Volvo S40

First Drive
Intent on broadening market reach in the U.S., Volvo has added a new starter-level offering to its 2000 lineup. Available as either sedan or station wagon, the compact-size 40-Series is a neatly scaled-down version of its bigger brothers that brings a more youthful flair to the corporate mix, along with a more affordable pricetag. The S40 sedan bases at $22,900, while its V40 wagon counterpart opens at $23,900.

Powering all 40-Series models is a 1.9-liter DOHC four fitted with Volvo's low-pressure turbo package and an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. With 160 horses on call and 170 pound-feet of torque from 1800-4800 rpm, this T-charged twincammer zipped our S40 to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and through the quarter mile in 15.9 at 86.1 mph. Its bountiful mid-range punch is particularly impressive when you're faced with urban traffic snarls or demanding freeway passing situations. Serious stopping power is also on hand. The standard four-wheel discs with ABS hauled our car from 60 mph to rest in just 120 feet.

A new MacPherson strut/multilink suspension coupled with standard 195/60VR15 tires on cast-alloy wheels gives this baby Volvo an equally sporty feel. Despite a bit more impact harshness and secondary body oscillation in brisk transition moves than we'd prefer, it managed a stout 0.83 g on the skidpad and 64.0 mph through the slalom run.

Within its well-finished passenger compartment, the S40 can easily handle four full-size adults or tote five in a literal bind. And its user-friendly trunk can swallow up 13.2 cubic feet of your favorite cargo-or 30.2 cubic feet with the rear seatback folded. Although the S40's somewhat fussy gauge markings won't win any legibility awards and its otherwise-laudable front buckets beg for a tad more lateral support, the overall driving environment merits fairly high marks. Safety, as always, was a prime design concern. In addition to an extremely strong basic structure, the 40-Series benefits from Gen II front/front-side airbags, pretensioning seatbelts, and Volvo's WHIPS anti-whiplash seats and SIPS side-impact protection system.

Key among the bounty of standards in all 40-Series models are air conditioning, cruise control, tilt steering column, numerous power amenities, and keyless remote with anti-theft. Prime options include stability control, leather upholstery, upline audio systems, and Touring, Weather, Sport, and Sunroof packages. While our fully loaded sedan's $22,900 base price rose to a somewhat heady $28,825, over $3000 of that extra resided in the sunroof, leather, stability system, and heated seats.

All things considered, the new S40 should offer BMW's 3 Series and Audi's A4 solid competition in the upscale entry-level sedan realm with the V40 making a similar charge at its wagon counterparts.