Our spy photographers have manged to lay lenses on the new Volvo V40 as engineers put the vehicle through a little cold-weather testing. Until just recently, we'd heard that the five-door version of the C30 would be called the V30, but Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby has confirmed that the model will actually come wearing V40 badges.
Whatever they call it, Volvo is hoping the new machine will be capable of giving the Audi A3 Sportback andBMW X1 a run for their respective Euros. Details are understandably scarce at the moment, though we feel safe assuming the V40 will debut with a range of gasoline and diesel engine options.
The most potent of that bunch will likely be a 240-horspeower turbocharged four-cylinder that puts power to the front wheels... which certainly sounds like a good time to us. So far, Volvo hasn't said word one about an all-wheel-drive variant, though there's some indication that a plug-in hybrid may show its face in the near future.