Volvo V40 Cross Country T4 1.6 Review: Swede success

What we like:

The new svelte Volvo styling. Excellent handling characteristics.

What we dislike:

Only the 1.6-litre is available at the moment.

But what the V40 comes with is the Ford Focus derived dynamic chassis that Volvo says focuses on driving dynamics without compromising comfort. On this rare occasion, the marketing jargon isn’t…well just jargon.

Diving into bends with great aplomb, the stiff chassis settles in nicely while the reasonably quick steering rack accurately guides the nose towards the apex. This we attribute to the Ford Focus suspension geometry underneath. Making the V40 one of the best handling Volvo in recent times. However, over exuberant throttle input in the bends will result in a certain amount of torque steer.

On the road, the chassis continues to maintain its composure with a supple ride that is neither jarring nor uncomfortable.

Despite the incredible dynamics, Volvo hasn’t forgotten its roots in safety and this car is filled to the brim with safety. It gets the latest version of its City Safety auto braking system that has upped its operational speed from 30kmh to 50kmh in the current version.

Other systems include blind spot indicators that show a blinking light if a vehicle is detected in your blind spot.

If you find yourself in a tight spot (literally), the Park Assist Pilot will do parallel parking for you. We tested the system out during our drive. With the system activated, you drive along the parallel parking lots until the system picks up a lot that it finds suitable (about 1.2 times the car’s length).

Once a lot is located, an audible signal will alert you. The system then takes over the parking by maneuvering into the lot automatically without your input. But it is still good practice to hover your feet over the brake pedal as this can be quite a hairy experience from the driver’s point of view as the system seems to cut it pretty close to the surrounding cars.

When the Volvo S60 was launched some years ago, it gave the world a preview of what Volvo was truly capable of in the dynamic department.

The V40 is the culmination of that fact. While the V40 is probably not too impressive off-road, on asphalt however, it is a polar opposite and is easily one of the best handling if not the best handling in the Cat A market.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline