Volvo has been teasing the new V40 hatchback for quite some time now as the Swedish company is building up anticipation for the five-door model’s world premiere at next month’s 2012 Geneva Auto Show.

Today, however, French car magazine L’Automobile published two undisguised images of what it claims to be the new V40. The first cropped picture shows the front end of the compact model while the second grainy image gives us an unobstructed view of its rear end and profile.

We can’t vouch for its authenticity but it does look to be the real deal if you want our opinion.

The new V40 is expected to launch in Europe this summer rivaling the likes of the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and even the Volkswagen Golf.

The Swedish automaker has said that the V40 will be the first production Volvo to benefit from the company’s new modular Volvo Environmental Architecture (VEA) four-cylinder engine lineup featuring direct injection for its gasoline and common rail for its diesel variants.

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