New Car: 2013 Volvo V40

Calling the new Volvo V40 an open secret isn’t far from the truth, thanks to a barrage of leaked information that poured onto the Web late last week. Regardless, Volvo waited until now to officially publish the full array of V40 photography and specifications.

According to the automaker, the Volvo V40 will be offered with a number of diesel and gasoline engines. The base engine offering in Europe is Volvo’s 1.6-liter turbo-diesel I-4, which produces 115 hp, 199 lb-ft of torque, and 94 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer. The top-spec engine in the V40 range is the familiar T5, a turbocharged 2.5-liter I-5 that now produces 254 hp. Volvo says that extra bit of power allows a V40 T5 to sprint from 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds.

Autocar reports there will be four additional engine offerings, including a 1.6-liter turbocharged I-4 in both 150- and 180-hp forms, and a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel I-5 in 155- and 177-hp guises. Regardless of the engine or transmission selected, the new Volvo V40 will be equipped with brake energy regeneration and an engine start/stop system.

As one would expect from a Volvo, the V40 is equipped with the company’s City Safety system, along with its Pedestrian Safety function with full automatic braking. Volvo claims the system is now capable of operating at speeds up to 31 mph, which is 12 mph faster than before. The V40 is also equipped with a pedestrian airbag, reportedly a world first, that promises to reduce pedestrian injuries should the car not stop in time.

As we’ve previously reported, the new Volvo V40 will not be sold in the United States, focusing instead on sport utility vehicles like the XC60 and XC90. For Europeans, however, the V40 is well on its way: production of the car starts in Belgium this May, which means the new car should hit European showrooms this summer, in time for it to wade into battle against established competition from Audi’s A3 and BMW’s 1 Series.

Thanks to: Motor Trend