I mentioned the center stack just a minute ago, and have to admit to falling head over heals for its design. I'm a big-time stereo buff, having owned amps made by Bryston, Carver, Marantz, McIntosh, and Onkyo, tape decks by Akai, Denon and Nakamichi, speaker systems by Boston Acoustics, Mordaunt-Short, Tannoy, and turntables by Dual, Linn, Oracle, Technics, and yes, Bang & Olufson. While the B&O table was nowhere near the equal to the others when it came to sound quality, its styling was far superior when compared to all but the Oracle for stunning houseguests.

The S40's stunning center stack not only looks great, but is also very functional. (Photo: Volvo Cars of Canada)

The S40's B&O inspired floating center stack not only looks sensational, but integrates every needful thing into a well thought out, user friendly interface that looks ready to pop out as a removable remote. It doesn't release, something I'm quite sure of after spending more than enough time looking for a likely button, which is probably a good thing considering my ability keeping remotes within striking distance of my home audiovisual system. Besides, Volvo includes steering wheel mounted controls.

First and foremost the little Volvo is quick off the line in either base or top-line trim. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

With audio in mind, Volvo regularly pulls together some of the industry's best components resulting in systems superior to those found in the majority of its rivals. The young-at-heart S40 is no exception. A multi-disc changer came with my test car, delivering stellar sound reproduction.

But here I am talking audio when I really should be sharing more about the S40's driving dynamics. First and foremost the little Volvo is quick off the line in either base or top-line trim. The starter motor is a zippy 2.4-liter inline 5-cylinder producing a healthy 168-hp and 166 lb-ft of torque. While this doesn't sound like much compared to some of the V6s currently available in middle-of-the-road Asian sedans, it's a lot of power for a car that weighs in at just 1,398 kilos (3,082 pounds), automatic transmission included.