Volvo V40

- Engine is rusty and jerky. Totally not smooth.

- The interior trimming of the car feels cheap and dated.

- The aircon is poorly made, able to hear "Water" Sounds flowing when its turned on, its shocking.

- Handling, comfort is rough.

- Didn't expect these from such a high priced compact car.

The V40 was launched in 2012 and after 6 years they are still trying to package as a new model. The only thing new is the engine and headlights. The exterior is so passé and the interior still has number pad buttons which makes it look like a dinosaur. They are trying to get rid of old stock. It's like paying the price of a new model and getting an old model instead.

I have drove this T2 for 2 years and i enjoy my ride, no complaints on the car.

However i had a bad experience yesterday and it has changed my view on the brand totally.

The Volvo V40 luxury hatchback is essentially the V40 Cross Country sans the rugged styling features. Thus, it ditches the SUV cosmetic features to adopt a hatchback visual, while the ground clearance is reduced as well. The Swedish car comes with great looks and features to win hearts of buyers.

I own the diesel model and driven the petrol variant (1.5 t2). On paper it doesn't look fast. 120 horses in a Swedish tank doesn't sound particularly fast. But numbers are numbers. It's more than quick enough for Singapore although it doesn't feel as punchy as my diesel. Fuel economy is as solid as it's build quality. Although it doesn't have as much nice materials or equipment as the German offering, (and wearnes really skimped on equipment) it makes up for it in terms of quality. Every interior panel is well screwed together like it'll last decades. It's big enough for a small family. If you're vertically challenged you'll find silver linings in being short, in this car (I'm 185cm tall and I fit comfortably, barely). Volvo's legendary safety is very much evident in this car. And you really feel like they don't cut costs manufacturing this car. The seats designed by a orthopedic give my spine a treat. It seats low so it handles very well, no body roll no understeer. Having the car for 2 and a half years at 80k milage it has suffered from nothing.

Aftersales is orientated to the wealthier customer. Free taxi rides home and coffee as well as atas garages you see when you send your car in for servicing comes at a price. No surprises there. I service my car outside at a volvo specialist garage which is considerably cheaper but equally volvo friendly. So maintenance is not an issue.

Overall the car is very reliable, no horror stories or recalls. I used to be paranoid about being stuck with breakdowns in the future when i first bought it but I'm very confident after 2 years it'll be reliable enough to tahan our weather and start stop traffic.

Being Singapore with the wonderful COE system It was time for me to reset my COE clock on the family transport.

Having driven a 2010 XC60 T6 AWD (resale unit) for the last 3 years. It was only natural to transition to another Volvo.

With the price increase and still dodgy economy, it was the V40 T2 for budget and value sake.

It's a 1.5l turbo charged car. What do you expect?

Comparing apples to apples - nearly - having driven Japanese Cat A and Cat B cars. This was relatively responsive. Good feel of the road as well as handling.

During the test drive, when I had the chance with segments of open road. I floored it and, yeah, she will take off. But keep in mind - 1.5L. If you want something punchier, go for all 300 horses of a T6.

For an entry model, it's adequately comfortable and quiet in the cabin.

For the base model, it does not disappoint.

I never laid eyes on this car until my wife persuaded me to take a look at the showroom. Weird rear design and small LCD screen. Many button on middle console. Solid build with reasonable trimming.

To be fair, we never test drove this car. So I cannot comment on handling and engine performance but the system set it as mandatory field to be filled in. So "Average" Rating is given.

Drove the new V40 variant, a 1.5L turbo engine, and i was surprised by the car.

Visually its not bad looking. More stylish and modern than the old volvos. The interior is on the more spartan side, though. Its comfortable, no doubt. But some parts feel a little on the cheaper side, like the rather tiny screen that sits weirdly in the central console.

However, the car drives really nicely. The engine is good in full auto mode. Using the paddle shifts there is some lag in changing gears, but its no deal breaker. What was most memorable is how the car handles. The steering is nice and firm, and it seems like the chassis is really well sorted because its really stable through corners. Not what i expected from a Volvo.