VOLVO V40 R-DESIGN PRICED FOR MZANSI

Volvo is spicing up the brand new V40 lineup with an R-Design kit that promises to sizzle and dazzle the targeted younger buyers. V40 wants to be what C30 failed to achieve: dependable, safe, but exciting and desirable. Volvo South Africa says it will launch the V40 R-Design suite in February 2013 and these are the models that will be on the menu:

First the T3 manual will be the lowest-priced petrol, followed by the T4 manual and then the performance T5 with 187kW and 350Nm. The T5 sounds like it would be the direct itch of the BMW 128i, should it make it over here. There will be two diesels too, namely the 85kW D2 and D3 (110kW, 350Nm).

R-Design doesn’t just offer Volvo drivers extra sporty kit to buy them that street cred that Volvo drivers are said to lack, but they also stiffen things up on the chassis side so that handling at least matches the looks. And so it is with the V40, now lowered by 10mm for the purposes of R-Design, and set with firmer springs and shocks. The chassis has been developed with the help of Swedish racing driver Robert Dahlgren who competes for the Volvo Polestar Black R team in the Swedish Touring Car Championship.

Volvo SA were kind enough to give us pricing for two of the cars they’ll be selling next year. Have a look and choose because although deliveries only begin in Feb, orders are now firmly open. Meanwhile the normal V40 is scheduled for Mzansi launch on October.

Volvo V40 R-Design Pricing

V40 D3 Geartronic R-Design (R363 300)

V40 T5 Geartronic R-Design (R397 100)