The seats are comfortable. The instrument panel is clean and simple and workmanlike, with a big speedometer and tachometer, white numbers on a black background with red needles.
The center stack is only an inch thick, like a computer monitor with a flat screen. Behind it is a storage bin. Simple, clever, practical, handsome, Swedish. You have to reach around the back of the stack to gain access to that shallow storage space, but it's better to have it than to waste it because there is a distinct lack of cubby storage in this car. The center stack curves gracefully upward behind the beautifully minimalist shift lever to link the console with the instrument panel. One problem we had with the thin stack, however, is that during hard cornering, of which the S40 is eminently capable, our right knee rode hard against the edge, and it hurt.
Audio, climate and other control buttons are arranged vertically. There are four round knobs at the corners. One of those knobs is a menu control that easily accesses more detailed information and controls. Above the buttons is an information screen.
The T5 comes with brushed aluminum interior trim, which is perfect from a style standpoint. Not too much and in all the right places, including the whole center stack. The 2.4i comes with dark wood trim, which isn't nearly as good-looking.
Storage space in the S40 is severely lacking, however. The center console has a tiny bin. The door pockets are thin with most of the space taken up by speakers. Mesh pockets are located on the leading edge of the seat bottom, in front of the driver and passenger seats, but most people won't notice or use them, though they will hold a cell phone. Everything is carefully compact in the interior, including the strong stubby door handles, easy to grab and pull. Two good cup holders forward of the center console work well.
The S40 and V50 are surprisingly roomy given the exterior dimensions, highlighting Volvo's efficient use of space. And Volvo has created intelligent ways to use that space, benefiting from some of the ideas gleaned from designing the XC90 SUV. The rear seat is a 60/40 split and the seatbacks open up to the trunk when dropped. The front seat folds as flat as the rears, creating an unprecedented open floor space and 38.4 cubic feet of cargo space, a lot for a small sedan.
The chopped-off rear end makes the trunk opening small, but it leads into a deep forward well, with 12.6 cubic feet of luggage space, about average for most mainstream sedans. Below the floor of the trunk is a space-saver spare tire and a first aid kit. The trunk lid was cleverly designed to open and close smoothly and easily.
The V50 wagon offers 27.4 cubic feet of luggage space with all seats upright, and a substantial 62.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats and the front passenger seat folded down, which compares favorably to many mid-size wagons by other manufacturers.
Volvo leads the auto industry in environmental awareness, and there's an emphasis on environmentally compatible cabin materials and systems, such as trim materials with low PVC content.
