By: Jason Woosey
Cape Town - Thor's Hammer has been rather busy lately, chiselling away at the headlights in Volvo's latest XC90 and S90 and now it's a glint in the eye of Volvo's smallest car, the V40.
Launched in South Africa this week, the facelifted V40 and V40 Cross Country models receive a fresh look to tide it over until the all-new version arrives in a few years from now, and that new generation, which also includes an XC40 SUV, has already been previewed by a recent pair of concept cars .
What's new?
Though the rear and side views remain unchanged, apart from new alloy wheel designs, the front end has been restyled and the most striking difference is the fitment of 'Thor's Hammer' LED headlights, which are standard on the range-topping Inscription and R-Design models and optional on other versions.
The eagle eyed will also spot a new vertical grille design (on all models barring the R-Design, which gets a sportier serrated horizontal style) and all feature the updated Volvo 'iron mark' badge.
Give me some colour
A new range of colours and trim designs join the range and if blue is your favourite colour then you’re in luck as Volvo has added Mussel Blue, Bursting Blue, Denim Blue and the pastel Amazon Blue to the exterior colour mix. If tweed is your thing, there's a chic new seat trim option called City Weave, which pairs tweed-like seat cloth with blond leather bolsters and steering wheel accents.
Updated materials feature throughout the cabin of the new hatch, along with a new 'floating' centre stack.
Familiar turbo power
The engines carry over from the previous range, with all but the T3 automatic model powered by Volvo's new-generation 2-litre Drive-E turbo-charged engines. A strange anomaly there is that the entry-level T3 manual is powered by a 112kW/250Nm version of the 2-litre motor while the T3 auto is stuck with a 1.5-litre, albeit tuned to the exact same outputs.
Moving back to the new-gen 2-litres, you can also have a T4 with 140kW and 300Nm on tap or a T5 with 180kW/250Nm. The diesel range is equally vast, with three 2-litre options: D2 (88kW/280Nm), D3 (110kW/310Nm) and D4 (140kW/400Nm).
Power goes to the front wheels in all cases except the Cross Country T5, which comes with Volvo's all-wheel drive system. Depending on which model you select, your gearbox choices are between a six-speed manual and six- or eight-speed automatic.
What features do I get?
The range kicks off with the Kinetic grade, available with T3 and D2 engines, and standard kit includes dual-zone climate control, six-speaker audio system with five-inch screen, City Safety auto-braking, tyre-pressure monitor and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Momentum means middle-of-the-range in Volvo speak and this is where the high-end features start appearing, with standard fare including leather seats (powered for the driver) as well as cruise control, heated mirrors, rain sensor, rear park assist and 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels, depending on the engine selected.
Inscription models add full-LED 'Thor's Hammer' headlights along with an upgraded eight-speaker audio system, seven inch screen, advanced voice control and digital instrument cluster.
The R-Design basically adds a bit of 'sport' to everything, with unique exterior styling features and interior décor items as well as sports seats.
Buyers also have a wide range of options to choose from, with three option packs (Sport, Premium and Techno) simplifying your selection. Volvo also offers a range of Polestar Performance Parts that can be ordered through dealers and which offer various software, exhaust, chassis and styling upgrades.
RANGE AND PRICING
V40 petrol
T3 Kinetic - 112kW/250Nm - R338 498
T3 Momentum - 112kW/250Nm - R378 698
T3 Momentum AT - 112kW/250Nm - R397 526
T3 Inscription - 112kW/250Nm - R400 298
T3 Inscription AT - 112kW/250Nm - R419 026
T3 R-Design - 112kW/250Nm - R408 398
T3 R-Design AT - 112kW/250Nm - R427 126
T4 Momentum - 140kW/300Nm - R400 998
T4 Momentum AT - 140kW/300Nm - R421 212
T4 Inscription - 140kW/300Nm - R422 898
T4 Inscription AT - 140kW/300Nm - R443 312
T5 Momentum AT - 180kW/350Nm - R461 638
T5 Inscription AT - 180kW/350Nm - R481 438
T5 R-Design AT - 180kW/350Nm - R491 038
V40 diesel
D2 Kinetic - 88kW/280Nm - R351 100
D2 Momentum - 88kW/280Nm - R384 900
D2 Inscription - 88kW/280Nm - R406 700
D2 R-Design - 88kW/280Nm - R414 900
D3 Momentum AT - 110kW/320Nm - R432 400
D3 Inscription AT - 110kW/320Nm - R454 700
D3 R-Design AT - 110kW/320Nm - R462 700
D4 Momentum AT - 140kW/400Nm - R442 400
D4 Inscription AT - 140kW/400Nm - R462 000
D4 R-Design AT - 140kW/400Nm - R471 500
V40 Cross Country petrol
T4 Momentum - 140kW/300Nm - R413 412
T4 Momentum AT - 140kW/300Nm - R410 054
T4 Inscription - 140kW/300Nm - R435 412
T4 Inscription AT - 140kW/300Nm - R455 826
T5 AWD Momentum AT - 180kW/350Nm - R507 706
T5 AWD Inscription AT - 180kW/350Nm - R530 206
V40 Cross Country diesel
D3 Momentum AT - 110kW/320Nm - R452 700
D3 Inscription AT - 110kW/320Nm - R475 300
D4 Momentum AT - 140kW/400Nm - R469 300
D4 Inscription AT - 140kW/400Nm - R492 000
ALTERNATIVES
Small petrol
Volvo V40 T3 Kinetic - 112kW/250Nm - R338 498
Audi A3 Sportback 1.4T S - 90kW/200Nm - R373 000
Mercedes-Benz A200 - 115kW/250Nm - R417 996
VW Golf 1.4 TSI Comfortline - 92kW/200Nm - R337 100
Medium petrol
Volvo V40 T4 Momentum - 140kW/300Nm - R400 998
Audi A3 Sportback 1.8T SE - 132kW/250Nm - R413 000
BMW 120i 5-door - 135kW/290Nm - R424 354
Opel Astra 1.6 Sport - 147kW/300Nm - R387 000
Medium diesel
Volvo V40 D3 Momentum AT - 110kW/320Nm - R432 400
Audi A3 Sportback 2.0 TDI SE - 110kW/320Nm - R449 500
Mercedes-Benz A200d AT - 100kW/300Nm - R467 500