2010 Volvo S40

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Interior - What the Auto Press Says

While some small cars sacrifice rear passenger room for cargo room and vice versa, reviewers note the 2010 Volvo S40 doesn't have much of either. But its front row is spacious with supportive seating, plus the cabin retains Volvo's trademark minimalistic style while still being high class.

• "There's plenty to be said in the 2009 Volvo S40's favor. It looks sharp inside and out, it offers an impressive roster of standard and optional luxuries, it's safe and it's got some of the best seats in the business." -- Edmunds
• "The cabin is impressively roomy -- roughly the same volume as the larger S60 sedan." -- Cars.com
• "Despite being an 'entry level' car, the S40 feels as refined and luxurious as the upper echelon S60." -- Car and Driver
• In contrast, Kelley Blue Book notes, "If you regularly need room for four adults, the S40's cramped rear seat and moderate headroom are a negative." -- Kelley Blue Book

Front Seats

The S40's seats are well -bolstered and work with the tilt and telescoping steering wheel to make a comfortable driving position.  

• "The interior is not that wide but furnishes adult-size headroom and legroom on supportive, well-shaped seats. A standard tilt and telescoping steering wheel and available power seat let most drivers get comfortable." -- Consumer Guide
• "Occupants tend to sit on top of the seats rather than in them, but they still prove supportive and comfortable during long drives." -- Cars.com

Rear Seats

Comfort is limited in the 2010 Volvo S40's rear seat, especially for tall passengers.

• "Two adults get decent headroom and elbowroom, but three will feel pinched. Knee space is tight if the front seats are set far aft, but foot space is generous" -- Consumer Guide
• "If you regularly need room for four adults, the S40's cramped rear seat and moderate headroom are a negative." -- Kelley Blue Book

Interior Features

Many auto writers appreciate how Volvo has maintained its minimalist Scandinavian style with the cabin. But a few say the fashion sometimes hampers a fully functional design.

• "If you like to shop at Ikea -- or at least admire the company's uber-modern designs -- then the 2009 Volvo S40's interior should strike your fancy. The piece de resistance is the ultraslim 'floating' center stack, which is suspended between the console and the dash, but pretty much everything about the S40's interior design is a direct challenge to the relatively austere interiors found in some competing models."
• "Gone are the standard bits of gray plastic trim, and the result is a clean, monotone design." -- Automobile Magazine
• "S40's ultra-thin center stack houses audio and climate buttons that some testers say take time to sort out and are too easily hit by accident while shifting. The windshield-wiper stalk impedes access to the dashboard-mounted ignition switch." -- Consumer Guide
• "Some controls on the vertical console aren't quite as logical as they look, and glovebox space is meager." -- Kelley Blue Book

Cargo

The 2010 Volvo S40 has 12.6 cubic feet of available storage space in its trunk.  Not all reviewers think that space is adequate. However, most say the opening into the S40's trunk is too small, and that there aren't enough interior stowage options. .

• "Trunk capacity is ample at 12.6 cubic feet and the 60/40 split rear seat folds." -- Edmunds
• "Good trunk space for a compact sedan is abetted by standard folding rear seatbacks. Volume is meager by absolute standards and S40's aperture won't accept bulky cargo. Interior storage is subpar." -- Consumer Guide
• "Though easy to load, the trunk's size is modest." -- Kelley Blue Book
• "A dearth of cabin stowage space." -- Car and Driver