C O V E R     S T O R Y

Now, more than ever, the lines of automotive design and engineering are beginning to blur.  American sedans, once noted for their crudeness are gaining European sophistication; Korean reliability and durability is heading well into contention with the Japanese; the British, for all their pride on identity is starting to get a bit Teutonic.  Even the quiet Scandinavian nation of Sweden isn’t spared from this inevitable global trend, and the new Volvo S40 T4 can attest to this.

Once content with designing cars which can survive when slammed into a moose and be surefooted during freak hailstorms, Volvo has turned its sights into something that’s certainly more evident to anybody outside the fridged realm of the Artic: downright performance.  Without compromising the brand’s core values (safety, durability and build), the S40 T4 has been redesigned from the ground up to fix all of the original design’s flaws and then some.

Though the underpinnings are still based off the Mitsubishi Carisma, Volvo engineers heavily modified it.  The results are nothing short of extraordinary.  The MacPherson Strut / Independent Multi-Link set-up provide a good combination of twisty-bits excitement and long-distance touring comfort.  The suspension is firm, but supple providing good communication with the road.  In addition, there’s tremendous grip, especially through the tighter corners thanks to the T4’s relatively low-ratio 205/50 ZR 16 tires.

That said there are still some indications that lead to the car’s ancient origins.  First is the way the suspension absorbs sharp bumps such as humps.  The jolt is still very discontenting—similar to the previous generation Mitsubishi Lancer.  In addition, though the steering is properly weighed and balanced, the T4 doesn’t react as lightning quick as any from the BMW 3-series line-up.

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