V40 - Help buying and speccing

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Chris308

I am not sure about the collision detection. The red light was on the windscreen a number of times when I didn't think it should have been. It was as if it new I was on the motorway and therefore should be the distance behind the vehicle in front if I was travelling at 70mph. However, it didn't seem to reduce the distance even though we were only travelling at 30 and you needed to leave a ridiculously large gap to get it to go away. The warning buzzers are also triggered sometimes if you are close to parked cars.

Maybe. Not suggesting your in this group but I just drove down from Scotland and I'd say about 70% of drivers were driving too close or not leaving enough distance to the car behind when overtaking. In the chevron areas I saw plenty of drivers with a lot less than 2 chevrons between them.

Would be interesting to try it out in a chevron area and see how it compares.

Does indicate an general lack of spatial awareness amongst drivers on the motorway in my book. I've just specified it so guess I'll find out soon enough.

[villarsch]

Very interesting points. Due to advancing years (and my wife's insistence) I am moving from a S80 Exec. to a V40. I note that the AWD petrol models all have the same top speed, i.e.130 mph. Last year's models had a quoted top speed of 140+ mph. Does anyone know why the reduction? Is it due to tyre changes? I have asked my local dealer, who doesn't know. He has contacted Volvo UK who have yet to reply. I note that this reduction applies world-wide.

The FWD T5 has, however, the Euro VI engine. This is very clean, so I am wondering why it is not available in the V40 AWD. Its present 5-cylinder engine is, in comparison, quite dirty.

Does anyone know anything about these points?

Regards,

[tickedon]

Originally Posted by villarsch

The FWD T5 has, however, the Euro VI engine. This is very clean, so I am wondering why it is not available in the V40 AWD. Its present 5-cylinder engine is, in comparison, quite dirty.

Does anyone know anything about these points?

Regards,

Can't answer the first one, but on the second, as far as I'm aware they haven't done whatever they need to do to make the new VEA engines work with the AWD systems.

If you look at at an XC60 for example, you can get the D4 at 181bhp which is a new VEA 4 cylinder engine. As soon as you spec it as a D4 AWD, you still get 181bhp but it's the older 5 cylinder engine.

VEA is meant to be rolled out across the range in the near future. If you can wait and need AWD, I'd wait a few months and see if you can get the ideal combination then.

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by villarsch

Very interesting points. Due to advancing years (and my wife's insistence) I am moving from a S80 Exec. to a V40. I note that the AWD petrol models all have the same top speed, i.e.130 mph. Last year's models had a quoted top speed of 140+ mph. Does anyone know why the reduction? Is it due to tyre changes? I have asked my local dealer, who doesn't know. He has contacted Volvo UK who have yet to reply. I note that this reduction applies world-wide.

The FWD T5 has, however, the Euro VI engine. This is very clean, so I am wondering why it is not available in the V40 AWD. Its present 5-cylinder engine is, in comparison, quite dirty.

Does anyone know anything about these points?

Regards,

The V40 with new D4 four cylinder engine 190 bhp eight speed geartronic has a top speed of 143 mph. 0-60 6.8 sec. Combined mpg 67.3. You'll leave S80's eating dust. Cornering is awesome as well. Best driving experience for me ever.

Just don't tell your wife the specs ;-)

[villarsch]

Er, maybe, but my S80 Exec. has the V8 which, on Shell V-Power, has some 315 bhp. Hence my wish for the V40 AWD with the "clean" 245 bhp engine.
Regards,

Villarsch

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by villarsch

Er, maybe, but my S80 Exec. has the V8 which, on Shell V-Power, has some 315 bhp. Hence my wish for the V40 AWD with the "clean" 245 bhp engine.
Regards,

Villarsch

A far more even match then. There's no substitute for torque in my book though. When I tried out the Yamaha V8 in an XC90 it felt gutless to me in comparison to my D5 engined XC90.

The T5 sounds brilliant on paper but give the new Euro 6 D4 a test drive in a V40 as well, I'd interested to hear your comparison.

I just had pause for thought reading your comment on the AWD 245 bhp, and on checking, Volvo don't do an AWD version now as far as I can see. They certainly don't mention it on their web site. Also the new T5 is now a Euro 6 engine.

I just thought to check the V40 Cross Country brochure and found it there. Looks like it will tweak to give over 400 Nm so yes should be great.

My guess on the lower top speed rating is that it is the maximum the transmission and Haldax unit will cope with. The Cross Country sits 40 mm higher as well and the 149 mph V40 T5 is an R design version with lower suspension than even a standard V40. So they may not like the handling enough with the XC T5 version to let it do that.

[villarsch]

An even better match would have been the Yamaha 5.5 litre V8 but sadly Volvo did not offer this as an option.
The lower maximum speed for all the 2015 MY V40 AWD petrol engines at 130 mph is interesting. Your comments appear to indicate that there had been some trouble, particularly as the 2014 MY AWD T5 is shown as having a maximum speed of 146 mph and the T4 1 34 mph.

My main concerns are with the FWD T5 (350 Nm) and the D4 (auto, 400 Nm). There is apparently no mention of such features as the Ford Focus ST's torque vectoring control or torque steer compensation. Do you know if Volvo have similar features? There is also the use of 8-speed transmission with both engines. These 8-speeds could easily lead to excessive "hunting" between gears in traffic. Again, Volvo's brochure is silent on these points.

Are there any answers to these points? It would be useful to have some indication before finally buying a V40 T5.

Regards,

Villarsch

[NewVolvo]

Just to add my 2c.

We have the "old" D4 in our V40. FWD and 6-speed auto. Very powerful. Gearbox can be "sluggish" with the actual changes, but with no hunting. Fast at top end too (done 146mph, indicated, in ours).

Having driven many 7- and 8-speed auto's I have yet to come across one that "hunt" for the right gear. Current A6 has it (so did previous 535D) and as they don't hunt, I doubt the new Volvo 8-speeder will.

The reviews and/or comments on a Swedish Volvo forum seems to indicate that the owners are VERY happy with the new 8-speed gearbox and also the new T5 engine with 245bhp. The comments I have read is that it still has a sound that reminds them, and not so little, about the old 5-cyl T5 engine.

Volvo is onto a winner with their new engines and gearboxes (although I don't agree with their policy of only 4-cyl engines).

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by villarsch

An even better match would have been the Yamaha 5.5 litre V8 but sadly Volvo did not offer this as an option.
The lower maximum speed for all the 2015 MY V40 AWD petrol engines at 130 mph is interesting. Your comments appear to indicate that there had been some trouble, particularly as the 2014 MY AWD T5 is shown as having a maximum speed of 146 mph and the T4 1 34 mph.

My main concerns are with the FWD T5 (350 Nm) and the D4 (auto, 400 Nm). There is apparently no mention of such features as the Ford Focus ST's torque vectoring control or torque steer compensation. Do you know if Volvo have similar features? There is also the use of 8-speed transmission with both engines. These 8-speeds could easily lead to excessive "hunting" between gears in traffic. Again, Volvo's brochure is silent on these points.

Are there any answers to these points? It would be useful to have some indication before finally buying a V40 T5.

Regards,

Villarsch

I've test driven a V60 with the new 8 speed autobox in traffic and it showed no sign of any hunting whatsoever. Changes so fast you don't notice it doing it.

There is a video of the type of gearbox it is here but look at the 9 speed version as that is like the Asin Warner 8 speed box. http://www.zf.com/corporate/en/produ...smission.shtml

The Asin Warner site isn't as good and has little info.

These new auto boxes were all to a patent design by a retired French engineer who spent 2 years on the design then sold the rights to the major manufacturers.