The Volvo S40 and its V40 station wagon version were born in 1995 thanks to a partnership between Volvo and Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi will in fact produce many components for the new Volvos. Some of these parts are also present in the Mitsubishi Carisma. The first generation of the S40 has the task of replacing the 460 by introducing a more modern design with fewer squared lines. After five years of production, the S40 is renewed and made safer. On a technical level, new suspensions are introduced and Diesel configurations can now benefit from direct injection. Satisfied with the higher than expected sales, in 2004 Volvo introduces the second generation of the S40, which is now based no longer on the Charisma but the Ford C1 platform, the same used in the Ford Focus and Mazda 3. On-board safety improves even further. This allows the second generation S40 to get a full five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests (the first generation gets four stars). The aesthetics of the 2nd gen. will then be modernized by a restyling in 2007… You can see this facelift in the picture. After 17 years of production, the S40 was discontinued in 2012, but production of its sister, the V40, continues.
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📷 @volvocars
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🏎️ Volvo S40 II facelift 2007
📍 Sweden
🛠️ 1.6i 150NM 100HP
💨 11,9 seconds
💶 No longer on sale
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Our votes:
⭐⭐⭐⭐️ (4/5) for the 1st gen.
⭐⭐⭐️⭐️ (4/5) for the 2nd gen.