Volvo V40 In Australia Late 2012 At Earliest, Pedestrian Airbag World-first

Volvo's all-new V40 five-door hatch has broken free of its top-secret status, with the Swedish carmaker releasing official details and images of the new car today.

On the technical side, there is little to know that TMR hasn't covered already, but for two key factoids: the new hatch will be in Australia in late 2012 or early 2013, and it will feature the world's first production pedestrian airbag system.

The new external airbag system will be detailed in Geneva next month, although Volvo has added that the tech will be joined by its Pedestrian Detection system and an updated City Safety collision avoidance package, which now operates at speeds up to 50km/h.

Volvo's Park Assist Pilot for parallel parking will also feature, along with Lane Keeping Aid with haptic auto steering.

“The all-new V40 is the most intelligent and safe Volvo model so far. All its features are designed around the driver, helping him or her to stay alert and well informed to avoid collisions and dangerous situations," Volvo Vehicle Line Director, Hakan Abraham said.

Speaking with TMR today, Volvo Australia's Laurissa Mirabelli said the V40 has been developed to comply with tough new Euro NCAP crash safety testing criteria, with a view to achieving a full 5-Star rating.

Powertrains

The V40's full engine range has not been released officially, although a report earlier this week detailed what we can likely expect from the hatch's line-up of petrol and diesel engines.

One important powertrain has been confirmed by Volvo: the familiar turbocharged T5 engine, which also features in the larger S60 family, will headline the V40 range.

In Europe, the T5 delivers 187kW and 360Nm of torque, and a 0-100km/h time of 6.7 seconds is promised.

"The all-new V40 is the first new model that is fully developed according to our human-centric, 'Designed Around You' strategy. Charged with an outstanding set of high-tech features it definitely will give our toughest competitors a headache," Volvo boss (and former Volkswagen America CEO) Stefan Jacoby said.

Watch for more details on the new V40 to come with its unveiling at next month's Geneva Motor Show, and catch TMR's extensive coverage of the new car here.

• Volvo V40 news and reviews
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• 2012 Geneva Motor Show