Filed under: Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Volvo, First Drives
Forbidden Fruit For What Ails The Swedes in North America
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We’ve entered a really good period of automotive excitement if premium-minded European hatchbacks move you. Things just seemed to fall into place suddenly about six months back when it became clear that Mini’s lineup was about to have fierce competition from the new Audi A3, soon-to-arrive new Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the still fresh [BMW 1 Series](http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/1 series/) hatch and this car here, the all-new Volvo V40.
Regarding the near monopoly Mini has enjoyed in the States among the Euro premium hatch species, the thrill of BMW’s boutique brand has turned a bit complacent, leaving plenty of room for competitors to dive in and damage its market share. We like the new Audi A3, a fairly predictable and soberly handsome execution that evolves things nicely from the previous generation.
The real impact models in the segment could well end up being the drastically new A-Class and, if Volvo’s new China-Sweden leadership and dealer network keeps it together, this sharp V40.
The whole area north of Verona, Italy, is loaded with remarkable serpentine two-lanes that frequently turn into 1.5-lane affairs. It was here that we performed several long repeat loops in various engine and transmission configurations in an effort to discover both the green and the mean sides of this comely hatchback.Continue reading 2013 Volvo V40 [w/video]
2013 Volvo V40 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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