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The S40 sedan and the V40 wagon are both front-drive compact cars powered by a smooth, turbocharged, all-aluminum four-cylinder engine. Like all the Volvos in this latest generation, their lines are more curvaceous, their proportions more pleasing than those of the boxy Volvos of the not-so-distant past. Their exterior design features a sporty, low hood that extends back in an upward line to a high trunk. The side windows are fairly large, making the S40 appear bigger than it actually is. S40 appeared just last year, but already Volvo designers have refined its look with better-integrated bumpers, dual headlights, clear-lens tail lights, and re-shaped front fenders. These last were necessary to accommodate the 2001 model's slightly wider front track (that is, the distance between the centers of the right and left front tires). The wagon part of the V40 is nicely integrated into the body, so it does not look like it has been grafted onto the sedan's trunk (as in some station wagon models from other manufacturers). 2001 models can be spotted by a new trim panel between the tail lights.
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