వోల్వో వి40 D3 Kinetic

Volvo India, the maker of luxury cars has introduced the all new V40 hatchback in the country. The event took place at their Hyderabad showroom, where company's officials announced the launching of this vehicle in two trims. Among those, Volvo V40 D3 Kinetic is the base variant. It is equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine under the hood, whose torque is distributed to the front wheels through a six speed automatic gearbox. This vehicle gets several advanced features including laser assisted automatic braking system, ABS and number of other security functions. While the comfort aspects include automatic climate control unit, electrically adjustable seating system and a sophisticated infotainment system. The interiors are in a dual tone color scheme wherein, the seats, steering wheel and gearshift box gets premium leather upholstery. It is quite spacious from inside and assures luxurious space for five occupants. The manufacturer is also offering this vehicle with a 'Volvo on Call' application for your smartphone using which, owners can start the engine, lock/unlock doors and can gain access to roadside assistance. Being a hatchback, this vehicle will now compete against the likes of BMW 1 Series and Mercedes Benz A Class in the entry level luxury hatchback segment.

Exteriors:

Like all other company's cars, this hatchback looks very stylish owing to its beautifully structured aerodynamic design. Its front facade comprises of a bigger radiator grille with thick chrome surround along with the company insignia positioned in the center. The headlight cluster looks curvy, but black accents and projector lamps gives it a bold appeal. The front bumper is in body color featuring a wide air dam with horizontally positioned slats. Additionally, there are LED lights placed on bumper that further dazzles this facet. The side profile looks swanky with bigger fenders, which are equipped with dynamic alloy wheels. The window frame looks very sleek and is surrounded by a chrome strip. Both the door handles and the outside mirror caps are done up in body color. This vehicle has its B pillars in glossy black that renders it a modern appeal. Coming to the rear end, it gets signature taillight cluster with arrow shaped lighting pattern featuring LEDs. The tailgate in the center looks very small, but glossy black finishing makes it look unique. It has a total length of 4369mm, width of 1857mm (excluding the outside mirrors) and with an overall height standing at 1420mm.

Interiors:

Its interiors have a rather subtle design that has a two-tone color scheme. This eye-soothing theme is further complimented by chrome highlights given on its dashboard. The steering wheel has a three spoke design featuring several control switches, which makes it easy to operate audio and call functions. This steering along with seats have been covered with leather upholstery that renders a regal stance to the cabin. Just behind this, there is a fully digital instrument cluster, whose illumination can be adjusted as per the requirement. The seat are extremely comfortable wherein the front seats can be adjusted using electrical function. The company has placed several control switches around the driver's seat, which makes it quite convenient to access various functions of this hatchback.

Engine and Performance:

The manufacturer has powered it with a 2.0-litre diesel engine that has displacement capacity of 1984cc. It carries 5-cylinders, twenty valves and is paired with a 6-speed geartronic automatic transmission gearbox. This mill returns a healthy fuel economy of around 23.25 Kmpl when driven on expressways. It is incorporated with a direct fuel injection system. It churns out a maximum power of 150bhp at 3750rpm and yields peak torque output of 350Nm in the range of 1750 and 3000rpm. This variant consumes around 9.3 seconds to break the speed limit of 100 Kmph and attains a top speed of nearly 200 Kmph.

Braking and Handling:

This variant has both its front and rear wheels equipped with disc brakes. Its availability with anti-lock braking system is an advantage as it boosts this mechanism. Coming to its suspension system, its front axle is affixed with a McPherson spring strut and a multi-link is used for the rear one. Proper handling is ensured by the electric power assisted steering system. It offers excellent response and makes driving easier in all road conditions.

Comfort Features:

In terms of comfort, it comes with heated front seats that have lumbar support as well. These are power adjustable, while the rear one has a foldable function. An advanced infotainment system is offered, which features a touchscreen display. It has CD, MP3 player and supports Bluetooth connectivity as well. The sun visors at front include illuminated vanity mirrors, whereas the outside mirrors are power adjustable. It has a dual zone climate control that helps in maintaining the cabin temperature. Besides these, it has heated windscreen and tinted windows of which, the latter aids in keeping the cabin temperature low in sunny conditions. It has all four power windows along with auto up and down function. The list of comfort aspects further include automatically dimmed inside mirror, sunglass holder, steering wheel mounted with audio switches, cruise control, auto bending headlights and so on.

Safety Features:

A long list of protective features makes it one of the safest vehicles in the market. The city safety system is one of its finest aspects, which is a laser based technology that can sense an impending collision and prevent it. The driver support package includes blind spot information system, cross traffic alert, lane keeping aid, driver alert control and a few other features. All its passengers are offered with seatbelts that have pyrotechnical pretensioners, whereas the whiplash protection system reduces the possibility of injury in the event of a collision. It comes with dual front, side and curtain airbags as well. Apart from all these, this trim also includes anti-lock braking system, traction control, rear door child locks, dynamic stability control, collapsible steering column, alarm, remote controlled central locking system and many other such aspects that enhance the level of protection.

Pros:

1. Good cabin space with ample leg and head room.
2. Impressive exterior and interior aspects.

Cons:

1. Low ground clearance is a drawback.
2. Price range is quite high.