S40?

Any feedback about new S40? I've got quite impressed about this car and I
would like to get more information on it. Thanks in advance.

Rodolfo

 

From what I can gather from the Car and Driver Magazine preview it is based
on a new platform co-designed with Mazda, and Ford. It will be the chassis
of smaller cars by Volvo, Mazda, and Ford. Power is pure Volvo: 5 cylinder
motors of 168hp and 218 hp. The 218Hp is in the T5 version, has 236lbft of
torque. There will be an AWD version coming later on, as well as the V50
wagon.

Apparantly it's almost as fun to drive as the S60R, and that dashboard and
whole cabin layout looks pretty sweet. Standard transmissions are now
offered, I believe with 6 speeds, automatic is availible as well, of course.

If the car is really good, I think in 3 years or so I will trade in my Golf
TDI (it'll be 8 years old then.... oh wow... i'll get nothing for it) for
one, and if I don't like it... who knows, might just buy the 960 off the
parents and have them get a new V70 ;-).

 

You mean it doesn't share platform with the Mitsubishi Carisma
anymore?

I thought something like that was only going to happen for MY2005???

In any case, here's one place the original poster can go to...

http://www.carreview.com/Midsize/Compact/Volvo/PRD_301_1531crx.aspx

 

Correct, that combination was built in the dutch plant at Born. The new S40
wil be built in Belgium (Genk?), while Born makes the new Smart and another
model based on the same platform.

 

The new S40 looks like a smaller S60 now, and is built on a new global
platform under the Ford family of companies. The main developers of it seem
to be Volvo and Mazda tho... Ford seem to be just using other peoples
technology, hell they are builing three cars off the Volvo P2 platform for
the upcoming few model years.

There is no mitsubishi infulences in the new design. Looks like a great car,
i'd buy one if I had the money just from the pictures and previews I have
seen.

 

It looks more like a small s80 to me. s60 has a unique greenhouse. s40
also looks a bit Audi-ish.


The main developers of it seem

Actually, Ford has a lot to do with the platform. Volvo and Mazda are
using their highly praised Focus chassis.

Ben

 

Correction, they are using a brand new platform, that will be used on the
Euro spec Focus that is being released soon (only in Europe). America won't
see that car for a few more years, we will have to live with the old Focus
for now, as they just got the bugs out of it (funny the models assembled in
Germany for europe aren't plagued with problems, my father drove a Focus
wagon on the autobahn and said it was quite a nice little car... he drove a
sedan here and said it was mediocre at best... go figure). The platform was
first used my Mazda with the 3, and 3 Sportwagon. Now Volvo with the S40,
V50, Ford is last to use it.

I'm sure Ford contributed many things to it, the Focus is a pretty decent
handling car. I have no doubt that it will be up to Volvo standards,
especially over the old S/V40.

 

The Focus, the present European Focus, has been highly praised and the
new platform's chassis is mostly based on Ford's control blade chassis.
So, alot of the improved dynamic qualities are part of Ford's (Europe
Ford's) work. The American Ford is a cheapened version, an economy car
with solid handling. Volvo's strength is the crashworthiness and that
was much of Volvo's contributions. I think 60 percent of the car is
shared but reports are that there are huge differences between the feel
of the three cars.

At any rate, the new s40 looks like it is the s80/s60 family, is an
improved vehicle. With the new looks and excellent dynamics, and Volvo
crashworthiness, it should be a much better seller.

Ben

 

I have looked at the new S40 and really liked it over the old one. My hope
is that the reliability of Volvo improves as it was hurting to see this
company have more and more reliability problems. I have owned a P1800 and a
544 that were nearly unbreakable but over the years I got away from Volvo as
owners started to have more and more complaints about engines and
drivelines. eddie