With premium hatchback sales surging, Volvo are keen to disrupt the leadership of the three German five-doors that have the market cornered. With the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, BMW 1 Series, and Audi A3 all very strong contenders, we spent a week with the Volvo V40 T5.
What we found was a comfortable, likeable, and surprisingly rapid hatch, with a big dose of character—something the Germans tend to lack. At about $59,000 on road, though, the T5 is expensive for this class. Thankfully, there are better-value options in the late $40,000s, like the D4 diesel and T4 petrol, which retain most of the T5’s character with a more approachable price.
That’s a good thing for Volvo, who have a lovely little car on their hands with the V40. Ultimately, it will be sharper pricing that will be the key to pulling the V40 hatch out of niche status.
ChasingCars.com.au reviewed the 2015 Volvo V40:
- 2015 Volvo V40 T5 R-Design (top trim), with the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and eight-speed automatic, in Ice White with black leather, priced at $50,400 before on-road costs.