Volvo S40 survives the three horsemen of the automotive apocalypse

Now that’s a strange way to lead into a test-drive article, we know, but allow us to explain. Local car manufacturers — those who do their homework at least — are quite aware of the fact that, occasionally, motoring journalists prefer test driving vehicles along with peers who they are comfortable with. Many exchange notes, some switch driving duties to combat fatigue while others simply prefer the company on long drives. Not too long ago, one of these said manufacturers paired this writer with The Philippine STAR’s own Brian Afuang and Manila Times’ Vernon Sarne on a long, out-of-town drive. That, in a nutshell, is how this whole business about the three horsemen of the automotive apocalypse began. As soon as we got into that vehicle, it was almost symbiotic. Since that day, no one has been spared from our wrath. Everything from entry level to top of the line models have been scrutinized — with even little details like upholstery stitching getting the thumbs down from the unforgiving group. And, contrary to popular belief, we never set out to actually destroy vehicles as a trio — sometimes it just happens. But we digress. This article is, after all, about the new Volvo S40.

So there we were, on a sunny Saturday morning in July at the Viking Cars head office along Pasong Tamo in Makati, where we were to start our journey towards nearby Tagaytay. As soon as Messrs. Afuang and Sarne walked in, our peers in the media were already throwing around jokes about how the Volvo S40 would fare in trying to make it out of this test drive intact. To their credit, the people at Viking Cars put up a great collective "game face". If they were fazed by the radiance of our "obnoxious critics’ aura" — it certainly didn’t show. Either that or they were truly, genuinely confident that we couldn’t shoot down their new baby even if we tried.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

First things first. We may have a reputation as a hard-to-please trio but when we see something that we do appreciate, we say it like it is. Now, the first thing one notices about the S40 is the car’s all-new shape. The new S40 was obviously designed with more compasses than rulers — truly a reflection of the evolution of Volvo’s modern body design. Sexy, sweeping lines that run from the hood all the way to the rear of the car make it obvious that at least on the outside, the new S40 was a result of Volvo’s efforts to translate the elegant styling of the flagship S80 into compact car proportions. Here’s some interesting news, while the Volvo S40 is all of 48 millimeters shorter than its predecessor, it’s also 33 millimeters taller and 54 millimeters wider — even if it doesn’t immediately show. Thus, when set beside other compact cars — even the Japanese flag bearer Toyota Altis (in terms of exterior size) — it looks anything but compact. The terrible trio was thus in unison as we gave the S40’s exterior styling the collective thumbs up.

As we sat on the S40’s ergonomically-designed, sofa-like seats, we immediately noticed that the upholstery was not made of the ubiquitous plush European leather. Just when we were ready to shoot it down, we fell into a discussion on how this new material, which Volvo calls T-Tec, serves its purpose well. Almost as soft, but not as warm as leather, it was certainly comfortable — and it didn’t burn our fat @$$es even if the S40 was basking under an almost mid-day sun. More tightly-knit than regular cloth material used in entry-level vehicles, it didn’t invite dust into its very fiber. The lava gray shade of the seats also did wonders to enhance the warm interior illumination that made the car seem more inviting on the inside (helped immensely, no doubt, by a number of discreet lighting points). All that, plus the car’s added length and height and long wheelbase, which resulted in above-average legroom and headroom, made us give the S40 another passing mark.

Having driven a number of Volvos in the past, we were quite certain that the S40 was packed with safety features. Still, we wanted to be sure. A background check revealed that despite its relatively diminutive size (for a Volvo), the Scandinavian engineers and the Belgian construction team did not scrimp on the S40’s safety features. It had everything — from the must-have WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) and SIPS (Side Impact Protection System), side-impact airbags and inflatable curtains, to outer seats that can be fitted with integrated child booster cushions for children above three years of age, to bonnet and front wings designed to absorb collision energy to dynamic crumple zones that prevent the occupants from being crushed in case of an accident, the new Volvo S40 has it all.

Driving The S40

This writer took first dibs at the steering wheel — which of course was already equipped with an airbag and nifty audio system controls. Since we didn’t actually want to test if the former actually explodes upon impact, we decided to test the latter. While señor Sarne popped in some mood music, we played around with the audio system. The Dolby Pro Logic II equipped system did not disappoint — even if we had to listen to Andy Gibb falsetto his way through his greatest hits (a result, no doubt, of señor Sarne’s introspective mood at the time). Speaking of the audio system, its main unit is of course located along the S40’s stylish new center stack — which is without a doubt one of the car’s most distinguishing features.

Inspired by world-famous designer Arne Jacobsen’s classic compression-molded chairs Series 7 and the Ant chair, along with Alvar Aalto’s typically Nordic functional architecture and furniture design, the center stack exudes a clean, uncluttered feel. The center stack is a stand-alone free-floating, remote-control like panel where audio and climate controls are located. Behind it, an empty compartment that is easily accessible from either front seat. Downright elegant and ridiculously functional, the slim structure is a minimalist’s expression translated well into a vehicle’s interior proportions. It’s so ingenuous, it makes you wonder why it was never thought of before. Another plus for the S40? You bet!

Now as for the S40’s performance on the road, here’s what we have to say. A unique 5-cylinder in-line engine with a 2.4-liter displacement gives the new S40 enough torque at even low engine revs to provide ample acceleration. In the S40’s case, the 170 horses underneath its hood seem to work in unison most of the time. Although there is a lag in the response when you shift out into the manual shiftgate, the Geartronic system is mostly competent. We’re pretty sure that the S40 T5, which has all of 50 horses more and a much stouter 320 Nm of torque (the S40 churns out 230 Nm @ 4400 rpm), will address these concerns for the sportier set. The bottom line is that the S40 can hang with the best of them at high speed, even without the T5’s low-pressure turbo. Score another for the S40.

As for the S40’s handling, well, here’s where all that exterior styling seems to make even more sense. With its broad, now almost distinctly-Volvo shoulders, the car is immediately blessed with good aerodynamics. Add to this the fact that it is equipped with MacPherson struts up front and multi-link independent suspension with coil spring in the rear — both with stabilizer bars — and you’ll understand why the S40 can corner well at almost any speed — at least on the well-paved roads leading to Tagaytay. And, being a performance-oriented compact, the S40’s suspension is supple, not at all stiff. Considering that the previous S40 had driving characteristics to rave about, the new version had quite a reputation to live up to — and it does so with panache.

The Truth Of The Matter

Truthfully, after test driving the new S40, we were quite peeved to have been impressed so much that we could barely find fault in the vehicle. Our reputations as the evil horsemen of the automotive apocalypse were so badly tarnished by a high-performing S40 that we’re actually now reeling from the backlash. The people at Viking Cars have been spreading the word that we are actually anything but critical. Hrrmph!

Still, we have to be gentlemen about it and have thus learned to accept defeat with dignity. Whimpering, we approached Viking Cars’ AVP for Marketing Lyn Manalansang-Buena for some facts and figures on the S40’s performance in the local scene and were pleasantly surprised to find out that quite a number of people share our views about the S40. Since it was officially launched to the buying public last May 28, for example, the S40 has made believers (and buyers) out of 30 people. The number, Manalansang-Buena says, is very encouraging considering the current state of the auto industry and the caliber of automobiles that rival companies have been making available to the buying public. "It took us only about three weeks to sell the initial batch of S40s. We attribute this success to the fact that we were able to offer the market the best valued choice in the luxury compact car segment," Manalansang-Buena stressed. Right. Rub it in, Lyn. Word has it that Viking Cars has increased its projections and will soon adjust the S40’s availability to meet the local market’s demands.Regular readers of The Philippine STAR’s Business Motoring section are probably aware of the fact that we collate our data at the end of every year and come up with our "ten best lists" from our five regular contributors. Are we to expect the new Volvo S40 to figure prominently in this year’s list the way its predecessor did in last year’s? Screw our reputation — the horsemen be damned — but it sure looks like the new Volvo S40 is a sure bet to make the list.

The Good

• It looks absolutely sweet

• Class-defining interior ergonomics

• Responsive engine

• Nice, sturdy feel

• Can corner with the best of them

The Bad

• A slight lag in the transmission response in the manual shifgate — so far the only thing we could find that needs improvement in this European cutie

The Verdict

• As of presstime, it’s sold out. Need we say more?