More to Volvo than just safety and fuel economy

By DAVID LINKLATER

Calculators out, class. Volvo New Zealand reckons it will be very surprised if you can find any immediate rival for its new S40 sedan/V50 wagon that serves up a superior dollar-per-kilowatt count. For example, the $54,990 2.4-litre entry model asks $439.92 for every kW, compared with $627.62 for a BMW 318i sedan. Or how about the hot $69,990 2.5-litre V50 T5 wagon, at $462.90 per kW against the Audi A4 1.8T Avant's $605.07?

Okay, it's an odd equation and one tailored to the new Volvo's strengths. But it does prove a point: the prices are competitive and the S40 is not short of go. The entry 2.4-litre packs an impressive 125kW, while the top T5 boasts 162kW.

Does this focus on what's at the pointy end surprise you? Perhaps you haven't tuned in for a while. Sure, Volvo still leads the pack in safety technology - but sexy styling and dynamic appeal have also been a big part of the equation for the best part of a decade.

From the pictures you could easily confuse the S40 with its more sizeable siblings S60 and S80; it carries exactly the same styling signatures, including the prominent "shoulders" and oversized tail-lights. But in the metal it's amazing just how compact it is. At 4468mm the new car is 48mm shorter overall than the old S40. But the proportions are also radically different because the wheelbase is 78mm longer and the car is also 54mm wider. Tracks are increased by 63mm (front) and 57mm (rear).

Volvo is part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group (PAG) and the Belgian-built S40 has been designed around the same basic platform as the Mazda3 and forthcoming Ford Focus II - although little is actually carried over from car to car.

At the heart of the local S40/V50 lineup are five-cylinder engines. The entry $54,990 2.4i and mid-range $59,990 2.4i SE models are powered by a naturally aspirated five-pot producing 125kW and 230Nm. The sporty $69,990 T5 gets a 2.5-litre turbo unit that makes 162kW and 320Nm. Technically the turbo is a "light pressure" unit (presumably leaving room for a T5 R to come later), but it still shoves the sedan version to 100km/h in just 7.2 seconds. Five-speed automatic transmissions are standard, while you can turn any S40 sedan into a V50 wagon for an extra $3000.

Where the S40 might come under fire from some rivals is its front-drive configuration, since the most dynamically astute cars in the segment are rear-drive (BMW 3-series, Mercedes-Benz C-class). An answer - and a direct rival for the Audi A4 quattro - will come early next year with the arrival of an all-wheel-drive version of the T5. It will cost up to $5000 more than the front-drivers but will also carry higher specification.

Striking the exterior may be, but the real styling innovation comes in the S40's interior. The cabin architecture is a model of elegant simplicity - a direct contrast to the techno-clutter of some competitors. Dominating the dash is the much talked-about "floating" centre console, a slim stack of switchgear that links the instrument panel with the transmission tunnel while leaving free space behind. Funky, right?

But don't assume that Volvo is drifting away from the core values that helped to build the brand. The S40 is packed with active and passive safety features. Anti-lock braking with stability and traction control are standard (dynamic stability control is fitted to the T5), as are front, side and curtain airbags. Anti-whiplash front seats are also fitted.

The Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS) is an industry first. The car's computer monitors steering wheel movements, accelerator, indicators and other controls. If it determines that the driver requires full concentration - such as in an overtaking manoeuvre - it will delay signals from the (optional) integrated GSM phone and other non-essential in-car information until it is safe to provide it. The system is fitted to all S40 models regardless of equipment level.

Volvo also insists that the S40 is as safe in a crash situation as the larger S60 and S80. The frontal structure is divided into four zones, with no less than four different grades of steel used to more accurately control deformation during an impact.

The transversely-mounted five-cylinder engines have been redesigned to be 200mm slimmer than in other Volvo models, meaning that the engine can be pushed back 150mm in a collision before the block comes into contact with the cross-member near the bulkhead.

There is 70mm of free space between the cylinder head and bonnet for optimum pedestrian-impact protection - an increasingly important issue in European safety circles. The extra 54mm width over the previous car has also been used to improve side-impact protection.