were driving on the wrong roads. Or rather, the SE only allowed us the straight route, no twisties. So I can't report on how it copes in the bends, which is usually the entire point of a car like this. I suspect it's still a bit on the soft side, but regretably, I'll have to reserve judgement until we find out what it's really capable of. The good news is that the S40's estate sister , the V50 will be launched this weekend. It too will come with a T5 version, plus more room (50mm wheelbase increase, anyone?). I'll be back, and this time I'll make sure they throw in the curves! Edited April 22, 2004 by Seansene ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seansene 1st Gear April 22, 2004 Author Share April 22, 2004 Oh, forgot to mention the prices! $140k with $35k OMV. Road tax is about $2.5k, do your sums... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yttrium Neutral Newbie April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 (edited) ...we were driving on the wrong roads... Hmmm... that line sounds vaguely familiar Edited April 22, 2004 by Yttrium Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soya Supersonic April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 u din sound very impressed by it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seansene 1st Gear April 22, 2004 Author Share April 22, 2004 (edited) Does it? Edited April 22, 2004 by Seansene Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 Do they have the V50 T5 AWD in SG? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seansene 1st Gear April 22, 2004 Author Share April 22, 2004 (edited) Well maybe I'm expecting too much - turbo rush AND fantastic handling. But given the chassis it uses, I'm sure that's not impossible. Again, I can't say anything for sure until I take it to some real roads As for space, you'd expect Volvo to know a thing or two about practicality. I'm not saying it's anything close to coupe-cramped though, but taller passengers should be prepared to feel the roof lining through their hair if they're sitting up straight... Edited April 22, 2004 by Seansene Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seansene 1st Gear April 22, 2004 Author Share April 22, 2004 Don't know, I'll have to ask the next time I go down. But my gut feel is no. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soya Supersonic April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 if it ain't cramped, it ain't a wowo.... [laugh] hmmm....maybe i should ask my SE for a test drive on SBV. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magfocus 5th Gear April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 Thats what i thought...[tongue] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soya Supersonic April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 Oh, forgot to mention the prices! $140k with $35k OMV. Road tax is about $2.5k, do your sums... $140k is bare bones. heard it's another $4k for the bodykit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seansene 1st Gear April 22, 2004 Author Share April 22, 2004 Who needs a bodykit? Just give me them 18" Medusa rims Actually, I thought of just dumping that engine into my Focus...[angelic] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accenture Neutral Newbie April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 thats a pretty6 sum for a S40 T5 and boy thr running cost can really make u sweat.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Neutral Newbie April 22, 2004 Share April 22, 2004 That was fast Well, I really feel that the S40 T5 will be well serviced by a manual transmission, assuming that the intention is for spirited driving. Felt too insulated, but then again, maybe it's for luxury. I guess we need to figure out, what's the target market for the S40T5? Cos it's a bit too small to have passengers in the back for a long trip. Is it going to compete with a BM 320? 325? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seansene 1st Gear April 22, 2004 Author Share April 22, 2004 Well how much BeeEm does $140k buy anyway? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Neutral Newbie April 23, 2004 Share April 23, 2004 Was wondering when you would test it Good writeup Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soya Supersonic April 23, 2004 Share April 23, 2004 Well how much BeeEm does $140k buy anyway? probably a loaded 1 series. [laugh] in any case, $140k is serious motoring heaven territory liao; legacy GT, wrx STi, RX-8, 350Z, a loaded Euro-R, etc. given the choices available, dun tink i'll be saving up my pennies for the T5. [tongue] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accenture Neutral Newbie April 24, 2004 Share April 24, 2004 Totally agree with u there, I mean 140K is some serious moolah...and all the cars listed in your list i also like.. Well how much BeeEm does $140k buy anyway? probably a loaded 1 series. [laugh] in any case, $140k is serious motoring heaven territory liao; legacy GT, wrx STi, RX-8, 350Z, a loaded Euro-R, etc. given the choices available, dun tink i'll be saving up my pennies for the T5. [tongue] ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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