If any car manufacturer’s name is synonymous with safety it’s Volvo.
But there is one devilish corner of the Volvo world which is just as synonymous with speed.
Any Volvo car which proudly bears the T5 badge comes with all the safety attributes you would expect from the Swedish car maker but you can also be sure that it’s main claim to fame is its performance.
A recent chance encounter with a V40 T5, in R-Design spec – it was unexpectedly delivered to me after another vehicle developed technical problems – reinforced my admiration for the one sector of the Volvo family that grows horns when you floor the accelerator.
You can get R-Design versions of other V40 models – it simply means a far more sporty look with a special bodykit with sideskirts, flaired wheel arches, front and rear skirts. a rear spoiler, alloy wheels, and an R-Design logo on the grille – so it blurs the edges between say, a diesel model and the T5, making the latter a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
If you don’t spot the T5 badge you won’t realise that under the bonnet is a 254bhp, 2.5-litre powerhouse which will rocket this car to 62mph is just 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph.
And because this five-cylinder model comes as an automatic only, with Volvo’s six-speed Geartronic system, the power just keeps coming as the car slips seamlessly from one gear to the next.
If you have an open road and really want to get an adrenaline buzz you can move the gearshift sideways and engage Sport, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Because this is a Volvo, however, everything on board is built to match the engine’s performance.
The brakes are some of the best I have come across, throwing the digital speedometer reading into reverse mode faster than you can blink. And the super firm suspension means that when you want to take a corner fast you can, without any deviation from your chosen course.
That firm suspension means that this is not a car that will suit everyone because you really do feel the bumps in the road. You have to really enjoy driving to buy a T5, and as this is the flagship of the range you definitely pay a premium with a price tag of more than £31,000.
The interior of the T5 R-Design is just as sporty as the outside. My test car came with superb sports seats in black leather, alloy pedals and sensibly-sized leather sports steering wheel.
And being a Volvo it did have all the safety features you can imagine and more. These included an upgraded version of City Safe which flashes a startling red light on the windscreen if it senses you are about to collide with a vehicle in front of you and then brakes automatically if you don’t react; Cross Traffic Alert which warns you of cars crossing from the sides when you are reversing and Road Sign Information, a system which flashes up the last road sign you have passed, just in case you missed it, to name just three.
If you are going to drive a fast car there’s a lot to be said for driving one that has everytrhing on board to look after you.
Fast Facts
Model: Volvo V40 T5 R-Design Lux Nav.
Price: £31.390.
Mechanical: 254 bhp, from 2497 cc, five cylinder petrol engine driving front wheels via a six speed automatic gearbox.
Max speed : 155 mph.
0-62 mph: 5.7 secs.
Combined mpg: 35.8.
CO2 emissions: 185 g/km.
Warranty: 60,000 miles/3 years.
