A Facebook leak provides us with a clear picture of the new Volvo S40.
Somebody is going to need to plug the leak in Geneva – not us of course. It seems like every day we catch a glimpse of another one of the many products that are scheduled to debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. And today brought a pair of inadvertent early releases, the Audi A3 and, here, the new Volvo V40.
Images of the Swedish 5-door offering – which just happens to be targeted against the likes of the Audi A3 – surfaced on Polish magazine Motodziennik’s Facebook page a good week ahead of schedule.
Until now, Volvo has only offered a fuzzy silhouette image to tease interest.
For the moment, Volvo isn’t providing any additional details, hoping it can still draw a crowd to its stand at Geneva’s PALExpo Convention Center. But we’re hearing enough about the new wagon to offer a few hints of what is planned.
The Volvo V40 platform could provide a replacement for a variety of current Volvo models.
Anyone who still thinks of Volvo design as meaning little more than a box with four wheels should be in for a shock, the V40 taking the Swedish maker’s evolving design language another big step forward. You can catch just a little hint of the Concept You prototype that made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September.
Word has it that the crossover/wagon design could be just one of several different body styles to follow off this new platform – which is also rumored to provide a replacement for Volvo products ranging from the current C30 to S40 and even the bigger V50 wagon. That’s good news for those who like what they see as a U.S. version of the V40 is currently not in the plans.
At 177.2 inches. nose-to-tail, the V50 is about an inch longer than the current S40 and about eight inches longer than the current Audi A3 Sportback.
Several versions of the Volvo 1.6-liter turbo I-4 are likely to be offered for the V40, along with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel.