Volvo S40

Volvo S40 at a glance

Volvo had planned to call the cars S4 and F4. Audi had already reserved S4, so the saloon became the S40 and the estate the V40. Current Volvo models are in the Volvo catalogue.

Generations

S40 I (1995-2004): the NedCar years

The first S40 went on sale in August 1995 and made its show debut in Frankfurt the following month; the V40 estate premiered in Bologna in December 1995. It was the first full model under design director Peter Horbury. The car shared its platform with the Mitsubishi Carisma and was the last Volvo built at NedCar.

A "Phase II" update in July 2000 brought new engine management, direct-injection diesels, larger brakes, a new front suspension, wider tracks and a light facelift. A further update in late 2002 added a new grille, a three-spoke steering wheel and side curtain airbags. North America got the car from the 2000 model year, with the 1.9 turbo only.

The S40 also raced. It was homologated for Super Touring on 1 January 1997, ran in the British Touring Car Championship with Tom Walkinshaw Racing from 1997 to 1999 and took the 1998 drivers' title with Rickard Rydell.

S40 II (2003-2012): the P1 compact

The second generation was shown in Frankfurt in September 2003, and production started in Ghent the following month. It used the Volvo P1 platform, which shares parts with the European Ford Focus and the Mazda3. The V50 estate followed a few months later, and from March 2006 the S40 was also built by the Changan Ford Mazda joint venture in China.

This was the first small Volvo with a five-cylinder engine. The T5 AWD combined a Volvo powertrain with a Getrag gearbox and a Haldex all-wheel-drive system. The car was refreshed in 2007 with better audio, more storage, emergency brake lights, optional active bi-xenon headlights and the BLIS blind-spot system. In May 2010 it gained a larger Volvo logo and a new engine range, including the D2, D3 and D4 diesels. Production ended in May 2012; the 2011 model year was the last in the US and Canada.

Engines and performance

Two ADAC data sheets for the facelifted second generation show the spread of the range:

Dimensions and boot

The facelifted S40 II is 45 mm shorter than the last first-generation car but has a wheelbase 83 mm longer. Compare it with today's compact saloons using the size comparison tool.

Running costs and prices

The most frugal S40 was the 2010 DRIVe diesel, rated at 3.8 l/100 km and 99 g/km in the NEDC cycle. The T5 used more than twice as much fuel on paper, 8.7 l/100 km. In Germany the facelifted S40 1.6 started at EUR 21,890 in April 2007, and a T5 Summum AWD Geartronic cost EUR 40,020 in 2009 (ADAC list prices). ADAC lists the first S40 1.8 of February 1996 at the equivalent of EUR 19,500.

Safety

The first-generation S40 was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 1997 and was the first car to earn a four-star rating. The second generation was rated five stars by ANCAP in Australia in 2004, with 13.15 of 16 points in the frontal offset test, the full 16 in the side test and 2 of 2 in the pole test; pedestrian protection was rated marginal. Stability control was optional. For newer cars, see our safety rankings.

Reliability and known issues

We have not found a sourced reliability study specific to the S40, so we do not list typical faults. As with any car of this age, condition and service history matter more than the badge.

Sales, awards and the end of the S40

The RAC credited the first generation with making buyers see Volvo as a credible compact executive brand. The second generation was a World Car of the Year 2005 nominee, Canadian Car of the Year in the Best New Sport Compact class for 2005 and South African Car of the Year 2005. Global sales of the S40 II peaked at 72,329 in 2006 and fell to 12,354 in 2012, when production ended. In 2016 the Concept 40.2 previewed a possible saloon successor, but the next 40-series cars became the XC40 and, under a separate brand, the Polestar 2.

Rivals

In its time the S40 competed with the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class at the top end of the compact class, and with well-equipped versions of its platform sisters, the Ford Focus saloon and the Mazda3 saloon, at the lower end.

Photo gallery