You know that unnerving feeling sometimes when you have to reverse out of a nose-in parking space, writes Brian Byrne, and you can't see if there's anything coming?
Well, the new Volvo V40 can sort that one out, with a 'Cross Traffic Alert' gidget amongst its electronic safety arsenal. Basically it has sensors at the rear sides of the car which can detect any traffic coming along at up to 30 metres away.
And then you often wondered just how much longer a space than the length of your car do you need to parallel park? Well, it's 1.2 times if you use the new car's parking wizard.
There's also an intriguing 'first', an airbag for pedestrians. A long time mooted, now standard on the V40, if sensors on the bumper feel you hitting a walker, the bonnet pops up a bit to keep the poor victim from the hard parts of the engine, and an airbag lifts around the scuttle, aimed at minimising impact against the windscreen and A pillars.
That City Safe technology that we first saw on the XC60 has been further refined, and now will now stop the car from rear-ending the one in front from up to 50km/h.
Of course, there's all the other stuff we're getting used to now. Blind spot warnings (BLIS), which now operate from further behind the car; lane wander alerts, new for Volvo in this segment; and a Distance Alert which flashes up a neat red warning on your windscreen if you're approaching another vehicle too quickly or are driving unsafely close to it.
The instrumentation is also high tech, offering a number of 'themes' named Elegance, Eco and Performance, and within these you can also choose different colour schemes. In fairness, the Performance one is preferred, giving a nice choice of digital speed readout and rev-counter against an active red background. Other information on all themes includes camera-read recent road signs and a warning if you're travelling faster than the local speed limit.
All that's great stuff. And a 'here be dragons' caveat—apart from the City Safe and the Pedestrian Airbag, you'll pay extra for most of the foregoing, in part by going up a grade, otherwise in 'Packs'.
Meantime, if Volvo wants to get a younger age profile, it has to have a car that will grab the younger driver. Does the new car qualify?
Certainly it looks sexier than its wagony predecessor, and it is being presented as a hatchback rather than an estate. A long sleek profile, strong character lines along the shoulder and rocker levels, a tilt at the old P1800 in a 'kick' on that shoulder. Fronts and rear are recognisably Volvo, with more sculpting than we have been used to from the brand.
Early on the road impressions are positive, the 115hp D2 is adequate, the 177hp D4 is a flyer, as is the 2.0 petrol T4. The drive is very composed, and seemingly immune to backdraft on truck convoys on Italy's motorways. In the twisty sub-Alps back of Verona it just felt totally together. Gone is the squishiness of other Volvos, yet without inducing harshness. Build quality and interior feel is at the level of quality needed to pull from Audi, BMW and Merc. Argument could be made that the Volvo is better in many respects.
Prices in Ireland start at €27,000 for both D2 diesel and T3 petrol, both 1.6 in capacity and in Bands A and B respectively. The 94g/km of the D2 is probably class-leading just now. We're also getting the 150hp D3, and an automatic option in that last. Only the auto is in Band C, and range fuel consumptions are between 54-78mpg equivalents. Top price is around the €36,000 mark.
Former marketing manager of Volvo Ireland Adrian Yeates is now the new MD of the company following the departure of David Baddeley to greater things in Volvo UK. It isn’t the most propitious of times, but he is starting his new position with a brand new car that can seriously put it up to those who feel they have the divine right to own the premium game.
Here's news. They don't.
