Find out more about how the Volvo S40 saloon has been developed over the years.
Learn about the features, specifications and history of the Volvo S40.
Volvo vehicles have long been regarded as reliable family cars and the Volvo S40 saloon is no exception. First rolled out onto the manufacturing line in 1995, the first generation of the Volvo S40 model was intended to be part of the S4/F4 series, but rival car maker Audi had already made a claim on the ‘S4′ name so they settled for the S40 instead.
The first automobiles in the S40 range were produced in Holland under the NedCar factory name. NedCar was short for Netherlands Car B.V. and it was a subsidiary automobile manufacturer under the Mitsubishi Motors name. Volvo teamed up with Mitsubishi to use the Carisma platform but the overall model was created under the watchful eye of Peter Horbury who was Volvo’s Design Director.
The Volvo S40 was warmly received and won awards for its style and sleek look. Both a 4-door sedan and a 5-door station wagon were produced and four-cylinder engines gave them their power with a 1.9 turbo diesel and several fuel injection engines offering different fuel variations.
The second generation Volvo S40 was brought onto the market in 2004 after Volvo made several updates in 2001 to the engine, safety features, rear suspension, tyres and brake discs. Basing itself on the Volvo P1 platform, the Volvo S40 scooped even more awards, winning the Canadian Car of the Year in 2005 and the South African Car of the Year in the same year. The engine of the S40 was transversely mounted to enable it to drive the front wheels.
New updates to the Volvo S40 appeared in 2008 to add new audio systems, more in-car storage and additional safety features.