The Volvo V40 has been off of the company's menu in the States since 2004 when the Ford Focus-based S40 and V50 duo debuted, but in other markets a small four-door hatch took up the nameplate as a four-door companion to the C30 hatch.
The V40 and V40 Cross Country are still in production but are due for a replacement relatively soon and Volvo has just confirmed that the next-generation V40 will be available in the U.S., according to a report from the Dutch publication De Telegraaf.
Volvo senior vice president Alain Visser indicated to De Telegraaf that Volvo is designing the next-generation V40 with North America in mind, and that it may even be available in a long-wheelbase variant for China. Expected in 2017, the next-generation V40 will use Volvo's Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, used for smaller cars, and will also spawn an XC40 all-wheel drive softroader variant in 2018 -- a version of which is currently on sale in a number of European markets as the V40 Cross Country.
The next-generation V40 will be available as a gas-electric hybrid.
Visser also indicated that the V40, like other Volvo models, will be available as a gas-electric hybrid, with a possible diesel-electric hybrid also on the menu in Europe. A Volvo V40 in the States would compete with the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and other hatches that offer luxury interiors in top trims.
The smaller end of Volvo's lineup has been empty since the C30 hatch departed in 2013, with the S60 sedan and V60 wagon now comprising Volvo's most compact offerings while the company focuses on replacing aging models and developing a new range of engines and platforms. The replacement for the V40, which enjoys only a tiny part of the hatchback sales pie, has not been a priority since the current model debuted in 2012.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
