HEAVILY revised Volvo S40 saloons and V40 estates have gone on sale with list prices unchanged compared with the outgoing models. Improvements to the £14,495-£21,615 range include new engines and transmissions, retuned chassis and higher standard specification - the latter equating to about £800 of extra equipment.

Exterior changes are more subtle - new front and rear bumpers, new side markers, brighter tail lights, new alloy wheels and double headlights. The previous 95bhp 1.9-litre turbodiesel is replaced with the choice of two common rail units of 102bhp and 115bhp output. Combined fuel consumption of both is 52.3mpg, compared with 50.4mpg for the old 1.9D. Lower fuel consumption and better response are claimed for the tweaked T4 high-pressure turbo petrol engine, which has been enlarged from 1.9 to 2.0 litres, and the 2.0T light pressure engine gets power and torque boosts as well as a fuel consumption improvement from 32.5 to 34mpg.

Inside, the dashboard has been given a facelift, the console has been raised and padded seating upgraded. Air conditioning, remote control central locking, electric front windows, electric heated door mirrors and a front centre armrest are standard across the range, along with driver and passenger airbags.