Our recent conversation with Mr Tomas Ernberg revealed that Volvo India is planning to launch a compact car in early 2013. We are nearly sure that it will be the Volvo V40 which is schedule for a debut at Geneva. However, in the world where auto sleuths (such as ourselves) run rampant on the streets trying to unmask future products, the Volvo V40 has been previewed by a Polish auto magazine Motodziennik.
The Volvo V40 is a premium 5 door compact car soon-to-be-launched by Volvo to replace the S40 and V50 station wagon. The V40’s design draws heavy inspiration from the sweet-looking S60 though in a very conservative manner.
Typical characteristics such as hexagonal grille, swept back headlamps, flowing hips and a rising belt line are the key features of the new design. Just like the Honda Brio (my apologies for the sacrilege), the hatch of the V40 is entirely from glass.
The V40 will measure 4,500 mm or about 177-inches in length and will be based on the new Scalable Platform Architecture that will underpin the majority of Volvo’s future models. It will be powered by Volvo’s new range of modular 2L, four-cylinder Volvo Environmental Architecture (VEA) engines. A crossover of the size of the X1 and the replacement to the S40 are likely to share many components with the V40.
If the V40 is introduced in India, it will be brought in CBU form making it as expensive as the recently launched Mini Cooper and the upcoming B-Class. Volvo’s keen interest in the Indian market may mean a slightly aggressive price tag for the V40 as compared to the Mini. Would it find any takers?
[Source: Motodziennik]
