Test drive Volvo S40 2000 - 2004 sedan
"Minimum" Volvo
S40 as the personification of the Swedish style
I don’t think that the new Volvo S40 will be sold on the IKEA network, but perhaps she would be there in place. Therefore, for example, which is completely suitable for the definition of Swedish minimalism, like all other goods offered in these stores. There are plenty of fans of the Scandinavian style in the world, and there is no doubt that the novelty will find demand. Moreover, it is oriented primarily precisely on export. In Sweden itself, consumers in their mass prefer more cars - there are few people, but there are many roads, and in general - a lot of living space. Compactness, however, suggests a more moderate price, so there is also no doubt in Russian prospects of the model. It remains only to evaluate the product. More less
To begin with, the Swedes acted contrary to the prevailing tradition, and made a new car no longer, but shorter than its predecessors, 48 \u200b\u200bmm. But at the same time, the cabin became much freer. How is it possible? Very simple: the car was heard by a 54 mm wide and grown by 44 mm. The level of comfort increased, in particular, and by increasing the wheelbase by as much as 78 mm. However, before being located in the cabin, take a look at the car outside. And we admit that the S40 is a reduced copy of the S60 model. No matter what representatives of the company say there. In the same way as the S60 is S80 in miniature. After all, the subtleties like an elegant bend of the roof and tilt of the rear racks a la coupes are able to evaluate far from every consumer. The main thing for him is to be beautiful. And as soon as it is, it is, then there is nothing shameful in the external similarity of models. On the contrary, we can fully talk about a kind of corporate identity. Ultimately, just for these trapezoidal lights, a protruding nose and rounded sides, many fell in love with Volvo.
However, in the case of S40, there were not without new -fangled details. For example, without repeaters of turns signals in the mirrors (with a light hand, Mercedes is not installed on new models only a lazy manufacturer). I would not find fault with the roof fin on the roof, suspiciously reminiscent of the BMW antenna. The main thing is that borrowings are successful, especially in the S40 there are two times, and expected. In general, this is a truly Swedish car under a fairly prestigious Volvo brand. Attractive and, according to the new philosophy of the company, sports. The last aspect was emphasized especially, in particular, the versions of a car with a capacity of 170 and 220 forces proposed for a test. By the way, the charged S40, which, by tradition, has the designation T5, outwardly does not differ from the usual: two brilliant pipe of the exhaust system and 17-inch discs instead of standard 16-inch. For an additional fee, you can order a modification of Sport Styling, which will differ in aerodynamic overlays on the thresholds, spoilers on the front and rear bumper and on the lid of the trunk, and a 20 mm clearance lowered. It looks very aggressive, but in content it is no different from the standard one. But if the exterior of the car allows us to talk about the design tradition, then the interior is, of course, a revelation. It was in the decoration of the salon that the same Swedish minimalism was fully manifested. Designers admitted a press conference that they scooped inspiration in the works of famous Scandinavian masters, for example, in the simplicity and at the same time sophistication of furniture from Alvar Alto. And the seats were created by the famous Arne Jacobson, which, thanks to their extraordinary subtlety, made it possible to seriously extend the internal space. At the same time, sitting in them is very convenient, and the widest range of electrical adjustments allows you to get settled with maximum comfort. In addition, the steering column moves, which also affects the best on the ergonomics of the driver's seat.
Nevertheless, the crown of creation in the cabin is the central console. The car world did not yet know such a decision. The console is a rather thin strip connected to a torpedo in the upper part and a tunnel smoothly flowing into a dividing driver and passenger. It looks very original, and, most importantly, not to the detriment of functionality. On the contrary, there was another compartment for storing any little things behind the console. Frankly, for a long time I have not seen such revolutionary and successful decisions. In general, for the console alone, design work deserves the highest rating. On the central console itself - many buttons and four round levers. Bright and clear icons help to understand their purpose, and small ledges do not allow you to confuse the buttons when pressing. The two upper levers are controlled by an audio system, the lower ones - a climatic installation that allows the driver and passenger to choose a different temperature. The audio system itself, which, by the way, can be controlled with the help of buttons on the steering wheel, it sounds excellent, for which special thanks to Alpine and Harman specialists should be said. True, we are talking about the Dolby Surround Pro Logic II set for an additional fee. On the same panel there are four additional control buttons for the board computer, which gives the driver the opportunity to adjust some parameters of the car for himself. For example, choose whether to close the doors at the start or leave the near light of the headlights for a certain time turned on in the dark to illuminate the path to the house.
A little below the console - the handle of the gearbox, the cigarette lighter and the disconnection button for the branded DSTC stabilization system. It is noteworthy: there is no ashtray. There are only two cup holders, in the place of which, apparently, for an additional fee and you can install this accessory for the smoker. The only thing that in the interior, which was made, of course, with taste seemed to me somewhat awkward is the location of the ignition lock. For some reason, it is not in the usual place, but in the immediate vicinity of the instrument panel. Well, you will not find any special delights in the shield itself. And yet, in general, the salon makes a very pleasant impression. Its undeniable advantages should also include the space for the legs of the rear passengers and the ability to fold the rear seats in whole and frequent. With the help of a simple operation, you can increase the volume of the luggage compartment, which is already not small - 404 liters. Related as a narrow opening through which the luggage will have to be called.
And T5 is the beast ...
Five cylinders, low -pressure turbocharges, 220 liters. with. And the six -speed mechanical gearbox promised a fun trip. In addition, the roads at the venue of the test are pretty well known to me, and in this way, quickly setting up a chair and a steering wheel, I leave the parking lot. And then I hear an unpleasant buzz - oh, yes, I forgot to fasten! This should be done immediately, otherwise very soon the buzzing will go into a terrible screech. And - right, security is above all. The first acceleration delivered joy - in the numbers declared by the manufacturer 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds, you believe unconditionally. One seemed strange - why was a clear slip at the start did not feel on the steering wheel? But with tangible effort on the steering wheel and feedback, it should be excellent. Well, oh well, I'll check it a little later, on the serpentine. Now under the wheels - the autoretic, and I did not have time to reach the third gear, as the speedometer arrow has already exceeded the mark of 100 km/h. The jerks were somewhat surprised when switching the checkpoint, despite the fact that I worked very carefully with the clutch. Very soon, I realized that the matter was in the short course of the pedal, in which the moment of clutch is extremely difficult to catch - it comes sharply, and at the very beginning. However, you can get used to it, and after a couple of tens of kilometers I still managed to avoid unnecessary shocks. But what was really pleasant was the short and clear move of the gearbox lever - it is almost impossible to make a mistake in choosing the right transmission.
On the S40 motorway, I pleased with absolute silence in the cabin - 40 or 140 on the speedometer, inside so quiet that even adding the volume of the audio system to nothing. The sound of the motor begins to penetrate into the salon only after the tachometer arrow goes around 4000 rpm. In fairness, I’ll say that the T5 engineers could mostly work on the melody of the power unit - a certain inconsistency of temperament and its sound accompaniment is felt.
Probably, for this reason, I did not even notice how easily I scored 200 km/h, and almost missed the right exit from the highway. I had to sharply upset the car, and with a screech of tires to fit into the turn. But there was a great opportunity to check the brakes that left the best impression. The pedal, albeit tough, can easily determine the degree of pressing the necessary in a particular situation, and for a complete stop at a speed of 100 km/h, according to the manufacturer, only 38 meters are required. True sportswear like Porsche 911 can boast of similar characteristics. On all S40 wheels, there are disk ventilated brakes, there are electronic distribution systems EBD and help with emergency braking Brake Assist. Finally, I go to the track that is familiar through the previous test, leading to the Ronda mountain village. There are few cars, so on each straight area you can well promote the motor. Here the turn is ahead - braking, turning the steering wheel, gas again. The Volvo S40 will obey the teams implicitly, but there is still not enough feedback on the steering wheel, with all the severity of the steering settings. With this temperament, I would like to better imagine what is happening between the wheels and the road. There are practically no body rolls, and in which case the stabilization system is ready to help - it acts unobtrusively, and, in general, should not interfere with the driver. So, in one of the turns, apparently, an unpleasant mud track remained from the previously traveled truck. The body began to be demolished, and the DSTC came into effect at the same time with me, very correctly submitting the right wheel and tucking the car into the turn.
But - here's the bad luck: at the exit of the turn I rest against the tail of a huge, sluggishly current traffic jam, collected by some truck. Okay, you can take a breath a little and relax. Pay attention, for example, to the excellent burden of the power unit: on the second, or even on the third transfer, the motor, without showing obvious signs of discontent, confidently dispersed the car even from 500 rpm. A dozen kilometers in traffic allowed us to conclude that, despite the sports disposition of T5, it is quite possible to go on this car calmly, enjoying the contemplation of the surrounding landscapes. In a word, the Volvo S40 T5, in my opinion, is suitable for everyday ride in a large city, and for a portion of adrenaline, if it is not enough in the body. Meanwhile, my colleague and I safely reached the place of lunch, after which we were expected by the S40 with a less powerful power unit with a volume of 2.4 liters. Automat is a thinker
We take the keys, climb into the salon and immediately notice the differences: instead of the skin - a fabric, which, nevertheless, did not make the chair less comfortable; The central console is trimmed under a tree, and not aluminum, as in T5; In place of the 6-speed mechanics you like, the lever of a 5-speed automatic transmission is located. Frankly, I regretted that I started with the most powerful version of the car - after its dynamic qualities, the temperament of an ordinary S40 was not impressed. However, this power unit also has enviable traction. The rolls of the body in the bends are slightly more noticeable, and the reactions to the turns of the stumps are slightly more blurred. But this is due to 16-inch discs with rubber of a higher profile than on T5. Otherwise, everything is at the level. Except for an automatic checkpoint ...
All the same mountain serpentine, a rather even area, behind which a protracted rise follows. Speed \u200b\u200b- about 90 km/h. On the rise, the car begins to slowly slow down. I press the gas pedal a little - no effect. Even stronger - again to no avail. And only when the pedal is squeezed to capacity, the electronics decided to switch to a low gear. Ahead is a turn. I drop the gas, turn the steering wheel and press the pedal again. The machine for discharge of gas crossed a step higher, and when pressed on it, he remained, despite the fact that the tachometer arrow was in the region of 2500 rpm, and the pedal was squeezed more than half. Before the next turn I brake sharply, I enter the turn and again - gas to the floor. But only in the middle of the maneuver, after a painful pause, the machine gun thought to go to the step below. Definitely inappropriate work algorithm for a European car. 
If, according to company representatives, the main competitors of Volvo are Mercedes, BMW and Audi, then a decent automatic transmission should be made. At the same time, it is especially noteworthy that just a couple of days before the dough I had a chance to travel to the S80 AWD, equipped with a completely adequate automatic transmission. In addition, the S40 automatic transmission does not have a sports regime, there is only winter, and the possibility of manual transfers of the gears only partially corrects the situation, since a kind second, or even two, passes the lever and the change of transmission. Perhaps, however, that such settings are suitable for a melancholy driver, who is a quick acceleration. But in general - that's funny! - In terms of their dynamic characteristics, S40 2.4 is not even bad. He would be the same 6-speed mechanics ... Unfortunately, this is impossible, since the motor can only be aggregated with a 5-speed mechanical checkpoint, which could not be tested in the case. Volvo with ambitions
Whatever brands are in the main competitors, and the price of S40 2.4 will begin at 23 thousand euros. T5 will cost about 30 thousand, which, I note, is much less than competitors ask for similar models. Therefore, I would nevertheless attribute to the list of rivals of models that are closer to S40 in price (and not only in price), for example, Opel Vectra, Saab 9-3 Sportsedan, Alfa Romeo 156, Nissan Primera and Toyota Avensis. And among these models the new Volvo will, let’s say, is not too comfortable. True, its asset has a rich basic equipment, which includes air conditioning, electric drives of glasses and mirrors and much more.
Meanwhile, the sales figures planned for 2004 do not look unrealistic. The volume of production will be 70 thousand cars per year, 20 thousand of which will be offered to American customers. This is followed by Sweden (5000), Germany (4000), Great Britain (4000) and Spain (3000). If we talk about the marketing studies of the company itself, it is worth noting that Volvo noticed a tendency to rejuvenate the owners. So, the average age of future consumers will be 30-40 years, most of which men. The debut in Europe and the United States is scheduled for March next year, and in Russia the car will appear, most likely, in April. Then the exact price of the novelty in our market will be determined.
Andrey Osipov
A source: Newspaper "Automobile Izvestia" [No. 23 (46), 2003]
