The Volvo showroom isn't usually the first port of call for thrusting young buyers looking for a compact car with a bit of attitude. That's not to say that Volvo wouldn't like it to be and there have been signs of a more concerted effort by the Swedish marque to loom larger on the radar of image-conscious twenty and thirtysomethings. First the C30 hit the streets bursting with fresh design and athletic overtones and then we got the R-Design sub-brand. This collection of accessories has been created to breathe some extra edginess into the S40 and V50 - models that had previously been too easy to overlook.

Sport and its friend sporty are prime candidates for the most overused terms in the UK car market. Manufacturers will offer a 'sport' version of virtually any vehicle that they can realistically bolt a spoiler to and it's reached the stage where most of the term's meaning has ebbed away. Likewise, undertake the even the briefest of searches and you'll find the most unlikely candidates being described as sporty. It seems even MPVs are sporty these days. What is the world coming to? Everything's relative, of course, but that doesn't help Volvo when its S40 Sport and Sport SE versions are supposed to be the dynamic standard bearers of the range. What was needed was a new brand that could be carefully fashioned to speak of vibrancy, speed and thinly veiled aggression to its target audience. R-Design was the answer. It's Volvo speak for, well, sportiness.

You can get any of the S40's engines with one of the R-Design packages. That means the petrol range from the 99bhp 1.6 up to the rapid 227bhp T5 and diesels from the 108bhp 1.6 to the punchy D5. Which one you go for rather depends on how convincingly you want your R-Design S40 to live up to its looks. The T5 is the obvious choice for true performance nuts, capable of running to 60mph from a standing start in 6.3s but the 178bhp D5 diesel might also appeal with its 7.9s showing. The D5 is a five cylinder engine like the T5 but it's only offered with the Geartronic automatic gearbox. Although the system shifts quickly in manual mode, set to automatic it's a bit of a dimwit - changing gears mid-corner and at other inopportune moments. The engine is noisy too, so you don't tend to feel like leaving your foot in and accessing the strongest performance. A far better choice is the 2.0-litre diesel. Its 134bhp output gives a useful turn of speed with 60mph coming up in 8.9s. It's lighter than the D5 and this is evidenced by a sharper front end and more a pointier feel to the steering.

"R-Design should raise the S40's profile nicely"

Getting the Geartronic 'box really doesn't make much sense as the super-slick 6-speed manual that comes as standard is one of the S40's best features. The stubby lever feels good in the hand and moves around the gate with some precision. If you really want an auto, you really should ask yourself whether you're an R-Design kinda customer after all. The S40 deserves a good engine and gearbox combo because it's a fine-handling car. It runs on Ford Focus underpinnings and inherits much of that model's composure and cornering poise.

So, what do you actually get with your R-Design Volvo? The package upgrades the interior and exterior of the S40, sharpening the impact of its styling and raising the tone in the cabin. A full body kit lowers the car visually, the grille and mirrors are picked out in a silver matt finish and a roof spoiler brings up the rear. The Sport models get 17" five-spoke alloy wheels but those are swapped for 18" efforts on the SE Sport version. Inside, the seats look great in Volvo's unusual T-Tec fabric and cream leather, there's a sports steering wheel, sports pedals and the displays are illuminated in blue. It's all very fetching. The R-Design logo is liberally splattered about and even the floor mats get special cream edging. Overall, it feels like a quality package and definitely a cut above the standard S40s.

The R-Design package works well partly because the Volvo S40 is a solid starting point. The car's neat and chunky shape looks good in comparison to other compact saloons and if anything, the V50 estate version is better-looking still. The interior is an impressive piece of work from Volvo. The floating centre stack with nothing but fresh air behind it is the stand-out feature but the clean, minimalist lines and textured surfaces do give the impression of quality that so many manufacturers are striving for these days. The buttons on the aforementioned centre console are a bit fiddly but the major functions are simple enough to access. Legroom in the rear is generous and there's a very spacious boot that family buyers will appreciate.

You'll need at least £16,600 to get yourself into one of these R-Design trimmed S40 models. The R-Design Sport 1.6 petrol starts at that level then you have the 1.8-litre version, the 2.0-litre and the T5 at £21,845. The diesel options start at £18,645 for the 1.8-litre model and the desirable 2.0-litre is £1,000 on top of that. The D5 Geartronic looks pricy at £22,645. Only the 2.0-litre and 5-cylinder engines are available with the plusher SE Sport trim and there's a premium of £1,650 to get it. As well as the R-Design accessories, the Sport comes as standard with climate control, electric windows and an MP3 compatible stereo while the SE Sport adds a trip computer, rain sensing wipers and cruise control amongst other things.

These prices are a little higher than you'd pay for a car that rides on much the same chassis, such as a Ford Focus or a Mazda3 saloon, but then they feel very different cars. Volvo has worked hard to endow the S40 with its own identity and has, by and large, succeeded. Equipment levels are very strong to boot with some really high-end options available for the car. Dynaudio speakers are fitted to the Premium Sound system and there's a hard-drive based RTI road traffic and information system for the sat nav. A lot of thought has gone into the details. Even the remote key fob has auto open and auto close functions for all side windows and the sunroof.

The biggest seller in the S40 range has traditionally been the 136bhp 2.0-litre diesel car and with good reason. Once you've swallowed the initial purchase price, it's reassuringly inexpensive to run. An average fuel consumption figure of 50.4mpg suggests a lawnmower. The appeal of this S40 is the way it combines a refreshingly brisk turn of pace with outstanding economy without feeling insubstantial in any way. Quality oozes from every pore. True, if lighter weight componentry was used, Volvo could have maybe eked a couple of extra miles per gallon from the car and improved upon the already excellent 148g/km of carbon dioxide emissions but Volvo is a brand that campaigns under Ford's Premier Auto Group so it has to look and feel the part.

The only S40 to really generate a sharp intake of breath in terms of running costs is the range-topping T5 sports model. Drive the T5 hard then and it will consume fuel at a determined rate, certainly nowhere near the 33mpg combined figure Volvo quote. Compensation is offered in the case of a CO2 emissions showing of 208g/km which makes it one of the cleanest cars in its class and also an insurance rating of Group 15.

The S40 is a car that's very easy to like but a little too easy to overlook. The market for compact saloon cars isn't a big one in the UK and with premium and non-premium hatchbacks vying for the public's attention as well as its direct saloon car rivals, the S40 has a tricky job on. It's a job that should be made a good deal easier by the R-Design package. By introducing extra visual flair both inside and out as well as a definite brand that will be easier for younger buyers can get a handle on, R-Design should raise the S40's profile nicely.

The R-Design features have been well judged to give the S40 a more dynamic look and feel without going over the top. Crossing into hot hatchback territory with garish colour schemes and monster spoilers would have been a mistake. Instead, the S40's minimalist interior and chunky body work have been respected and injected with some useful extra excitement. There's a very good car underneath and with R-Design, it's one that younger buyers will feel more inclined to discover.