The Volvo C30 was replaced by the Volvo V40. The V40 will be replaced by the electric Volvo C40.
The Volvo C30 was discontinued in 2013 due to its unsatisfactory sales. The V40 was first introduced in 2012, and it received a facelift in 2016, which completely replaced the C30. The V40 was also discontinued in 2019, and it is going to be replaced with the all-new fully electric vehicle, the Volvo C40.
Volvo V40
The Volvo V40 is a compact executive car that is also known as a C-segment car in Europe. The car made its debut in 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show. The V40 was a 5-door hatchback, built on the Global C platform. The car had the same frameless back glass as its predecessor, the C30. Unfortunately, the car didn’t make it into the US market.
The V40 Cross Country model was also introduced alongside the regular V40. In this model, the engine was more powerful, and it had more protective body panels with high ground clearance. The car also received a facelift in 2016. It had the same Thor’s hammer headlights which are present in the other Volvo cars.
Safety features
Volvo cars have always been a role model for their safety features. They offer top quality and state-of-the-art safety features, which are also a big selling point for Volvo. The V40 is also not an exception. The car came with the IntelliSafe safety precrash system, as well as many other safety features, including:
- Rollover cage
- Blindspot detection system
- Airbags with inflatable curtain
- Braking units based on lasers
- Pedestrian detection systems
- Anti-lock braking system with EBD
Exterior
The exterior of the car is not like the older Volvos which used to be quite boxy in appearance. The Volvo V40 had a brilliant body design with protective body panels. The back also had the same frameless back glass that was present in the C30.
The facelifted model introduced Thor’s hammer-styled headlights, which are standard in all the newer Volvo models like the XC90 or S90. The front grills were also slightly altered in the new facelifted model.
Performance
The car came in two gasoline-based engines which were 1.6L EcoBoost I4 and a 2.5-liter I5 engine. The car was front-wheel drive which gave it good fuel economy. From 2014, Volvo also started adding its own new Drive E engine from its VEA program.
Reliability
Volvo cars are generally considered to be durable and reliable cars. The long-lasting engines and the safety features of the Volvo cars make them extremely reliable cars. The car ranks average on reliability surveys, but was named as the safest car in 2012 by Euro NCAP.
The dependability of the car is also pretty decent. There are only about 9.5% reports from the car owners about major issues. The warranty deals are also pretty good for this car. The standard warranty package is three-year with 60,000-mile. All of this made it a reliable car.
Discontinuation
Lately, Volvo has been focusing on making electric cars only. Volvo has its vision for 2030, when they will go fully electric, stopping making any gasoline-based cars, not even hybrids. This, combined with poor sales of the V40, led to discontinuing the car.
Volvo C40: The electric future of Volvo
Volvo announced that the V40 was going to be replaced by some other car in near future and that car is the new Volvo C40. The Volvo C40 is the second addition to their electric vehicles. It is a subcompact luxury crossover SUV which is basically a big electric version of the Volvo C30.
The car is in the production stages for now, and it is going to hit the market in 2022. It has a powerful lithium-ion battery which has an estimated range of 200+ miles. The car will be superfast, capable of 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. The C40 will come with the standard all-wheel-drive option.
The C40 will the first-ever Volvo to only be available in the fully electric version. It has a big battery pack of 78kWh lithium-ion. The battery is going to be 80 percent charged in just 40 minutes using a 150kW charger. The range could increase with new software updates. To expand Volvo’s new “Care by Volvo” program, they are going to make C40 available only online.
Volvo’s future
Volvo is going to become a fully electric vehicle manufacturer in the near future. They discontinued the V40 just because of this purpose. They have also announced other new models just for their electrification program. The announcement of the C40 and the XC40 recharge makes it clear that they are going to produce only electric cars in the near future.
FAQ
What other car companies are going fully electric?
Electric cars are the future of the automobile industry. The transport industry emits a massive load of carbon emissions, and car companies must go towards making electric cars. These are some car manufacturers that are planning to go electric soon:
- Jaguar – They are planning to make only electric vehicles by 2025.
- Bentley – planning to make their first EV in 2025 and they will sell only EVs by 2030.
- Lotus – planning to go fully electric by 2030.
- Cadillac – they will sell only EVs by 2030.
- Volvo – planning to sell only electric cars by 2030.
Is Volvo going to compete with Tesla?
Tesla is an electric cars producer which is famous for its sporty-looking cars and fast speeds and acceleration. Volvo is planning to go fully electric by 2030, and they also have a performance brand, Polestar, which will compete with Tesla.
Polestar has been making hybrid cars since 2017, and they have recently released their first EV, the Polestar 2. The Polestar 2 competes with Tesla Model 3. Polestar is also going to make its first fully electric SUV. Therefore, Tesla is going to have tough competition in the coming years.
What are the best-selling hatchbacks in the US?
Hatchbacks are famous for their fuel efficiency and small sizes. They are mostly family cars. Some of the best hatchbacks in the US are:
- Mazda Mazda3
- Hyundai Veloster
- Chevrolet Bolt
- MINI Cooper
- Mitsubishi Mirage
