In what could be our final round of spy photos of the upcoming Volvo V40 (or at least those picturing prototypes with heavy camouflage), our diligent spies snapped the five-door hatchback model as it was completing its winter tests on the snow.

Volvo Cars CEO Stefan Jakoby gave us a sneak peek of the new V40 at an interview with Hakan Matson, chairman of the European Car of the Year Jury, on Friday, where he also revealed that the car will be officially introduced at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show next March.

During the interview, Jakoby said that he is “extremely positive” and “really excited” about the V40, which will be positioned against the five-door variants of the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series as well as the Lexus CT200 h.

While Jakoby wouldn’t elaborate further, the V40 will likely form the basis for the next generation C30 three-door hatch and possibly spawn an XC40 crossover as well as a replacement for the current S40 in certain markets.

The V40 will be the first production Volvo model to be offered with the Swedish firm’s new modular Volvo Environmental Architecture (VEA) four-cylinder engine lineup featuring direct injection for its gasoline and common rail for its diesel variants.

Photo credits: CarPix

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