VOLVO V40 D3 MOMENTUM GEARTRONIC

Volvo's smallest offering comes under Thor's hammer and emerges all the better for it

R432 400

W9,30 sec 110 kw/320 N.m 210 km/h HEN we tested the V40 D3 Geartronic Elite back in our December 2012 issue, it gave a strong impression that Volvo had turned a particularly big corner and was on the verge of something special. Fast-forward four years or so, and the once-frumpy Swedish carmaker has shrugged off a mantle of conservatism and completely reinvented itself. Cars such as the XC90 and S90 are snapping up design awards and backing up their newfound style with a good degree of substance, staring down the established players in a premium segment that was previously off limits to Volvo’s solid but otherwise uninspired product line-up. 4,56 L/100 km 101 g/km

Now it’s the V40’s turn to catch up with the considerable strides taken by its halo-placed peers, and while the changes aren’t sweeping, they’ve effectively honed its already admirable traits.

The V40’s design cuts a dashing gure and has aged well, so it comes as little surprise to see that Volvo’s exterior updates have been minimal (but impactful). Our test unit’s headlamps, featuring the striking new Thor’s Hammer eyewear, frame a revised grille and is set against a new Amazon Green background hue that divided opinion between it being striking and almost base coat-like.

However, if that particular colour scheme is deemed challenging, the cabin’s optional tweedlike City Weave cloth contrasted with beige material is one of the most engaging combinations we’ve seen in some time. It’s typical of Volvo’s approach to its cabins that sees you perched on wonderfully moulded front seats in a simple, elegant cockpit hewn from quality materials, and then sewing in the odd surprise-anddelight feature (think frameless rear-view mirror and crisp digital