The small-sized S40 led the way for a new design era, especially for its cabin-- when the Volvo debuted in 2003, but now that the S80 and S60 have followed suit, the time has come for a change. Gone are the days when there were standard bits of gray plastic trim, and the result was a clean, monotone design. But now in the latest models, the front and rear clips have been revised to look more like the S80. The V50 wagon gets the same treatment, but with a V70-like tailgate.

Most of the changes made to the new models don't really stand out instantly. The S40 sedan and V50 wagon are essentially Volvos, so they ought to be safer than ever, with new, quick-responding LED taillights and optional, adaptive bi-xenon swiveling headlights. The taillights are equipped with an emergency brake light (EBL) function, meaning thereby that they flash rapidly if the brake pedal is hit hard enough. Since the optional turbocharged five-cylinder has been upgraded to 230 hp, EBL is even more useful than it would have been on older models.

In so far as The Interior is concerned, there wasn't a whole lot needing a change. The S40's interior is its best point in selling. Still, there was room for improvement. "The criticism of the current models' limited storage space served as high-octane fuel when the time came to sketch the new interior of the S40 and V50. The designer of the S40s Steve Harper and others said, “ they weren't entirely satisfied until they felt they had exploited every single available cubic meter & centimeter in an efficient way". Along with more space, a spring green fabric color, Nordic light oak trim, and softer leather have been added as options. Both the S40 Sedan and V50 Wagon are great looking cars, and these revisions should help keep their sale going.