If you’re looking for a mid-size hatchback that’s comfortable, stylish and packed with safety features, the Volvo V40 is well worth a look. It’s a practical five-door car with an interior that has a premium feel and most versions are well-equipped. It’s good value and there are some very fuel-efficient engines to choose from.
The V40 was introduced in 2012 as the first mid-size hatchback made by Volvo in many years. It was available new until 2019 and Volvo updated it a number of times over those seven years. Changes included new engines, new trim levels and more up-to-date tech. The design was subtly updated in 2016 with new headlights featuring Volvo’s ‘Thor’s hammer’ design (which creates an illuminated T within each light) and upgraded interior materials and tech.
There’s a wide selection of engines available in the V40, ranging from efficiency-focused diesels to high-performance petrols. There are models with manual or automatic gearboxes and some have four-wheel drive.
You have lots of trim levels to choose from. They’re all well-equipped, with the top-of-the-range SE Lux and Inscription models particularly so with their heated leather seats. R-Design models have a sportier look while the Cross Country has additional SUV-style design features and raised suspension.
At minimum, every V40 comes with climate control, DAB radio, CD player, a USB input port to stream music, eight stereo speakers and front and rear electric windows. The vast majority also have cruise control, Bluetooth, parking sensors and keyless start. You’ll probably come across models with ‘Nav’ in their name: these have sat nav plus a voice-command control system and a DVD player.
Volvo updated the selection of petrol and diesel engines many times and their fuel economy covers quite a large range. According to official figures, diesel models give average fuel economy of 47mpg to 78mpg, which is very good for this type of car. Models with the D2 engine are the most efficient. Petrol models give average fuel economy of 34mpg to 53mpg, which is about average for a mid-size hatchback.
High mpg numbers translate to low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The official figures show that petrol models emit 124g/km to 189g/km and diesels emit 94g/km to 126g/km. As a result, no V40 will cost much in annual Vehicle Excise Duty (car tax) and in some cases there’s no VED to pay at all.
The V40 generally costs less than its premium-brand rivals, so it’s pretty good value.
Other premium-brand mid-size hatchbacks you may want to consider include the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class and you may also want to look at rivals from ‘mainstream’ brands such as the Ford Focus or the Peugeot 308. The V40 scores highly for comfort, safety equipment and standard features compared with most rivals. It’s decent value but it’s not very competitive for back-seat space or boot capacity.
The V40 is spacious for anyone in the front seats. There’s more than enough headroom and legroom for someone over six feet tall to get comfortable and there’s lots of room across the car – no danger of banging shoulders with your passenger.
The back seats are less accommodating. Legroom is fine but headroom is rather tight and the small-ish windows make it feel even less roomy. The door openings aren’t especially large, either, so the V40 isn’t the most family-friendly option.
You also don’t get as much boot space in the V40 as you do with many rival hatchbacks. A capacity of 335 litres is less than you get in a Ford Focus and the boot opening is comparatively small, so loading larger items can be a bit tricky. There’s space for a couple of large suitcases, however, and the back seats fold down if you need more space for those occasional tip runs and flat-pack furniture shopping expeditions.
While it was on sale new, the V40 was the smallest Volvo available and its only hatchback. Larger Volvo cars include the S60 and S90 saloons, and V60 and V90 estates. Compared with Volvo’s SUVs, the V40 is only a couple of inches shorter than the XC40.
Safety organisation Euro NCAP awarded the V40 a full five-star safety rating, giving it a near-perfect score for protecting adult occupants in a crash. It comes with lots of driver-safety features included as standard, although the exact selection varies from model to model. Those features can include automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high-beam headlights and road-sign recognition.
Volvo V40
2015 D2 [120] SE Lux 5dr Geartronic
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