It's well-enough known that the Volvo S40 saloon and V40 estate are coming towards the end of their production run, and that the replacement models are due to be built in Belgium rather than Holland.That'll be when Volvo moves out of the Born factory near Maastricht, with which it has had connections since the 1970s, when the then-independent Swedish manufacturer bought over DAF.The replacement cars will be built on the next Ford Focus platform, and it's quite interesting to compare the V40 with the current Focus estate, a car with which it shares nothing except ultimate management by Ford in Detroit.While the Phase II Volvo introduced in 2000, and altered again for the 2003 model year, benefits from a longer wheelbase, wider track and various suspension modifications, and certainly out-handles the 1990s version, it doesn't match the Focus in dodge-about or fast-driving dynamics.On the other hand, a number of rather neat styling upgrades make the V40 a far more attractive car than the Focus estate, which, as we've said several times in the past, strikes us as an example of the undeniable fact that any Focus other than a hatchback looks like an afterthought.The Volvo is a car whose exterior styling has matured very smoothly. Its cabin has also been upgraded over the years, and the current version, given more of a V70 look, looks the part of a premium estate, with colour scheme and trim which seem to "go" together better than used to be the case.It's all quite conservative, which suits the average buyer - in the 50s, university-educated but having long since given up on wild student ideas and flamboyant whoopee - pretty well.The SE is the top trim level, also available in the Sport Lux models, and it brings with it a good standard of equipment. Leather-faced seats, electronic climate control, cruise control, an information centre and a certain amount of wood trim are all included, while the exterior appearance is aided by the 16" alloys and the sweep of the roof rails.There's no suggestion, of course, that the V40 has anything like the load capacity of the much larger V70, but it's quite well fitted-out for lifestyle estate duties, with a safety net and load-restraining belt behind the rear seats. While the luggage volume is very fair for the overall size of the car, rear legroom is well below what's offered by some of its rivals. Although the Volvo isn't as crammed with small stowage spaces as some of its more recently-arrived rivals, there are enough to be going on with, soft pockets in the leading edges of the front seats as examples.As an estate, does it need a diesel? Well, turbo diesel engines always seem to make sense in cars which may have to act on occasion as load-carriers, and the 1.9-litre common-rail unit fitted here fits in nicely. It's an older design than Volvo's D5 unit, and our test car had the 114bhp version, which also offers 195lb/ft of torque from 1750rpm.This engine is also available in 100bhp form with 158lb/ft of torque at the same revs, but, although that variety of V40 SE is listed at £540 less, I think I'd go for the more powerful type. It has a noticeable edge in acceleration, without any penalty in economy or VED band.Safety and security features? Well, this is a Volvo; enough said. A sporting estate? Not really - that's the purpose of the V40 2.0T and, especially, the 197bhp T4. A rough-sounding diesel? Far from it.The V40 in this form is refined, comfortable, good-looking, well-balanced, well-presented and economical to run, even if not exactly in the bargain basement and with limited rear passenger space. Although it won't be around in the new-car showrooms much longer, it's a design aimed exactly at its target market.Second opinion: All this talk about the V40's target market makes me wonder if I should be writing about the thing at all. However, as an on-the-record Ms Dynamite fan, I'd say that Volvo has done a pretty good job with the dynamics of this car. Too many chassis are left floundering when the manufacturer drops a stonking great diesel under the bonnet, but the V40 rides and handles very well. The engine pulls well enough to make overtaking easy, though not so well as to be a performance threat to several of the car's rivals. Noise suppression, on the other hand, is right up with the best in the class. I enjoyed driving the V40, even if other comments on this page make me feel several years too young to be allowed to. David Finlay. Engine 1870cc, 4 cylinders Power 114bhp Fuel/CO2 52.3mpg / 142g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.5 seconds Top speed 121mph Price £19,400 Details correct at publication date
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