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Such amazing power has been known to corrupt obedient front-wheel drive chassis. Amazingly, the T40 does a good job of putting everything onto the pavement. The car is equipped with Dynamic Stability Assistance (DSA)—that’s traction control to you and me. Launch is drama-free, perhaps even underwhelming. At low revs, the engine feels similar to the Ford Expedition’s Triton V8. However, when the boost reaches generous levels, and the gearbox shifts to second, the tires scrabble for grip and the car comes alive. With the DSA switched on, mild chirps are all that are heard. There are no unwanted tugs of the wheels—directional stability is always present in the T4. The T4’s great ability is concealed by its mundane street clothes, particularly in the test car’s mild Bamboo Green paint. The 40-series is the plain Jane of the family, designed before Peter Horbury got his mitts on the line-up and started the svelte-Swede winning streak that Volvo’s been hitting lately. The silhouette and the rear of the S40 and V40 are completely generic. Remove the badges and the grille, and you can slap almost any Asian brand on this car. The front though has been looking a bit meaner since 2002, thanks to quad-projector headlamps, and in the case of the T4, surrounded by black bezels. This is the true Q-ship: no airdams, no spoiler or side skirts—just the oval tailpipe and the T4 badge. Despite Volvo’s penchant to end up as family transports, the T4, like the rest of the S40 line, isn’t built for a large family. A more appropriate description would be ‘personal transport’, since only small children cat fit in the rear bench. In fact, slide the front seats all the way aft and the people at the rear will literally end up with no knee room. However, the interior isn’t as claustrophobic as the BMW—thanks largely to the Volvo’s straight-edged interior design compared to the 3’s concave cockpit. Headroom is understandably limited because of the standard moon roof, but the overall space is still quite generous for the front passengers. Seat support, though not exactly sporty, is snug and provides excellent lateral support, perfect for long-distance travels or long waits in city traffic. The driving position and ergonomics are excellent though, with all major controls within arm’s length. Sitting position is quite low though—so low in fact, that T4 drivers will have to be content in not being able to stare a Mercedes-Benz C-class driver eye-to-eye. This can be discontenting even more when placed beside a Chevrolet Suburban. |
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