Volvo S40 (2004-) Review

On the road

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It's fun to drive - especially as a T5, with its meatier, crisper steering, quicker responses and stronger grip. Perhaps it's the shock of having such a good time in a Volvo that has skewed our mental calibration, but the S40 T5 really does entertain with its poise, its keenness to turn into a bend and hold on tight once in, and its willingness to change direction without the sense that you're working against weight and rubberiness. The anaesthetised, stodgy feel of past Volvo steering systems is entirely banished here. You can dive into a bend on a trailing throttle, accelerate and feel the front wheels haul it through, and if anything the non-Sport suspension lets the S40 drift a little more when you do this.

Traction is fine - the traction control can safely be turned off on a dry road - and there's none of the torque-steer that used to plague fast front-wheel drive Volvos.

A good view out despite thick windscreen pillars, multi-adjustable seat and steering wheel, an easy gearchange, non-snatchy brakes and clear instruments make the S40 painless to drive.

The Intelligent Driver Information System refers not to the driver's brainpower (as severely tested by BMW's iDrive) but to the system's ability to tailor information to the driver's needs. For example, if you're in the middle of overtaking, it won't tell you your screenwash bottle is empty and it will divert the built-in telephone (if fitted) to a message service. That phone uses the same keypad as handles radio stations and CDs, which keeps the controls simple. But the way of tuning the radio and altering, say, the optional DSP surround-sound system is not immediately obvious.

Quickest is the T5, whose 220bhp is a lower output than that of bigger-bodied Volvo T5s but is ample for this smaller car's needs. With the lower-pressure turbocharger comes a quicker throttle response, so while it's still quite soft from low speeds, there's no frustrating turbo lag. The T5 reaches 60mph in 6.7 seconds, against 8.1 for the 170bhp 2.4 and 9.4 for the 2.0-litre turbodiesel, but equally appealing is the way it pulls easily from low revs in a high gear. That makes it a relaxing drive when you don't want to exploit the performance.

The 2.4 is similarly relaxed, but naturally it has less ultimate thrust and the exhaust note lacks some of the deep, crisp resonance of the twin-exhaust T5. Both engines are smooth and tuneful in typical five-cylinder fashion. The all new turbo-diesel develops just as much torque as the T5's engine, and delivers flexible and refined performance. Standard transmission fare is a five-speed manual in the 2.4, a six-speed in the 2.5; both suffered from occasional clonks and snatches in the early examples sampled. There's also a five-speed automatic with a manual Geartronic Tiptronic-like function, which is neither as smooth-shifting nor as alert as it should be when you're pressing on.

Entry level engines are 1.6-litre petrol and diesels derived from Ford units. The petrol has 100 bhp, and the diesel 110 bhp. Torque is higher in the diesel naturally, and provides more mid-range shove for overtaking. Book figures see the petrol reach 60mph 0.1secs faster than the diesel in 11.9 seconds, but the diesel does feel quicker on the road.