Redesigned 2005 S40 is Priced $1,500 Under Outgoing 2004 S40
If you've never thought a Volvo was in reach maybe now's the time to reconsider. What has changed? For the first time in five years Volvo will be offering a car under the $30,000 threshold, and it's no bare bones economy car either.
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| For the first time in five years, Volvo will be offering a car under $30,000. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
The new 2005 S40, as stylish as its larger S60 sibling and even more distinctive in its interior treatment, will arrive on the scene in July for only $29,995, a price that mirrors the $29,995 needed to by a 2000 model year Volvo S40 when it first became available in 1999. This price undercuts the outgoing 2004 S40 by $1,500 while offering a more refined car with greater premium feel.
What's more, the 2005 V50 sport wagon will start at the old sedan's base price of $31,495, $1,000 less than the outgoing 2004 V40 wagon. It's definitely a buyers market and Volvo is only too aware that many rivals are vying for the same slice of consumer pie.
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| Both the S40 and V50 are greatly improved over the old S and V models, with better appointed interiors and better overall performance. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
New for 2005, base S40 2.4i sedan and V50 2.4i include a 5-speed manual transmission as standard equipment - the '04 model included a standard 5-speed automatic. The addition of the manual allowed Volvo to drop the price of the new cars while offering enthusiast drivers a transmission choice that better suits the car's performance-oriented capabilities, while benefiting fuel economy and emissions.
What are the differences between the old S and V compacts and the new one's arriving next month? Pretty well everything. The new cars deliver 68 percent greater torsional rigidity, benefiting premium car solidity, handling and crash worthiness.