Volvo V40 User Manual Page 4
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Rated. / 5. Based on customer reviews
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7
Mercedes A-Class vs Volvo V40 Road test
Road test
Verdict
THIS was a chance for the new A-Class to redeem
itself and justify the intense showroom interest. Yet
while this A200 CDI has more to offer then the petrol
car we tested rst, it remains awed as a family hatch.
We love its sharp styling and contemporary
design inside and out, but the unforgiving dynamic
set-up and claustrophobic cabin make far too many
sacrices to passenger comfort. Add in a gruff diesel
engine, plus intrusive wind and road noise, and the
A-Class falls well short of the standards set by rivals.
If the Comfort suspension offered some relief
from the stify sprung chassis, the A200 CDI would
be much easier to recommend. The car is efcient
and surprisingly quick, and company buyers will
be tempted by its low running costs.
In contrast, the shapely V40 is better equipped
and far more relaxing to drive. The ve-cylinder D3
engine injects the Volvo with more character and
performance than the D2 that lost out last time we
tested the V40. While it lacks the Mercedes’ grip and
composure at speed, the car is more relaxing in town
and on motorways. It’s easier to live with as a result.
Both cars compromise a certain amount of
practicality for the sake of exterior style, but
the A-Class goes one step further than the well
rounded V40 – and pays a high price for it.
WINNER
VOLVO V40
D3 SE LUX
hhhhh
SLEEK looks to match the Mercedes and a luxurious
and welcoming interior are the V40’s big strengths
– yet the characterful ve-cylinder engine mixes
punchy performance and low running costs, too. The
relaxed driving experience doesn’t offer the same
level of driver engagement as rivals, but the Volvo
is a better equipped and more rounded family car.
2nd
MERCEDES
A200 CDI
hhhh h
THE A-Class put up a better ght in this test, and the
margin of victory was narrow. But there’s no excusing
the bone-shaking ride and claustrophobic interior,
and all its rivals offer more performance for similar or
less money. The diesels are the pick of the range, but
despite those looks, the A-Class is hard to recommend.
CLEANEST A-CLASS?
ONLY one model in the new A-Class range
dips below the magic 100g/km CO
2
barrier
– the A180 CDI with a manual gearbox.
This features a 109bhp 1.5-litre engine
which emits 98g/km of CO
2
and returns
an official economy figure of 74.3mpg.
FOUR-DOOR MODEL?
YES, a saloon version of the A-Class is on
the way as part of a range of new models
based on the same platform – which will
even stretch to a small SUV. The four-door,
called the CLA, is due late next year, and
will get the same bold styling and ‘chrome
matrix’ grille as the CSC styling concept
seen at April’s Beijing Motor Show.
SPORTIER VOLVO?
ALTHOUGH we tested the V40 in SE Lux
trim, the aggressive R-Design version is
available to order now. Racy styling tweaks
include a lower air intake and chunkier
bumpers, while the flagship T5 petrol
version delivers 247bhp. Race specialist
Polestar has tuned the suspension and
the R-Design is available in Rebel Blue.
n Night Package £1,290
Comprises 18-inch wheels, dark glass,
xenons, gloss black trim to lift styling.
n DAB radio tuner £420
Crystal-clear digital radio system
offers a huge range of stations.
n Heated front seats £300
Three-stage electric heated seats
will keep you warm in the winter.
n Becker sat-nav £495
Neat plug-in module turns standard
audio system into navigation unit.
n Storage Pack £170
Brings handy luggage nets for the
seatbacks and footwells, and hidden
storage boxes under front seats.
Testers’ notes
*Part of pack. Bold = equipment fitted to our test car. Insurance quotes from AA (Tel 0800 107 0680 or www.theAA.com) for a male, aged 42, living in Banbury, Oxon, with three penalty points.
On the road price/total as tested
Residual value (after 3yrs/36,000)
Depreciation
Annual tax liability std/higher rate
Annual fuel cost (12k/20k miles)
Ins. group/quote/road tax band/cost
Cost of 1st/2nd/3rd service
Length/wheelbase
Height/width
Engine
Peak power/revs
Peak torque/revs
Transmission
Fuel tank capacity/spare wheel
Boot capacity (seats up/down)
Kerbweight/payload/towing weight
Turning circle/drag coefficient
Basic warranty (miles)/recovery
Service intervals/UK dealers
Driver Power manufacturer/dealer pos.
Euro NCAP: Adult/child/ped./stars
0-60/30-70mph
30-50mph in 3rd/4th
50-70mph in 5th/6th/7th
Top speed/rpm at 70mph
Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph
Auto Express econ (mpg/mpl)/range
Noise outside/idle/30/70mph
Govt urban/extra-urban/combined
Govt urban/extra-urban/combined
Actual/claimed CO
2
/tax bracket
Airbags/Isofix/rear parking sensors
Automatic box/stability/cruise control
Climate control/leather/heated seats
Metallic paint/xenons/keyless go
Sat-nav/USB/DAB/Bluetooth
MERCEDES
A200 CDI
£24,720/£32,735
£11,198/45.3%
£13,522
£789/£1,579
£1,874/£3,124
21/£589/C/£30
£175/£440/£175
4,292/2,699mm
1,433/1,780mm
4cyl in-line/1,796cc
134/3,600 bhp/rpm
300/1,600 Nm/rpm
7-spd auto/fwd
50 litres/foam
341/1,157 litres
1,475/525/1,400kg
11.0m/0.27Cd
3yrs (unltd)/4yrs
Variable/136
8th/10th
N/A
8.0/7.8 secs
3.1/4.0 secs
5.8/7.7/10.2 secs
130mph/1,800rpm
48.2/34.5/9.1m
70/46/63/70dB
41.3/6.8/454 miles
56.5/70.6/65.7mpg
12.4/15.5/14.5mpl
183/114g/km/16%
Seven/yes/£690*
Yes/yes/yes
£530/£1,480*/£300
£570/£1,430*/no
£495/yes/£420/yes
VOLVO V40
D3 SE LUX
£24,845/£26,945
£9,491/38.2%
£15,354
£793/£1,587
£2,000/£3,334
23/£408/C/£30
£315/£400/£315
4,369/2,647mm
1,445/1,802mm
5cyl in-line/1,984cc
148/3,500 bhp/rpm
350/1,600 Nm/rpm
6-spd manual/fwd
60 litres/foam
335/1,032 litres
1,484/536/1,500kg
10.8m/0.29Cd
3yrs (60k)/3yrs
18,000 (1yr)/136
10th/14th
98/75/88/5
8.5/8.3 secs
3.4/5.1 secs
6.6/8.5 secs/N/A
130mph/1,800rpm
49.1/35.0/9.8m
66/47/63/70dB
38.7/7.3/511 miles
53.3/74.3/65.7mpg
11.7/16.3/14.5mpl
196/114g/km/16%
Eight/yes/£325
£1,485/yes/yes
Yes/yes/yes
£550/yes/yes
£1,200*/y/£325/y
James saYs: Personally, I think the Volvo
has one of the best interiors in this class. The
luxurious seats and minimalist design add to
the car’s soothing feel. The forthcoming R-Design
model should also give the V40 a sportier edge
and help it to tackle sharper-driving rivals from
Mercedes
and BMW.
owen
saYs: While the A-Class CDI feels better to
drive than the wayward petrol model, it still falls
well short of being a cosseting family hatchback.
Even in Comfort spec, the ride is unrelentingly
firm. If you plan to carry passengers regularly,
you might be better off considering a softer
alternative, such
as the VW Golf.
RANGE SECRETS
Buying facts you need to know
TOP OPTIONS
extras to improve your a-class
Volvo V40 D3
“Boot space is tight,
but V40 has a wider
opening than the
narrow Mercedes”
Classy interior and
generous kit make
Volvo a contender
THE A-Class isn’t the only all-new
contender in the premium hatchback
class. The Volvo V40 is another stylish-looking
ve-door, and it has the right credentials to be
a strong alternative to the sporty Mercedes.
On the outside, the V40 matches the A200
CDI for style. The bold nose and distinctive
lines are neat, and a longer body means it
looks sleeker than the squat Mercedes. The
large black tailgate emulates the ageing C30
three-door, but even with twin exhausts it
doesn’t look quite as neat as the A-Class. And
the small wheels featured on the SE-spec
car in our pictures don’t ll the arches.
Still, the interior can’t be faulted for its
smart design. It looks modern, with Volvo’s
familiar circular controls, keypad and climate
control switches logically laid out on the
slender centre console. Our car came with
the optional TFT digital dials and illuminated
gearlever (£350), which look smart.
Comfort is another highlight. The plush
leather seats are supportive and, while rear
legroom is tighter than in the A-Class, larger
rear windows and light headlining mean it
feels more airy. Heated seats, rain-sensing
wipers and bi-xenon headlights are standard
on SE Lux models, as is keyless entry.
Boot space is tight, with only 335 litres
available – although both cars lag well behind
the class-leading VW Golf and BMW 1 Series
for capacity. Folding the rear seats raises this
to 1,032 litres, which is 125 litres behind the
A-Class, but useful touches include a folding
boot oor, bag hooks and under-oor storage.
Also, the V40’s rear loading hatch has a wider
opening than the narrow Mercedes.
The 2.0-litre D3 diesel is powerful, and
marked out by its distinctive ve-cylinder
soundtrack. However, our SE test car was held
back by its skinny tyres, and was ve-tenths
slower than the A-Class from 0-60mph at the
test track, with a time of 8.5 seconds. Despite
having a useful 50Nm more torque, it also
trailed in our in-gear tests. In the real world,
the difference is barely perceptible, while the
smooth and rened D3 diesel engine is less
intrusive than the A-Class on the motorway.
Our model’s smaller wheels boosted comfort
further, but we’d expected a bigger difference
over the A-Class, with rough surfaces exposing
a lack of composure in both cars. The V40 is also
less planted in corners, with more body roll and
steering that lacks weight and feedback. Plus, it
trailed on economy, returning a disappointing
38.7mpg – well short of the claimed gures.
Our £24,845 D3 SE Lux is £125 more
than the A200 CDI Sport, but even the lesser
SE has more kit and undercuts the A-Class –
although a six-speed automatic box is a £1,485
option on both models. Overall, the Volvo is a
compelling package that takes a very different
approach to the Mercedes. Is it a winner?
Styling hhhh
DISTINCTIVE design gives the
A-Class a run for its money,
although V40 looks better
in bolder colours than our
Biarritz Blue test model.
Interior hhhhh
STYLISH, minimalist design
and comfortable seats are
familiar Volvo touches. Build
quality is better than Merc’s.
Driving hhhh
V40 is relaxed rather than fun
to drive, soaking up bumps
well, and is a more settled
cruiser than the A-Class. Plus,
powerful engine is smoother.
Costs hhh
OUR £24,845 SE Lux is pricier
than the Sport-spec Mercedes
and won’t keep its value as
well. Yet SE spec has similar
equipment for £2,000 less.
Practicality
hhh
BOOT trails on space here,
but has some neat touches.
Rear seats feel roomier thanks
to the larger rear windows.
Safety hhhhh
THE V40 was awarded the
highest score ever seen in
Euro NCAP crash tests, due to
its suite of unique safety tech,
including a pedestrian airbag.
James Disdale
James_Disdale@dennis.co.uk
Owen Mildenhall
Owen_Mildenhall@dennis.co.uk
SPEC
SHEET
2 0 1 3
Your vie w s on your cars
www.autoexpress.co.uk/driverpower
RUNNING COSTS
38.7mpg (on test) £85 fill-up
PRACTICALITY
Boot
(seats up/down) 335/1,032 lts
PERFORMANCE
0-60 8.5
secs top speed
130mph
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