GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Volvo reveals V40 ahead of debut

Volvo's V40 is shaping up to be a real winner in the market, if its substance can match its style. Certainly the car company itself seems to expect the V40's design and packaging will resonate with customers at an elemental level.

In a press release issued overnight and accompanying official images of the new car, Volvo president Stefan Jacoby explained that the V40's design was the result of considerable customer feedback.

"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," said Jacoby.

"The all-new V40 wraps you in a super-comfortable cockpit with outstanding ergonomics and technology that make you feel informed, focused and relaxed. This driver-centric approach is what modern Volvos are all about."
 
The new hatch, which will compete with Volkswagen's Golf and any number of other small-car rivals, will be unveiled to the public when the Geneva motor show opens its doors next week and further information about the new car is bound to be forthcoming then. But for the moment Volvo is content to reveal the V40 will be powered by a range of engines including a diesel that emits just 94g/km of CO2 and a turbo petrol (T5) engine developing 187kW and capable of propelling the V40 to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds.

Volvo plans to introduce the new model with auto stop/start and brake energy recovery across the range, for both manual and auto variants. Of at least equal significance to Volvo buyers will be the level of safety features the V40 will deliver. Despite its compact dimensions, the V40 will come to market with the sort of protective gadgets reserved for larger and more expensive cars, including Lane Keeping Aid with auto steering. The V40 will also pioneer two features altogether new to the market: Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake and an airbag to protect the pedestrian in a worst case scenario.

"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 stay alert and well informed to avoid collisions and dangerous situations," Håkan Abrahamsson, V40 Vehicle Program Manager, was quoted saying in the press release.

"With this class-leading safety package, including enhanced focus on pedestrian protection, the all-new V40 aims for a full star rating in the new, sharpened 2012 Euro NCAP safety tests."

To be built at the company's Ghent (Belgium) factory, the V40 is forecast to sell 90,000 units a year, but 85 per cent of the factory's output will go to European customers, the company claims. 

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