Photo Rendering: Next Volvo S40 to fight the 3-Series and C-Class?

Volvo needs more than a revamped front bumper to compete with the BMW and Mercedes! LOL! The cabin and engine are in dire need of revamping among other things.

You have to remember Volvo is a conservative car company and they refuse to ditch an entire car design for a new krazy direction.

As long as they don't do the audi grill i agree on a new front end. Audi does it fine, so does cadillac, and the Evo X, but one more would be far to many.

Reminds me of the new Mondeo.

THIS IS THE XC60 CONCEPT, PHOTOSHOPPED.

I hope Volvos don't get that ugly. I personally thought the XC60 concept was quite unattractive.

And no, the S60 competes within the entry-level class. I'd say that the S40's closest competition is the Acura TSX, and you could even compare it to the A3.

Yep, clearly a pshop of the XC60. The S40 didn't come out that long ago.

i am sure ford is not that dumb to come out with this

I've never been a big fan of Volvos over the years, but I have to admit that I like this one. On the flip side, if Volvo is seriously considering competing with BMW and Mercedes they'll have to switch to either rear or all-wheel drive. Can't get into the game with the germans with FWD.

Like someone mentioned, Volvo are known to be more conservative and understated luxury cars when you get to cars like an S80. It's not known to be great performers but it more than makes up for in it's trademark safety features. For consumers edging closer to that kind of market the Volvo is an industry leader.

It's very underrated in such that it almost gets no attention whatsoever. When some think of Volvo they laugh but that's because they know nothing about it. Sure it's owned by Ford and sure it may not be as appealing as the BMW's or Mercedes out there but it does not mean their products are rubbish.

It caters to those conservative people who knows what Volvo is all about and it suits their needs. The new hardtop coupe looks much better as well as the new S80 so the direction Volvo is headed is the right one. Volvo's can't change their style drastically to match industry standards.

IMO it all boils down to marketing and word of mouth. Like for Lexus, if it wasn't for marketing, it would not be as popular amongst the people in the US as well as the elderly who clearly love the ES and the LS (at least in my city and some other ones i've visited). So with proper marketing the Volvo image can be boosted. It just takes money.

-Agent63

the volvo s40 isn't as nice as a honda or VW let alone a 3 series

Some of you are missing something- Volvos are no longer the safety benchmarks. Notably, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus have all surpassed them in this field. They're about average now.

However, they are very easy, comfortable cars that are relatively inexpensive. The only Volvos I'd ever consider are the S60R and C70, but I just don't find them very exciting.

Are you referring to the same Audi brand that has got only average safety ratings?
Q7 - only 4 stars in EuroNcap. (XC90 - 5 back in 2003 and are still class leading)
A4 - only 4 stars. (S40 - 5)
A3 - only 4 stars. (C30 - 5)

Truth is: Audi and, especially, BMW - average.
Volvo, SAAB, MB, Renault - Safest pick.

The IIHS gave the A3, A4 and A6 "Double Best Pick" awards in 2005 or 2006, and the Q7 has gotten five stars from another institution, but I honestly forgot which. It could've also been IIHS.

That's an XC60 front on a Mondeo.

No, it's just an XC60 without the rear end.