Volvo 40 SE: a safe bet?

High-tech safety features, strong performance, low emissions – and staggering fuel economy, GreenFleet’s strapping Roland Rendell predicts the Volvo V40 will be a hit with fleet buyers.

I was amazed to hear, around 18 months ago, that Volvo produced more models that are London Congestion Charge exempt, than any other OEM. Can anyone back this up? Answers on the e-mail please. But when you look at the stats, they certainly speak for themselves.

I took delivery of the new V40 SE, with a 1560cc turbodiesel 4 cylinder engine. The CO² is a reported 94g/km, which is very impressive, and road tax free. The thing I needed to find out is whether there was any compromise.

FIRST THOUGHTS
First impressions were good. From the outside, this Focus sized 5-door hatchback – the first they have produced in many years – looks very nice. Good, clean lines, the long, drooped snout of a bonnet, and the roof aerofoil all add to the look of a refined speed merchant. The Caspian Blue metallic paint (a £550 extra) was very appealing too.

Open the door and it was everything I expected. The charcoal grey upholstery was complimented by the Shimmer Graphite centre stack. Everything looked like it belonged; it was all in the right places. As is more common these days, it was keyless starting, so I dipped the clutch, pushed the Start button, and it purred to life. And your eyes are then drawn to the dash, behind an all-singing, all-dancing steering wheel. The central speedometer dial has ‘wings’ either side that show revs and your throttle use. There’s the gear change indicator on the right and the fuel gauge on the left, and they all light up and combine to make a very impressive sight.

There’s a screen that highlights the performance of the car, an entertainment system, hands-free telephone and climate control. I must say though, I was a bit disappointed that for a car that will set you back over £21,000, you will still need to go out a buy a sat-nav.

PERFORMANCE
Shift in to first, pull away, and it’s not too bad. The initial acceleration isn’t mind blowing at first, with the 0-60 timed at just under 12 seconds. However, once it gets going, the 114bhp and 270Nm of torque kicks-in and the car pulls very strongly indeed. The 6-speed manual gearbox is smooth, and not clunky at all. The ride is quite low, so even at a lower speed, it feels like you’re travelling much faster. The car handles very well, with a great response when you steer, with the PAS helping to guide this 4.4m long car around.

Volvo have really taken care of safety, adding several high tech features, including the intriguingly sounding ‘Lane Keeping Aid with haptic auto steering’ and ‘Park Assist Pilot’.

FUEL FACTS
So, after a few hours taking in a bit of town, I started to look at the hard facts. What’s my MPG? I must say, very impressive, at a whopping 64mpg. Not quite the 70.6 urban figure they quote themselves, but nevertheless it’s still great for your rep around town.

Out on the bigger carriageways, and this motor then starts to really come in to its own. I managed just shy of 80mpg, but that was me applying your typical eco-driving recommended speed of 55mph(ish) to my journey. This car will easily do in excess of 110mph, so not too sure if that figure is achievable at full motorway speed, but when you add it up, the performance of this car will certainly have fleet managers grouping it in the ‘should certainly consider’ column, at the very least.

What you then need to do is the maths. First up, let’s not forget, there’s no road tax. In terms of fuel use, certainly up there with the very best. The BIK is 13 per cent, and the model I drove, including the metallic paint, rear park assist, high performance multi-media (questionable use of wording there, without a sat-nav), comes in at £22,890 OTR. We all know that from the drivers point of view, this car is definitely a safe bet, given its safety focus and fuel efficiency. In terms of ride and drive quality, it’s in the same league as the Germans. But, in my humble opinion, I would like a bit more ‘bang for my buck’, to really make this car a no-brainer.

E-mail: ROLAND RENDELL
rendell@greenfleet.net