Volvo V40 Hatchback (2012 - 2019) D4 (190bhp) R DESIGN Lux Nav 5d Owner Review

Having come from an E Class Coupe I wasn’t expecting miracles, but overall a disappointing experience. Firstly, the clutch pedal started sticking about 1/2 way up after 1 week of ownership. Although only 40k miles, and two years old, dealer attributed it to abuse and wanted £700.00 labour to inspect it. After threatening to returning the car it was repaired and the slave cylinder was allegedly to blame. If you are buying used, please check the clutch pedal returns willingly. The navigation system is the most awkward I have ever used. Definitely not intuitive, and too fiddly to use efficiently. The rest of entertainment system is acceptable - just. Other aspects that irritate include; Slow heated screen, creaky interior, lights that appear to vibrate whilst driving and a cramped feeling interior. The front seats are less than perfect too, giving a feeling of being perched on, rather than fitting in to them. There is litle in the way of lateral support when cornering too. Taking one for a 10 minute test drive is unlikely to highlight any of the above unless you are aware beforehand. Finally, whilst the D4 engine is eager, the chassis constantly struggles to find grip and you find yourself having to carefully apply the power when accelerating. This is not something I would expect to be evident in a ‘sporty’ car like this... MPG is around 40, so please don’t think it will be efficient under normal use.