"It's a Volvo Jim, but not as we know it." OK I admit it, at first I found the T4 a bit bland. Somehow it just didn't seem to stir me and I found myself struggling to find things to say, after all I don't own a pair of driving gloves and nor do I play Bowls. A week later and it's grown on me, I've come to realise the Volvo S40 T4 is actually a sweet bit of kit!
Volvo has been working away at changing the blocky Swedish tank and myopic low performance driver image for some time now, and after driving the T4 I reckon the time has come to bury the stereotype and move on.
From the outside the T4 has clean attractive lines, and with the rear spoiler perched atop the boot there's a subtle hint of menace especially in black. Under the bonnet there's a front wheel drive 2.0-litre turbo-charged four-cylinder engine producing 147kW of power and 300Nm of torque. Drive is by five speed adaptive automatic transmission or five speed manual.
Traction control comes in the form of Dynamic Stability Assistance (DSA) and power gets to the ground via a set of 205/50 ZR16 Pirellis. Pinning the plot down there's four wheel disc brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). This system is fully integrated within the ABS and regulates the braking force to the rear wheels according to the weight being carried to achieve optimum retardation.
While comfort levels for the driver are high in the T4, the passengers are slightly less well catered for. The front passenger seat lacks the sophisticated adjustability for height and position and sits the passenger somewhat low down in the car. The amount of space in the rear brought about complaints relating to leg room from the adult sized kids used as part of the journalistic process. The general consensus being that while OK for the school run, it'd be hard to accept on a long run.
However, for the driver the experience is a pleasant one. Set the climate control to 20 degrees and relax. All the controls and features are easy to use and easy to see, and once you've settled into the leather seat and adjusted everything, the cockpit of the T4 is a good place to be. While on the subject of features, the 6 speaker CD/radio/tape system - which has the all important fade to the rear function for the family with a taste for thrash/grunge/Britney Spears - is a beauty with high quality sound reproduction. Not only that but it has that auto-volume gizmo that increases the volume the faster you go.
Once on the move, the cabin is acceptably quiet and the car rides the about town lumps and bumps with a nice soft ride. The engine is a strong and willing unit that's just as happy to be just dawdling around, or alternatively ripping up the rev counter, especially when the turbo makes its presence known at about 3500rpm.
There's certainly no shortage of power anywhere through the rev range and the car feels fast. That said, for some reason the kick down suffers from a noticeable delay especially when feeding in power on the exit from corners, and it feels flat until the gearbox finally drops down.
At that point the revs zap up the dial, the front goes light and squirmy and the car takes off. Loads of fun if you're expecting it, but even with the traction control engaged causes the car to understeer as the wheels spin and grip intermittently.
Unfortunately during the test period there was no rain to see how the car behaved on wet roads, but I suspect that the understeer would be more of an issue, especially on roundabouts. Of course, depending on your view point the upside is that the car is likely to be hugely entertaining.
Overall though, the T4 handles well. Despite steering that lacks a bit of feedback, it tracks where you want and feels nicely weighted. There's more roll than I'd expected courtesy of the soft springs, but the integrity of the chassis makes up for it and allows the driver to drive the car with a bit of spirit and enjoy the performance the engine offers.
Among the detail touches that I really liked are things like the pockets on the front of the seats. I like the petrol cap being attached to the car by a cord so you don't lose it, and I especially liked the licence saving cruise-control that works to below 60kph.
As far as fuel economy goes the car tells you what the average is, and during the test period of mixed driving reported a commendable 10.7L/100km. The other thing the car can do is to calculate how far you can go on the remaining fuel in the tank. A much-appreciated feature on a long run up the bush!
Summing up the T4 is hard, as it's not at all like the stereotypical Volvos that most people think of. Sure it's got great safety features, performance and quality, but now it's got a decent slice of style and attitude as well. It's good to drive and it's not boring; I liked it.