Whatever it costs, it goes without saying that you get less of a car than you do now with the V70 wagon or that you will get from the new S60 sedan this fall. Whether the car you do get is worth the price is still to be determined and depends largely on your need to buy the brand.
Americans have been able to resist the S/V40's charms fairly easily in the year it has been on the market south of the border. Sales of the sedan are only okay there, while sales of the wagon have been soft.
Canadian Volvo executives expect the car to do better here since we are more price-sensitive than the Americans and these models will allow more people to buy in. Volvo expects people in their pre- and post-family years to want this car, along with actual families desiring a smaller vehicle.
It helps that the model we are getting is an upgraded version of the unit the Yanks have had, and that is the primary reason Volvo Canada waited a year. On paper, the car is certainly a better product than it was.
The list of improvements would include a quieter, more comfortable and upgraded interior, different exterior styling, inflatable curtain airbags in the windows, dual-stage front and side airbags, and a new 5-speed automatic transmission.
These changes are immediately obvious and extremely welcome to anyone who has driven the American model, especially since Volvo did nothing to detract from the S/V40's dynamics. As a result, the 2001 S/V40 is a better place to be and just as much fun to drive.
Power still comes from the 1.9-litre inline-4 with its light-pressure turbo serving up more mph on demand. When pressed, this engine serves up 160 horsepower at 5250 rpm and 177 pound-feet of torque between 1800 - 4500 rpm.
Americans have been able to resist the S/V40's charms fairly easily in the year it has been on the market south of the border. Sales of the sedan are only okay there, while sales of the wagon have been soft.
Canadian Volvo executives expect the car to do better here since we are more price-sensitive than the Americans and these models will allow more people to buy in. Volvo expects people in their pre- and post-family years to want this car, along with actual families desiring a smaller vehicle.
It helps that the model we are getting is an upgraded version of the unit the Yanks have had, and that is the primary reason Volvo Canada waited a year. On paper, the car is certainly a better product than it was.
The list of improvements would include a quieter, more comfortable and upgraded interior, different exterior styling, inflatable curtain airbags in the windows, dual-stage front and side airbags, and a new 5-speed automatic transmission.
These changes are immediately obvious and extremely welcome to anyone who has driven the American model, especially since Volvo did nothing to detract from the S/V40's dynamics. As a result, the 2001 S/V40 is a better place to be and just as much fun to drive.
Power still comes from the 1.9-litre inline-4 with its light-pressure turbo serving up more mph on demand. When pressed, this engine serves up 160 horsepower at 5250 rpm and 177 pound-feet of torque between 1800 - 4500 rpm.