40-something’s gonna look sexy in this

"Ooh-lah-lah" was uttered, if my memory serves me right, in the Al Pacino movie Scent of a Woman. I think it was. Funny how that expression quickly came to mind when I beheld Volvo’s S40 T4 at The STAR’s parking lot. I was excited to try out this vehicle, and Viking Cars Inc. made my wish come true. I must admit, I’m a sucker for powerful engines. So, when a sedan the size of a Toyota Corona shows up with a 200-horsepower turbo engine, it gets my full attention.

Driving the T4 home that evening, where seven out of 10 vehicles on the streets around The STAR office in Port Area are 10-wheeler container van trucks, being encapsuled in a car known worldwide for safety is comforting. "Chief Editor Squashed To Death" is a headline not going to happen in a Volvo. In fact, the T4 is jampacked with so many safety features and technology, it’s surprising it didn’t come off the factory looking like an iron shoebox on wheels. On the contrary, the "ooh-lah-lah" at the onset came from the Volvo’s sheer sporty looks alone. Any 40-something’s gonna look real sexy behind the wheel of this, I thought to myself, hee hee.

When stepping on the accelerator, the T4 elicits the sound of wind during typhoon season, propelling the 1,780-kg vehicle like a roller coaster. The wind is obviously the light whine of the high-pressure turbo that allows the 2.0-liter 16-valve engine to produce 200 hp at 5,500 rpm. S40 models without the turbo make much less, 136 horsepower. Some people just don’t need the whump-a-whump-whump engine in their cars so Volvo offers them this non-turbo model. I’ll take mine with the whirlwind, thank you. Anyway, the four wheel disc brakes with ABS sure stops this thing in a jiffy. I experienced this the next day accelerating turbo-style to beat a red light, and then aborting the mission at the last 20 feet. Believe me, this car can brake. Not even a screech. The glass of Red Bull in the cup holder didn’t even spill.

Heading for work under the blazing summer heat, I wondered whether the airconditioning was up to par in this untinted T4. I had left the vehicle under the sun to bake all day and getting into it felt like my goose was about to be turbobroiled, pardon the pun. Lo and behold, the AC was terrific in quickly bringing the hellish indoor climate back to the cool Decembers of Baguio City. The goose remains uncooked as I write this.

In addition, the suspension did a good job of absorbing the ruts, bumps, waterworks holes, train tracks (along España), LRT diggings and whatever the roads from Quezon City to Manila threw at it. The automatic transmission deserves commendation as well for being seamless, smooth and responsive. At first, I thought there was a flaw, a slight shudder when shifting from Drive to Neutral, which isn’t felt in any of the other slots. Then, like a yogi in trance attaining enlightenment, it hit me, the slight shudder is needed in order to know for sure that one has shifted into neutral from drive – without having to look at the shifter.

At a selling price of P 1.845 million, this leather-wrapped work of Swedish art isn’t a car for the common man. There are so many electric adjustments possible for the driver’s seat alone, that I looked for that the rolling massage thingy. Yet, Volvo prices the T4 reasonably well among the luxury cars offered to the elite driver, where car prices for the chosen few can reach over 3 million buckaroos, when coupled with the performance engine option. The S40 T4 or its wagon sibling, the V40 T4, is a perfect choice for the driving enthusiast looking for high performance, sheer styling and comfort, world-famous safety, and luxury at a great value.