January 9, 2004 (Irvine, Ca) - America's largest Spanish language car magazine, Automundo, has named the all-new Volvo S40 its 2004 Car of the Year. The award follows on the heels of the Volvo XC90 being named a "recommended buy" by Automundo last year, and marks the first accolade to be given to the all-new S40.
"The S40 represents a big step forward in the compact sedan segment, elevating the existing levels of refinement and safety," commented Automundo Editor in Chief, Jorge Koechlin. "It's for these reasons we named the S40 Automundo's 2004 Car of the Year."
"It's an honor for the S40 to be named Automundo's 2004 Car of Year," noted Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA) President and CEO, Vic Doolan. "The S40 is a great car that's been priced right and is filled with the kinds of things today's car buyers are looking for."
The all-new 2004.5 S40 carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $24,190 for the normally aspirated 168 horsepower 2.4i, and $26,990 for the 218 horsepower turbocharged T5. The all-new S40 is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2004 as a 2004.5 model.
New from the ground up, the 2004.5 Volvo S40 sets the safety standard in its class - both active and passive - and represents an evolution of the, "You think and then you build" theme that began with the award winning XC90 sport-utility vehicle. It's all part of Volvo's Intelligent Vehicle Architecture (VIVA), a unique approach to building a car that integrates everything from its crashworthiness, to its design and exciting driving characteristics. This is possible due to several interacting units, including an extremely stiff body, a new frontal structure and Volvo's Side Impact Protection System (SIPS).
Targeted toward a younger, more diverse audience, the all-new S40 offers dynamic styling, both inside and out. With its long 103.9-inch wheelbase, the wheels have been pushed to the outer corners of the car, giving the all-new S40 an aggressive stance while also creating a roomy interior. Inside, the all-new S40 features a unique ultra slim center stack that opens up storage space behind the "free floating" panel and can be equipped with an awesome 445-watt Dolby Pro-Logic II sound system featuring a powered subwoofer and an in-dash 6-disc CD changer.
Volvo Cars of North America, LLC is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Goteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to Volvo automobile retailers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The 2004-2005 Volvo automobile line includes the all-new S40 sport sedan, all-new V50 sportswagon, the award-winning XC90, sporty S60 sedan, the redesigned S80 luxury sedan, versatile V70 wagon and rugged Cross Country, and the beautiful C70 convertible.
Contact:
James Hope
Product Communications
Volvo Cars of North America
800-970-0888
www.volvocars-pr.com
