V40 Cross Country: Volvo is no longer what it used to be

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Volvo is no longer what it used to be

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Inspired by the Ocean Race, one of the toughest sailing races in the world, Volvo has created the “Ocean Race” special model of the V40, Volvo V40 Cross Country (photo), V60 and XC60 models…s program recorded.

Source: Stefan Anker

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Our test car was equipped with an in-line four-cylinder with 245 hp and all-wheel drive.

Source: Stefan Anker

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Special model or no special model. Nothing has changed in terms of the rather measly cargo volume. This is still 335 liters with full seating, and 1032 Lite with the seats folded down…r.

Source: Stefan Anker

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The very good seats in the Volvo deserve great praise. They are sporty and firm and yet very comfortable – ideal for driving longer distances.

Source: Volvo

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Officially, the Volvo V40 Cross Country is a five-seater, but you don’t really want to sit in the middle at the back. The designers have probably also recognized this and therefore e…A wide armrest and cup holder for the passengers in the rear are built in.

Source: Volvo

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Volvo is the main sponsor of the regatta around the world. The Ocean Race lettering can be found in some places on the special model. It adorns the front wheel arches as well as the entrance…sleisten, …

Source: Volvo

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… the seats, and if you look closely, then …

Source: Volvo

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… you can discover the individual stations of the sailing regatta in miniature writing on the side of the center console.

Source: Volvo

The V40 Cross Country no longer has much to offer of what the Volvo brand once stood for. In return, a certain special model has the most comfortable seats – and by far the longest name.

“Oh, that’s a Volvo?” Whoever came across our test car and asked about the price and name asked this question. And it was difficult to decide whether the interested parties revealed their ignorance of the current model range, or whether they wanted to state with the astonished undertone that Volvo is no longer what it used to be.

In the past, at least there wouldn’t have been such rampant names: V40 Cross Country T5 AWD Ocean Race. You have to figure it out first, whereby the actually unknown, the unvolvo-like precisely this Volvo resonates in the base model. In terms of length, design and pricing, the V40 sits so between the chairs that you can quickly start talking about the meaning and purpose of this car.

Polarization, they say today, is important, especially in the world of premium brands. After all, you have to stand out, reinvent yourself with each model. On the other hand: A clear positioning that everyone understands the same does not hurt if you want to pull 39,150 euros out of the customer’s pocket.

Well, the V40 doesn’t actually cost that much, you get it from 23,450 euros. But the model tested, the V40 with the long name, is just as expensive as a Mercedes – and less practical than a Golf.

So if you only want to drive from A to B, you will rather look for another car, the V40 and so on corresponds more to the never questioned part of the Volvo cliche according to which the Swedish brand builds cars for individualists. A total length of 4.37 meters gives the V40 a place slightly above the Golf class, but if you get in, you don’t necessarily notice that you have more car available here than with the Wolfsburg original meter of compact cars.

The V40 looks cramped at the rear, which is also due to the sloping roof line. It is also responsible for the loopholes appearance of the rear windows, which is so typical today – you don’t notice much when you look over the shoulder before turning.

The seats are very suitable for long journeys

And we’d rather not talk about the trunk any longer than absolutely necessary. 335 to 1050 liters, that’s a volume for individualists, i.e. for solo drivers. On the other hand, these figures make a mockery of the brand values ​​of Volvo, even the well-known tight trunk of the competing models from Audi (A3), BMW (1 Series) and Mercedes (A-Class) are larger.

It is true that the assessment of the cargo space is quickly dismissed as stuffy when it comes to premium brand cars with an emphasis on design – but isn’t it the designer’s job to combine the two worlds? Who is the use of a minimalist designer chair that gives you back pain? Just a thought.

After all, the chairs, which are called seats in the car, are beyond all doubt in the V40. Whether it’s the leather upholstery that is included with the special Ocean Race model, or the basic construction of the seat: you rarely feel so well cared for.

The new VW Passat wants to be a premium station wagon

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A lot has changed with the new VW Passat Variant, for example it has 79 millimeters more wheelbase …

Source: www.GordonWelters.com

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… and 50 liters more load volume. The trunk of the station wagon now fits 650 liters. If you fold the rear track down, the load volume even increases to 1780 liters.

Source: www.GordonWelters.com

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This means that the Passat remains an ideal car for families.

Source: www.GordonWelters.com

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Families who like to travel a little faster can choose the Passat with the most powerful engine, a 2.0 TDI 4Motion with 240 PS. The base price for this car is… at 44,975 euros.

Source: www.GordonWelters.com

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The Passat’s cockpit is still quite sober, but also very clear.

Source: www.GordonWelters.com

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In the Trendline equipment line, you have to pay a surcharge of at least 1070 euros for LED headlights. With the most expensive equipment line Trendline, however, they are in …Price included.

Source: www.GordonWelters.com

The chassis is also working on this, with its sporty stiffness that gives the occupants a few bumps against boredom. You actually expect the opposite when a car comes with an almost SUV look and is nicknamed Cross Country. After all, this variant of the V40 is set 1.2 centimeters higher. That’s not the world, but you could use it for longer suspension travel. However, nothing of this can be felt, the Cross Country is rather crisp.

Another source of entertainment is the automatic distance and collision warning system: the visual and acoustic warning is not more consistent than with Volvo, because an aggressive red light starts to flash at the bottom of the windshield if necessary, while the car sounds the horn at the same time plays, wakes the dead.

The stated consumption value is unrealistic

That is very impressive, especially because the alarm goes off every now and then without any motivation. Nevertheless, driving the top model of the V40 series is a pleasure, which is also due to the drive source. In all new cars up to the giant SUV XC90, Volvo is now relying on two-liter four-cylinder, and the most powerful gasoline engine in the V40, boosted by a turbocharger, achieves at least 245 hp.

Those in the know know: the torque is even more important, and the engine doesn’t spoil it either. 350 Newton meters of thrust are available from 1500 revolutions, and in conjunction with the standard eight-speed automatic and the also standard all-wheel drive of this special V40, there is no reason to complain.

If need be, the 1643 kilogram car jumps to 100 km / h in 6.1 seconds. However, the fact that it is already electronically regulated at 210 km / h may be a downer for one or the other German motorway user.

Smart Forfour is practical, but not smart

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“If possible, please turn around!” If the navigation voice in the new Smart Forfour (starting price for the 60 hp engine: 10,995 euros) should suggest this command, then that is it …no problem even in the narrowest street.

Source: Stefan Anker

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Because the turning circle of the 3.50 meter short mini car is only 8.95 meters.

Source: Stefan Anker

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This is possible because the Smart can turn the front wheels unusually far.

Source: Stefan Anker

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You’d think that the four-seat and four-door version of the Smart would make an ideal city car. On the other hand, poor visibility to the rear is not ideal. When sharp …Cyclists are hard to see when turning, for example.

Source: Stefan Anker

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In a car from Daimler – even if the Smart is based on the Renault Twingo platform – you would actually expect retractable windows in the rear doors, see below…Instead, the Forfour only has vent windows.

Source: Stefan Anker

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In the cockpit, however, the car has an above-average appearance of material for a small car.

Source: Stefan Anker

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The fuel consumption of our 71 hp test car was also surprisingly high. That was 6.5 liters in the everyday test; however, the manufacturer had a consumption of 4.2 liters a…given. Such a small car should urgently be improved.

Source: Stefan Anker

Incidentally, Volvo uses the four-cylinder turbo so consistently to push the standard consumption values ​​down significantly. This works very well across all model series, only an above-average discrepancy between normal and real consumption can often be observed in Volvo test cars. The V40 with the long name is specified with 6.4 liters, but is difficult to keep below the ten-liter mark in everyday life.

Convincing temperament without the use of energy is currently only found in sailboats that have given the V40 the name Ocean Race. A few design features, special paintwork and orange seams should justify an extra charge of 2670 euros. It’s like pop star fan t-shirts: they’re expensive too, but many people like to pay for the opportunity to make a commitment.

After all, Volvo is not just a sponsor, it is the owner and host of the, yes, Volvo Ocean Race. The sea race around the world recently started its sixth stage, as usual not accompanied by excessive media interest. Despite all efforts, sailing is not a sport for everyone. Just like this particular Volvo is no ordinary car. And that is why it is not immediately recognized by everyone.

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