Skip advert
Advertisement

Volvo V40 review - can the alternative premium hatch beat the best? - Engine and Gearbox

Smaller and less engaging than a Volkswagen Golf, the Volvo V40 has style and safety as its key strengths

Evo rating
RRP
from £20,255
  • Distinctive design inside and out, wide range of engines
  • Quite cramped inside, doesn't engage like its spec suggests it might

Engine and gearbox

At a glance, the V40 engine line-up is easy to understand. There are D2, D3 and D4 diesel engines complemented by T2, T3, T4 and T5 petrol options. In time all V40s will be powered by 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines as Volvo rolls out its Drive-E units, but right now there's a mishmash of capacities. The T2, T3 and T4 are turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder units putting out 118-, 148- and 177bhp respectively. The range-topping 2.0-litre T5 engine puts out 242bhp and 258lb ft of torque. They're all pretty quiet and smooth, if lacking aural interest.

The D2 engine has 113bhp and 199lb ft at its disposal, while the D3 is an anomaly, as it's the last of Volvo's five-cylinder turbodiesel engines. It's the most interesting sounding of the lot too because of it and has plenty of go thanks to maximum outputs of 148bhp and 258lb ft. The four-cylinder D4 is significantly quicker yet also more efficient. Volvo's Geartronic automatic transmission is offered on selected models only.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The Nissan GT-R is finally dead after 18 years
Nissan GT-R finishes production
News

The Nissan GT-R is finally dead after 18 years

The Nissan GT-R has finally ended production, at over 48,000 units after 18 years on sale. It’ll be missed.
28 Aug 2025
Caterham Horse prototype 2025 review – new turbo engine keeps the Seven alive
HORSE powered Caterham
Reviews

Caterham Horse prototype 2025 review – new turbo engine keeps the Seven alive

Caterham needs a replacement for Ford’s out-of-production Sigma engine. Its solution is a 1.3 turbo from Horse. We drive it
28 Aug 2025
Four used BMW M cars for less than a basic new 1-series
Cheap M cars
News

Four used BMW M cars for less than a basic new 1-series

£32k will buy you a bog standard 2025 120 or a 552bhp M6, and many greats besides…
29 Aug 2025