Volvo V40 & Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid Goodwood Festival of Speed

The new Volvo V40 and the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid will get their UK debut at the Moving Motor Show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Volvo have been on something of a roll since the Chinese took the reins, and are starting to look like they’re capable of moving from the no man’s land between mainstream and premium in to proper premium car territory.

The new Volvo that jumps out as capable of taking on BMW and Mercedes is the new Volvo V40, a very stylish and appealing package that looks like it will be able to hold its own against the new A Class and 1 Series.

The new V40 was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March and starts at a quite reasonable £19,745, with first cars arriving with customers in the UK in September.

But if you can’t wait that long you will be able to see the new V40 – and maybe even grab a drive – at the Moving Motor Show at this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the V40 gets its UK public debut.

Also on view at the MMS at the Goodwood FoS will be the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid and visitors will also have the chance to drive the Hybrid V60 up the Goodwood hillclimb.

With a 2.4 litre diesel working the front wheels and a 70bhp electric motor on the back wheels, the V60 Hybrid gets a D6 badge to denote its performance credentials – 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds – and should make for a bit of fun up the hillclimb if you get the chance.

And if you do get the chance to get behind the weel of either the new V40 or V60 plug-in hybrid, take a tip. When they flag you off from the start line don’t shove the throttle to the floor, but take it very easy.

Then, when you hit the first right-hander before you roll round to the hill to go up past the main house, you’ll be able to mash the throttle and know there’s a big enough gap between you and the car that went before to get a proper hustle on as you fly past the house and stands.

Have fun.