2002 Volvo V40 Wagon

So when did Volvo start making small, stylish front-drive cars? Aren't Volvos supposed to be bigger, boxier, rear-wheel drive and less, um, attractive?


Well, yes, until the front-drive 850 hit these shores in 1991, and the Chevy Cavalier-size S40 arrived in 1995. The V40 wagon appeared the following year. Today's U.S. Volvo line-up begins with the 40-Series, extends to the larger S60 sedan, C70 coupe and convertible, V70 wagon, S80 sedan and new-for-2002 Cross Country, all front-drive and/or all-wheel drive.

Some may perceive the V40 as a sedan with a long roof, but it's definitely one very handsome small wagon.

The 40-Series Volvos come in three flavors: Premium, Premium Plus and Sport. Premium includes a glass sunroof, premium cassette/CD sound system, trip computer, 8-way adjustable driver's seat and good-looking simulated-wood trim. Premium Plus (our test vehicle) primarily adds leather-faced seating surfaces. The available Sport package includes special sport seats, instrument cluster and headlamp trim, fog lamps front and rear, leather-trimmed steering wheel and 10-spoke alloy wheels.


Styling is subjective, but this is one very handsome small wagon. It's also exceptionally well equipped and, as a result, pretty pricey for a car this size. Starting at a base of $24,900, our test car added $850 for a Cold Weather Package (heated front seats, headlamp washer/wipers and Dynamic Stability Assistance), $970 for the Premium Plus Package, $100 for a leather-wrapped steering wheel, $67 for pre-wiring for an optional CD changer and a $625 destination charge, for a total of $27,472.

The V40's standard and only powertrain is a 160-hp turbocharged 1.9-liter 4-cylinder engine coupled to a 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission.

The V40's standard and only powertrain is a 160-hp turbocharged 1.9-liter 4-cylinder engine coupled to a 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. We found it a tad weak on launch but—once the turbo spools up—strong enough to propel the 2,822-pound wagon from 0-60 mph in roughly 9.5 seconds. Holding the brake to spool up boost (at about 2,000 rpm) before launch resulted in a best of 8.8 seconds with the hand-held watch. More importantly, the V40 offers lively enough acceleration for jumping into traffic or passing, but the combination of turbo lag and leisurely transmission kick-down after stomping on the gas from cruising speed can be frustrating at times.