Volvo Redesign Takes S40 Closer to S80

As the 2008 model year approaches, car manufacturers are hard at work to develop new vehicles or redesign existing ones. This dynamic nature of the auto industry has given consumers a wide choice of vehicles. Constantly improving vehicles benefit consumers significantly, as car manufacturers continue to outdo each other and themselves, the quality of cars made available to consumers also increases.

One such car brand giving effort in the improving of an existing model is the Swedish auto company Volvo. For the 2008 model year, the Ford-owned car maker will be offering a redesigned Volvo S40 and its wagon version, the V50.

The company known for popularizing “Scandinavian luxury” is at it again. This time, the entry-level compact sedan S40 and wagon V50 underwent redesign which moves the units closer to the midsize luxury car in Volvo’s lineup - the S80. In fact, the redesigned S40 takes a lot of style concepts from the S80. Some style cues that the S40 now shares with the S80 is the nose of the compact sedan which now looks almost exactly as the S80’s. The S40’s grille is also adorned with a bigger Volvo badge. Some auto design experts see this as the dawning of a bolder move to be taken by Volvo in terms of designing future models.

The very distinct Volvo headlight is present in the latest edition of the S40 as well as the fog lamps which, no doubt, have been perfected by the car manufacturer based on a country known for its harsh climate especially during winter season where fog lamps are a must have for vehicles. Another change made to the exterior of the S40 is the one part air intake unit. This replaces the former three-part unit used by the S40’s predecessor.

As the S40 moves closer to the Volvo S80, its wagon version also moves closer to the wagon version of the S80. Just like the S40, the V50’s grille is also redesigned by Volvo to give the wagon a bolder look. Its Volvo headlight is also becoming more and more similar to the wagon version of the S80 - the V70. The three-part air intake unit used by the current V50 is also replaced by a single full-width unit. Mirroring the bolder style cues used on the S40, the Volvo V50 also shows off a bigger Volvo badge on its redesigned nose. This shows how consistent Volvo is in designing a sedan and its wagon version. While Volvo has departed from designing and producing boxy cars, the S40 and the V50 are built with safety in mind. This makes the redesigned S40 and V50 even safer than its boxy predecessors.

As Volvo’s design cues become bolder, the company has succeeded in combining good looks and safety in just one vehicle.

Aside from redesigning the front end of the V50, design engineers from Volvo also made sure that the rear of the V50 and the S40 will complement the redesigned front end of the car. The tail lights on the redesigned V50 are made slimmer. The V50 as well as the S40 uses LED brake lights. The rear bumper was restyled for the next model year which complements the bold style cues used on the front end of the sedan and the wagon. The twin exhaust pipes also add to the aesthetic value of the Volvo S40 and the V50.

As far as the interior is concerned, the Scandinavian luxury theme is evident, thanks to new interior trims used in the redesign. Not only is the interior made to look god but it is also quite functional. Designers of the new S40 and the V50 gave both vehicles an increased interior space. This is especially evident on the V50. Since the wagon is known for its versatility, Volvo see it fit that more space be given for cargoes inside the V50.

Not only did Volvo improve the exterior and interior of the S40 and the V50 but also the company also did work on improving the vehicles’ powertrain. Manual and automatic gear boxes will be offered with both the diesel and gasoline versions of the S40 and the V50.