Volvo V40 D2 Cross Country SE Nav

What is it?

This is the third ‘flavour’ of Volvo V40 now available: there’s the standard and very smart V40 hatchback; the sporty-looking V40 R-Design; and this, the county set look of the V40 Cross Country.

And ‘look’ is the operative word. Only the top model in the range – the one with the petrol engine and the turbo – gets four-wheel drive. The diesel models, which would be better suited to all-wheel traction, don’t benefit from the extra security of drive to all four wheels.

However, all Cross Country V40 models get the same rugged styling with redesigned front bumper and scuff plate, side scuff plates below the door sills and additional ride height. So it looks the part.

Business users and company car drivers looking to wring out the minimum in company car tax will chose the ‘D2’ diesel engine in the line up. It’s a 1.6 four-cylinder diesel with very low CO2 emissions of 99g/km and potential fuel economy of 74.3mpg.

There are four trim options to choose from in the Volvo V40 Cross Country range: SE and SE Nav (tested here); and Lux and Lux Nav.

The Volvo V40 Cross Country SE Nav D2 model costs £23,795 on the road; for comparison, the standard D2 V40 SE Nav costs £22,795 and the R-Design Nav costs £23,495.

What’s Hot

• The Volvo V40 is beautifully put together and drives serenely along motorways
• The fuel-saving stop-start disengages and engages with barely noticeable fuss
• The ride is firm but compliant even on the 17 inch Larenta alloy wheels fitted to our test car (add £550 for these smart wheels to your total bill)
  

  

• The V40 really is designed around you as the driver; everything works brilliantly, from the distance control cruise function to the ease of mobile ‘phone connection over Bluetooth. It’s all fuss-free and simple to use
• Those low CO2 emissions provide the business driver with a company car tax band of 14% in the 2013/14 tax year, rising to 15% the year after
• Potential fuel economy in excess of 70mpg reduces running costs
• An amazing list of standard safety equipment: there’s City Safety Stop – which reduces or eliminates the occurrence of rear end collisions by bringing the car to a halt automatically at speeds up to 30mph (or reducing the severity of the impact); then there’s a standard pedestrian airbag to reduce the severity of impact if a pedestrian is hit; Whiplash protection system on the seats; and so on
• Add in the (rather pricey £1850) Driver Support Pack and you also get Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake, Pedestrian Detection, ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and Distance Alert, LKA (Lane Keeping Aid) with DAC (Driver Alert Control) including Active High Beam and Road Sign Information Display, plus the highly useful BLIS (Blind Spot Information System)…
• …so business car managers could not provide their company car drivers with a safer car (the V40 has recorded the highest ever safety Euro NCAP rating)
• It’s not just a great roster of safety kit that’s standard: there’s standard 16ins alloy wheels, auto folding door mirrors, rain sensor with automatic wiper function, silver roof rails, Bluetooth mobile phone connection, audio system, 7 inch colour display screen with sat-nav on the appropriately entitled Nav models

What’s Not

• The engine might be low on CO2 but it’s fairly lacklustre…performance below 1750rpm is lethargic
• Fuel economy might reach the high 50s but we averaged 45.6mpg on mixed local and motorway driving – nowhere near the 74.3mpg promised by the official figures
• You need to budget for niceties such as metallic paint £550, Driver Support Pack £1850 and the £1250 Winter Illumination Pack (with helpful and wonderfully warming heated front seats and heated front screen for instant defrost without the need for windscreen scraping)
• It’s a six speed manual only in this low CO2 D2 diesel configuration…
• …and there’s no four-wheel drive despite the Cross Country tag
• Just misses out on the new 95g/km 100% first year allowance tax break

Business Car Manager Road Test Verdict

The Volvo V40 is truly a welcome addition to the ranks of premium family hatchbacks trying to capture the imagination and buying pound of SME company car drivers.

It does so in an unflashy but nerveless performance of fine detail, unflustered driving ability and compelling company car tax figures.

The Volvo V40 Cross Country – like many two-wheel drive SUVs – does not live up to the promise of its title in offering four-wheel drive in this D2 diesel configuration, but it looks good and provides an upmarket if understated alternative to the sports appeal of the R-Design model.

But even without four-wheel drive, the Cross Country provides SME company car drivers with another stylish take on the V40 theme, and all delivered with thoughtful and considered Swedish design and outstanding levels of safety in a good to drive package.

Check out our reviews of the very smart standard V40 hatch, and the sporty R-Design version.

The Low Down…

…and what it costs