C O V E R     S T O R Y

There’s a scene in the 1996 Hong Kong movie, Feel 100%, where the leading woman tells the leading man that she’s fallen out of love with him.  She complains that he’s not as daring as he used to be.  He asks why.  She tells him, “It’s because you’re a doctor and you drive a Volvo.”

Ouch.  That’s a big blow to any man’s masculinity.  Then again, you can’t blame her.  Sweden has never been the home of the most hot-blooded cars on the planet.  Think about it: the Italians have Ferraris, the Germans, BMWs; the Japanese, the usual assortments of Imprezas and RX-8s.  What do the Swedes have?  An Impreza in Saab drag (the new 9-2X).

Sure, it’s fine to say that they build the safest cars.  But the fact that Volvos score a perfect five out of five in all impact tests known to man won’t exactly raise the pulse.  Besides, the Germans are probably just as safe.  Nowadays, it’s just as important for car buyers to see and feel the distinction rather than just to experience it in a crash.  It’s a good thing that Volvo is finally beginning to understand this, and realize this in their new S40.

The prehistoric chassis of the outgoing model have been thankfully scrapped in favor of an all-new platform shared with the Ford Focus and Mazda3.  The main surprise here is that the S40 still manages to retain the “Volvoness” of old.  This translates to a safe and predictable handling with modest amounts of understeer (more than the Mazda), and a weighty steering feel.  That said, it lacks BMW 3-series feedback, although it has been greatly improved over the old S40.  Despite the generally heavy feel of the car, it manages to dish up a great deal of traffic maneuverability.

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