Volvo refreshes the S40 sedan and V50 wagon inside and out

Volvo refreshes the S40 sedan and V50 wagon inside and out

2008 Volvo S40 sedan/V50 wagon
By: Jim Robinson

COLOGNE, Germany: At the recent launch of the 2008 V70 wagon and XC70 crossover utility, Volvo also unveiled the 2008 S40 sedan and V50 wagon.

Visually, changes on the S40/V50 pick up on the styling cues of the topline 2008 Volvo S80 sedan. It gives the S40 a lower, wider stance that is accentuated by a new grille, new headlights and a lower air intake that flows lengthwise beneath the bumper. With a larger Volvo badge, the entire treatment is simpler than the three-element design of the previous models.

On the V50, there is a black egg crate grille similar to the S40 but it has three lower air intakes.

At the rear of the S40/V70, the taillights are raised 30 mm and now house LEDs. The rear bumper appears broader and has integrated reflectors on the bottom corners.

"The improved shape and position of the exhaust tailpipes is a good example of how a little extra visual touch can create a highly potent impression," said Steve Harper who is in charge of the design updates for the S40/V50.

Brake lights now have Volvo's Emergency Brake Lights (EBL) function that comes into play when the driver brakes hard causing the brakes lights to flash quickly to alert the motorist behind.

At the front end, optional Bi-Xenon headlights have an active swivel function that aims the beam of light in the direction the car is going in relation to speed and position of the steering wheel.

A major area of concern was interior storage, the door panels and centre stack in particular. The lower section of both front doors was changed and speakers reshaped so the storage area can now handle a large book, an upright pop can or a water bottle on its side. Storage between the front seats was enlarged thanks to a more compact handbrake.

There is a flip up beverage holder on the back of the centre console for back seat passengers, plus a sliding cover over the larger centre storage bins that has two cup holders.

"We've even utilized the small spaces that are usually covered over when they're not housing controls for options or accessories," Harper said.

The S40 and V70 each come in three versions. The standard engine is a 2.4-litre, DOHC inline five cylinder producing 168 hp with a choice of a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic with Geartronic sequential manual shift mode. There are two T5 models available in either front- or all-wheel-drive. The T5 has a 2.5-litre inline five-cylinder twin cam engine turbocharged to produce 227 hp. The T5 is offered with six-speed manual or five-speed automatic with Geartronic.

Volvo's Dynamic Stability and Traction Control is now standard on the S40/V50.

Prices for the S40 quoted in Cologne were $31,495 for the base S40, $37,495 for the T5 and $39,995 for the T5 AWD. The V50 starts at $32,995, $38,895 for the T5 and $41,495 for the T5 AWD. The sunroof adds $1,400 and the Geartronic automatic is an additional $1,500.

The S40/V50 both utilize the slim centre stack that houses climate control functions and now accommodates a choice of three different audio systems. The top of the range is the Premium system with a digital amplifier from Alpine to power the Dolby Pro Logic Surround Sound system with loudspeakers supplied by Danish maker, Dynaudio.

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