- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.5T, 5 cyl.
- Engine Power
187kW, 360Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 8.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2013)
2013 Volvo V40 T5 R-Design – Quick drive review
The car: Volvo V40 T5 R-Design
Price: From $49,990 plus on-road and dealer costs
Vitals: 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo, 187kW, 360Nm, 6-spd auto, FWD, 8.1L/100km
What is it?
It's the range-topping variant of Volvo's all-new V40 compact hatch; the world's safest small car.
What does it say about me?
That I want a relatively quick family car, but one that protects me and the kids from crashing into anything.
What doesn't it say about me?
I don't want anything too quick because I don't trust my own driving – or anyone else's.
What colours does it come in?
There are seven colours available – four metallics (sapphire black, titanium grey, electric silver and Caspian blue) and three solids (Passion red, ice white and Rebel blue).
If it were a celebrity, who would it be?
With our test car featuring the hero Rebel blue paint, it'd have to be Papa Smurf; wise, powerful and the one that manages to avoid trouble.
Why would I buy it?
Because safety is your first priority but you don't want to compromise on performance or features
Does it cost too much?
At $49,990 there are cheaper, more powerful and more engaging hot hatches in the segment – such as the all-rounder Volkswagen Golf GTI and benchmark Renault Megane RS – but if you don't need the performance of range-topping R-Design then the V40 starts at a more reasonable $34,990 for the manual-only D2 Kinetic with an 84kW 1.6-litre turbo diesel.
Will I get a deal?
Considering it has just arrived in Australia, it's unlikely that Volvo will shave too much off the sale price. But with a plethora of choices in the small hatch segment – including similarly-priced rivals such Mercedes-Benz' A250 Sport – competition is stiff and it's worth haggling.
Is it safe?
Yep, and that's really the V40's trump card. Volvo claims it scored the highest ever result in the Euro NCAP crash testing regime with a near-perfect five-star rating. Further to its crash-worthiness, the V40 is the next step in Volvo's ambitious aim for "Zero Deaths" in its cars by 2020 with a host of active safety systems, including the world's first pedestrian airbag and an improved City Safety system that automatically brakes the car to avoid rear-end collisions at speeds up to 50km/h. It also has an optional Driver Support Pack (which costs $5000) and adds radar cruise control with collision warning and full auto brake, blind spot indicators, lane-departure warning and active high beam headlights. Its satnav can also read road signs and displays the speed in the digital dashboard.
Will it get me noticed?
It's hard to miss it in the bright blue paint of our test car, and it has a unique Volvo-ness about its design. The gravelly exhaust note from the five-cylinder engine is what will probably turn heads the most, but only if it's driven hard.
How's the cabin ambience?
It's a nice place to sit, that's for sure; the R-Design seats are comfy and supportive with a mix of faux leather and Alcantara and the basic ergonomics are pretty good. The fully digital instrument pod is clear with a large central tacho and digital speedo and is supported by a unique throttle position/power gauge on one side and a water temp gauge on the other that changes to the cruise control when activated. The dash has some hard plastics but is offset by liberal brushed alloy highlights, while the floating centre console features a faux carbon fibre treatment with a chrome and blue racing strip offset to one side.
What's the stereo like?
There's no big name branding on it, but it's Volvo's premium sound system and it sounds pretty good with decent staging and clarity. It supports MP3 players and has Bluetooth audio streaming too.
Does it go?
The T5 R-Design is the only V40 variant to feature the upgraded 2.5-litre in-line five-cylinder turbo that now produces 187kW and 360Nm, and Volvo claims it will slingshot from 0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds, which is pretty rapid for a front-drive hatch.
Does it like corners?
It's not too bad through the twisty stuff with a fairly neutral balance to its chassis. The stiff suspension and 18-inch tyres help it sit flat and the six-speed auto is intuitive enough so the engine is always in the middle of its torque curve. But the electric steering is light and feels overly assisted so it doesn't provide a lot of feedback. Plus there's some kickback through mid-corner bumps and a little torque steer under heavy acceleration.
What about bumps?
The sporty suspension tune makes it feel a little brittle over Australia's pock-marked road network. It coasts pretty well over big undulations, but sharp-edged bumps, changes in road surfaces and joins are noticeable through the seat of your pants.
What about service stations?
With a claimed fuel consumption of 8.1L/100km, the T5 R-Design doesn't set any benchmarks for economy. And if you want to hear that glorious five-cylinder warble, you'll drive it harder and it'll be impossible to match the windscreen sticker figure.
Would you buy one?
If safety was my first priority, then yes – and everything else it offers is a bonus. But there are more engaging hot hatches around if driving fun is what you're after.
What else should I consider?
There's not much else that offers the Volvo's wagon-like practicality, but there are plenty of alternatives in the $40k compact class, such as the Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport, Renault Megane RS and Subaru WRX hatch and then there's the new Golf GTI and Skoda Octavia RS that arrive later this year.
The Spin
"All-new Volvo V40 - ready to take on the competition"
The Translation
We've finally built a Volvo hot hatch worth considering