Designed by Peter Horbury, the Volvo S40 range firmly established the brand’s prominent position among compact luxury cars. This particular model, the second generation S40, was nominated for the World Car of the Year award and won the Best New Sport Compact Award in 2005. It remained in production 2004-2012. But the lighting technology used in these cars is over 15 years old today.
Factory-fitted options included H7/HB3, H7/H9 halogen and D3S/H7, D2S/H7 bi-xenon headlights, made by Bosch/AL.
The halogen version features an H7 reflector that produces an average light beam even when new. In many cases, its light output has been further compromised as bulb heat and general ageing cause the reflective layer to peel off.
The bi-xenon setup features a 3.0-inch projector, designed in the late 90s. These projectors are known to lose their reflective layer right to the point where they become black inside, causing dangerously low light output.
Needless to say, buying new or used original headlights for your Volvo S40 is not recommended. But there is fortunately no need for that. Whether your car was factory-fitted with H7/HB3, H7/H9 halogen, D3S/H7 or D2S/H7 bi-xenon headlights, there are upgrade kits that will fit inside your existing headlights.
These complete retrofit kits not only provide you with superior brightness and durability; they are also more affordable than average Volvo S40 xenon headlights with bulbs and ballasts, and since all components are brand new, they come with a 2-year warranty. Additional benefits over OEM headlights include Canbus-proof designs and effortless halogen-to-xenon conversions. What’s more, the levelling systems will work without any adjustments to the headlight connectors, and you can use any ballasts that you might already own to save further on xenon upgrades.
No matter which retrofit upgrade kit you pick, you will improve the light output considerably, making for safer and more enjoyable driving. And, of course, your Volvo S40 will look awesome with the luxurious bright light of the latest xenon technology.
