Top 3 things you need to know about the Volvo V40

It may well have been Volvo’s prettiest modern-era car, packed a mean punch in some versions and received continual updates throughout its 7-year production run, but South African buyers mostly still walked past the Volvo V40 to grab some Audi, Mercedes, or BMW action instead. Their loss...

Related: Shop for used Volvo V40 cars for sale here.

1. Steep depreciation turned the small Volvo into a used-car bargain

Here’s the great news: because of its relative unpopularity on local shores, the Volvo V40 doesn’t exactly have great value retention in South Africa. This may make a very nice car very affordable as well. As an example, you can get a 2019 V40 T4 Momentum Auto with less than 25 000 km on the odo, for as little as R 320 000 – offering a two-year-old car for only 71% of its original (new-car) value. 

That’s slightly less than a new entry-level Fiesta, and a lot more car for the money. Sweetening the deal is Volvo’s 5-year/100 000 km warranty and maintenance plan, which will give such a 2019-vintage used V40 another 3 years of pre-paid maintenance and servicing.

2. Some cool engine options

Before switching to Volvo’s Drive-E engine range in 2016, the V40 was available with characterful 5-cylinder power, in either petrol (T5)- or diesel (D3) flavours. Sure, they weren’t the most efficient powerplants out there, but that unique soundtrack and the T5’s considerable performance more than compensated for their relative thirst. Economy-minded buyers would be better advised to consider the lower-output 1.6-litre D2, however.

The updated V40’s 4-cylinder power units aren’t to be sneezed at, either, boasting up to 180 kW and 350 Nm in the later T5, driving the front wheels through an 8-speed automatic gearbox. These figures are still competitive in 2021, so hot-hatch fans may want to look this way for a performance bargain.

3. Up-to-date safety technology

Seeing as Volvo is a leader in the semi-autonomous driving arena, these high-tech systems also trickled down to the V40 during periodic updates. Depending on the trim level, a post-facelift V40 could be equipped with niceties such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, collision warning with automatic emergency braking, and a digital instrument cluster. 

Display-wise, the digital colour screen in the centre console still looks fairly contemporary, and having actual buttons and knobs on the dashboard provides a welcome reprieve in a world that’s gone berserk with touchscreen interfaces. Either way, there’s a lot of equipment for the money, so bargain hunters will be very impressed with the toy list in a used Volvo V40.