After the bankruptcy of Saab last December, it falls to Volvo to soldier on against the usual suspects of the German car companies — Audi, BMW, Mercedes and VW — and offer a credible Swedish alternative to car buyers. On the evidence of its new V40, an appealing, posh hatchback, it will do just that.
As ever, Volvo’s starting point is safety. The V40 has the world’s first pedestrian airbag, which deploys outside the vehicle at the base of the windscreen to cushion any hapless passer-by who might wander out in front of you.
Another standard safety feature on all models is automatic braking. When travelling at less than 31mph, should its radar systems detect danger ahead, the V40 will apply the brakes and, if necessary, stop the car without driver intervention. In these circumstances, Hakan Abrahamsson, the man responsible for the V40, describes it as “almost uncrashable”.
This is a handsome machine, one that makes the new Audi A3 look dull and the BMW 1-series decidedly odd. On the road, so long as you’re careful about which version you choose, it’s at least as good to drive as the class-leading Ford Focus, whose structural underpinnings it shares.
The good news is that, of the cars available at launch, it was the most affordable D2 version that will not only be the bestselling but is also the best. Powered by a 1.6-litre diesel motor with a class-leading CO2 figure of 94g/km, it offers excellent fuel consumption (a claimed combined figure of 78.5mpg), fine ride quality and excellent handling. Performance is slightly muted, however.
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The V40 won’t be to everyone’s taste. It’s hard to avoid a feeling of being nannied by all the safety warnings if you stray from your lane, get anywhere near a pedestrian or drive slightly too close to the car in front. And while most of these functions can be disabled, there are so many bewildering electronic menus through which to burrow, many owners won’t bother.
And think twice before spending £1,200 on the optional navigation system — twice I turned to it for help and twice I ended up even more lost than I’d been at the start.
Even so, the V40 deserves to be a breakthrough car. It is the one thing previous Volvos promised but failed to be: a Swedish car as worthy of your attention as the best of its German opposition. And “uncrashable” is certainly a good tag line.
The Rivals
BMW 116d SE£20,885
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For Outstanding blend of performance and economy Against Strange looks; dull interior
Audi A3 Sportback 1.6 TDI SE £20,115
For Styling; build quality Against About to be replaced; ride and handling