To be frank, I have been contemplating to buy a car since I started working again. As my job requires me to travel around the island on a day to day basis so I thought it would be good to have a car. Especially when the weather has been so erratic recently, maybe a car can also help to shield me from the harsh weather conditions. Thus when the opportunity for me to test drive the new Volvo V40 T2, I readily accepted it (P.S: this is not a paid post or an advertorial).
My first impression of the exterior of Volvo V40 was it looks really sleek and stylish as compared to the other ranges from Volvo. Best part for me is that it is hatchback. I have always preferred hatchback cars.
However for most hatchback cars, the boots are usually very small and could hardly fit a full size luggage.
Much to my delight, Volvo’s car boot is very spacious. I bet I could put in 9 long champ medium size bags or 2 cabin size luggages without any difficulties.
As we explored the interior of the car, at the side of the driver seat there are electronic buttons to adjust the seat. Nice!
On the steering wheel, there are also buttons to adjust the car menu and the volume. I thought this is very good for people like me who can’t multi-task. At least, it keeps my eyes on the road even if I want to change my radio station. Do you know that the sound system is by Harmon Kardon? Definitely a great kind of entertainment while driving, even classical music sounds so much more soothing. =D
Another beautiful feature of this car is that I get to adjust the air con temperature for the driver seat and the passenger seat separately! I simply love this feature as I am always feeling cold while J has low resistance toward the hot weather.
With the advancement of technology, I am always having issue with my electronic gadget running low on battery. With 1 USB point and 2 charging points, there is no reason to have a no battery handphone anymore (at least for that 3 days while I was test driving the car).
There is also sufficient space to put small belongings in the sizable dashboard drawer.
Another feature that I like a lot is the pull down mirror with lighting at the front passenger’s seat. This is very important for me as I enjoy doing last minute touch ups while on the road. Usually the passenger has more free time to spare, isn’t it? As ladies, don’t we all love to look into the mirror to touch up our make up? =)
There are so much things to talk about when it comes to the new Volvo V40. Besides having comfortable seats which made one of my friends, Jacq almost fell asleep while we were cafe hopping around the island, the seats are made of 100% genuine leather! Which means easier to clean off any stains, cleaner and more hygienic!
So how is the performance of the new Volvo V40 T2?
The new Volvo V40 Â T2 is powered by an All-New 1.5L turbocharged petrol engine with 122 bhp and 220 Nm of torque. Fuel consumption is 5.5 L/100 km with CO2 emissions at 129 g/km.
I have a few friends to test drive it around a quiet carpark and they are amazed with how smooth the ride is. Both me and Elphin, have also fell in love with the fast pick up. Although the car feels rapid, the fuel consumption is simply God Sent. I have travelled around the island from Queenstown to Clementi to Jurong to Orchard to Yishun to Changi and it used up less than half a tank of petrol. I thought it was quite fuel economically friendly.
There are only 2 things that I weren’t quite satisfied with is the sound of the left/ right signal which can be a bit loud (but my friend said that I am nitpicking) and the back seats are not too suitable for ladies wearing short dress (there is a small gap in between which is supposed to be a space to put things). However, I feel that overall it is a surprisingly high performance car with low fuel consumption. With the price tag of the new Volvo V40 from $119,999, I feel that it is a car worth considering to buy. To be frank, I have been missing how smooth and fast the ride of the new Volvo V40 is since the day I return the car. The question now is should I or should I not.
For more details on the new Volvo V40, please check on Volvo’s website.
P.S: This is my first car review and as a noob with car, I am sharing my experience based on what I would be looking for when buying a car. I hope it helps.
*Although this is an invited test drive review, no monetary reward has been given and the review is based on my honest opinions.
