Clothed in Rebel Blue, the Volvo V40 R-Design edition wants you to scream ‘Polestar!’. The V40 R-Design looks just as stunning as the S60 Polestar that left us speechless a few weeks back.
“The V40 R-Design is designed around the performance-minded individual with a passion for those things that add extra spice to life. The meticulous attention to detail covers the expressive design as well as the agile, precise performance,” says Lex Kerssemakers, Senior Vice President Product Strategy & Vehicle Line Management at Volvo Car Corporation.
On the exterior the V40 gets a unique R-Design front featuring a silk-metal framed high-gloss grille. An ironstone diffuser, silk-metal finished details and twin exhaust tailpipes complement the V40. The five-spoke diamond-cut wheels (17″ or 18″) are special to the V40 R-Design. In addition to the Revel Blue in these pictures, the V40 R-Design can also be ordered in six other exterior colours.
Volvo has said the design is inspired in part by the Volvo P1800, the “rear hook” shown here being one of the most distinguishing design features on the V40, which is retained in the V40 R-Design.
Interior
The interior continues to be dominated by the dashboard that lets you configurei ts layout based on the three modes – Elegance, Eco and Performance. The seats have a blend of black Nubuck textile and perforated leather and the embroidered R-design logo takes prominence.
A specially designed steering wheel, gear shifter, handbrake and sport pedals take their place in the V40. New aluminium inlays with a perforated look, black leather, matching stitching and a black headliner distinguish the R-Design V40 from the standard variant.
While the standard V40 gets its performance fix from the T4 Volvo engine that makes 180 hp, the V40 R-Design takes performance up a couple notches with the T5 engine which is good for 254 hp!
To handle the extra power the chassis has been tweaked in cooperation with Swedish racing driver Robert Dahlgren in the Volvo Polestar Black R team. The optional Sport chassis is lowered 10 mm compared with the Dynamic chassis. Springs and shock absorbers have a firmer setting.
The front McPherson struts have 25 mm piston rods. The stiffness enables the structure to absorb lateral loads better.At the rear the V40 has monotube dampers, with compression and return damping via the same valve. This gives shorter, faster fluid flow, which in turn means that the damper responds more quickly. Anti-roll bars with increased diameter aid handling.
“The V40 R-Design is agile, responsive and fun to drive. Both chassis offer the enthusiastic driver a feeling of total control. You get both that connected response that makes a winding country road so much fun as well as the precise, nimble moves it takes to stay on top of busy urban traffic,” says Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Car Corporation.
The V40 was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show to compete in a market that has been the domain of the A3, B-Class and 1 Series.