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V GOOD

Models Covered: (5dr estate, 1.8, 2.0, 2.4, 2.5 turbo petrol, 2.0, 2.4 diesel [ S, Sport, SE, SE Sport])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Compact estate cars sound like a bad idea right from the outset. If you’re going to buy a load lugger, why buy one that can’t lug much of a load? Logic issues notwithstanding, Volvo managed to turn the genre on its head with the V50, a car that made you want to make multiple trips to IKEA just because of its neat good looks, smart detailing and reassuringly ‘on message’ image. With a range of decent engines, a great chassis and competitive pricing, the V50 – along with its S40 saloon sibling – made small Volvos attractive once more. A used example is well worth tracking down.

How you perceive Volvo’s V50 very much depends on your initial standpoint. Come at the car with the perspective that this is a condensed version of the Volvo V70 and you’ll love it. Hardened cynics will see it as just an expensive rehash on a Ford Focus chassis and will consider the V50 overpriced. I’d have to say the cynics would be wrong as the Focus chassis is one of the best in the business and beyond the basic nuts and bolts, there’s not a lot of common ground between, say, a Focus Estate and a Volvo V50. The range was introduced here in Spring 2004 and was quickly fleshed out with larger capacity and diesel powerplants. Above the entry-level petrol 1.8, these included the 2.4i and the 2.5 T5 for petrol buyers, plus a 136bhp 2.0-litre diesel. A 180bhp 2.4-litre D5 diesel wasn’t to follow until early 2006 followed by a 145bhp 2.0-litre petrol unit. Unlike the saloon S40 model, no 1.6-litre petrol or diesel engine option was ever offered. However, the V50 was first to get the more powerful D5 diesel unit and you can get the performance T5 version with all-wheel drive. A range reshuffle at the start of 2007 saw prices cut across the V50 line-up. Trim levels were also tweaked with the SE gaining a powered driver’s seat and an upgraded stereo. A little later that same year, a wide-reaching facelift was carried out with a reprofiled grille featuring a larger Volvo badge and tweaks to the interior. Flexifuel models were also introduced, capable of running on normal unleaded or renewable E85 Bioethanol. The R-Design Sport and R-Design SE Sport models were introduced towards the end of 2007 with more extrovert body-styling kits and sporty interior trim upgrades. They gave the S40 a useful dose of extra attitude.

The V50 rides on the same basic chassis set up as the Ford Focus C-MAX, the Mazda3 and the Volvo XC50 compact 4x4, as well as Land Rover’s latest sub-Freelander baby. That’s not to say the V50 is simply a rebodied Focus. Although the underbody, subframes and suspension layouts are the same on all these models, there’s vast scope for tuning of individual aspects, so all will drive differently. Volvo haven’t skimped when it comes to safety, and they claim that the V50 is as good to crash in as the flagship S80 saloon. Making a small car as safe as a big ‘un takes some doing and it’s only when you look at some of the finer points of how Volvo have achieved this that you realise quite what this commitment means. It involves casting the turbo housing as one with the exhaust manifold so that the engine is more compact when mounted transversely, giving more space for crush zones. It means developing the Intelligent Driver Information System which monitors how hard you’re using the throttle, brakes and steering and will hold incoming telephone calls or satellite navigation instructions until things have calmed down so as not to distract you in the middle of a manoeuvre. It means using four different grades of high tensile steel for crash protection. Would the V50 look a little sexier with BMW-style flame-surfaced concave flanks? Probably. But side impact protection involves having as much deformation space as possible which is why it’s slab-sided to keep its occupants looking good. All too often, we hear about innovations in car design and what we really get is moderately incremental changes. In contrast, the V50, like the S40 model that spawned it, featured a number of styling touches which we’d genuinely never seen before. The exterior won’t get too many pulses racing, effectively resembling a shrunken version of the larger S60 saloon, but the cabin is a delight. Volvo interiors are traditionally odd things. Although they work supremely well, they are often clunkily designed with scant regard for the sort of slickness that separates them from rivals. Little of the design flair we usually associate with the Scandinavians has traditionally seemed to translate into their cars. Here, it’s different. The ‘spaceball’ gear selector in the S60 showed that Volvo could come up with some neat ideas and the V50 takes the spaceball and runs with it. The key design feature is a centre console that’s a softly contoured moulding featuring supremely easy to use controls and fresh air behind it. Original buyers could specify wood, aluminium, plastic or semi-transparent plastic finishes and everybody who gets in will notice the resulting choice. Overall, the V50’s cabin still kind of feels like it’s just rolled off a motor show stand. Not what you’d expect from a Volvo estate.

You’ll need a fair amount of liquidity to get your name on the registration document of a V50 - £8,300 is a fair starter price for a 1.8-litre S on a 53-plate. Most will want a little more power if they’re planning to load the vehicle up and the five-cylinder 2.4-litre models have proven popular. You’ll need around £9,500 for an S with the SE starting proceedings another £1,100 upscale. The 2.5-litre T5 is the choice for the driver with a leaden right boot and these deceptively quick cars start at £11,100 on a 53-plate, making an attractive alternative to a typical new 1.8-litre family hatch. The 2.0-litre diesel opens at £9,400, again on the 53 plate. Insurance for the V50 is inexpensive, due in no small part to Volvo’s enviable safety record. Even the punchy 2.5-litre T5 variants are ranked at a very reasonable Group 15.

The V50 is impeccably built and owners report few significant problems. Even in the hands of motoring journalists – traditionally some of the most neglectful drivers around – the V50 has proven a doughty counterpart. Look for worn tyres and brakes on the T5 model as these may have been driven hard. If you wear jewellery, it’s worth bearing in mind that some of the interior plastics scratch fairly easily.

(approx based on a 2004 T5) A clutch assembly is around £175, whilst an exhaust system is in the region of £350. Front brake pads will require the thick end of £55, whilst rears are £45 a pair. A new alternator will be £165, but a new starter motor is a fairly reasonable £110.

The undemanding lower powered models are the ones to go for. If you must have something like a T5, then don’t expect a BMW 3 Series driving experience. This variant feels recognisably Volvo at the wheel with a strong, characterful engine and handling that’s safe rather than spine-tingling. The turbocharger runs at a modest level of compression, which means that torque is spread widely across the rev band. Drop the throttle at 1,500rpm in almost any gear and you’ll get clean acceleration without bogging, hiccupping or any unseemly lunging. The only clue that it is a turbocharged engine comes in the form of a mild underbonnet whistle in the midrange and a slight mushiness to the accelerator pedal when you blip the throttle. The T5 will notch off the sprint to 60mph in just 6.5 seconds and run on to 150mph. This would seem to promise great things if Volvo ever created a V50R, although recent experience with the underwhelming S60R tempers the enthusiasm a little. Fast Volvos rarely hit the mark and after sampling the 170bhp 2.4-litre model, there’s little to modify that opinion. This engine will still get to 60mph in 7.9 seconds but needs a bit more work to do so. Despite this, with taller tyres and less torque steer to contend with, the 170bhp car feels a good deal more composed and unruffled than its slingshot sibling.

Although a small Volvo estate doesn’t sound instantly appetising, the V50 is a very enjoyable package, offering a little more utility than its S40 saloon sibling without becoming stodgy. A lively chassis, reliable engines and a surprising dose of design flair makes it a very attractive buy. Residual values are still holding up very well, so don’t waste too much time looking for that screaming deal.

SWEDE SAVINGS
Compact executive estate cars aren’t just expensive to buy, they’re also pricey to run. Here’s one that claims to be different, Volvo’s V50 1.6D DRIVe. Jonathan Crouch reports

With the current drive for more eco-friendly cars, every manufacturer seems to be launching low CO2 models, some of them better engineered than others. Most compete in the budget sector but Volvo has been taking a look at how to drive down the cost of business motoring. This V50 1.6D DRIVe estate is a good example of the effectiveness of their efforts.

We’re well used to ‘eco’ motoring brands by now, Volkswagen’s BlueMotion models perhaps, or those in BMW’s EfficientDynamics programme. Yet Volvo’s S40, V50 and C30 1.6D DRIVe variants claim to offer more, this V50 model being a car with the lowest emissions and most impressive fuel economy figures in its class. Volvo's DRIVe cars are all certified according to the mandatory European NEDC standard, which tells you that the Swedish engineers have done a little more than just fit a set of skinny tyres and throw in some low viscosity oil. Otherwise of course, it’s the usual V50 recipe, this compact estate sitting somewhere between the mainstream brands (read Ford Mondeo estate and the like) and the premium options (BMW 3 Series Touring anyone?). The V50 1.6D DRIVe is just like any V50 1.6-litre diesel to drive. Or so you’d think, until you start analysing just how much money it’s saving you. So how have Volvo done it? Well apparently, the Swedish engineers focused on four areas. The first was reduced air resistance. To this end, the chassis height was reduced by approximately 10mm to help reduce drag, then the radiator grille was covered and behind it added a wind-deflecting panel that provides better aerodynamics inside the engine compartment. Wind deflectors in front of the front wheels steer the airflow and there are aerodynamically optimised wheels. Finally, the front and rear spoilers from the performance T5 model were borrowed for this derivative. Next up, the boffins sought to lower the car’s rolling resistance, adopting a set of new generation Michelin tyres designed for that purpose. Higher gear ratios would also help, they decided, so the gearbox features altered ratios for third, fourth and fifth gears. The longer gear ratios contribute to a 1.5% reduction in fuel consumption without, say Volvo, affecting the drivability of the car.

"Volvo’s V50 has tended to be a rather unfairly overlooked package but especially in this form, it doesn’t deserve to be…."

Finally, a more efficient driveline was targeted, which meant optimisation of engine cooling, engine management and power steering systems. A different transmission oil which creates much lower friction is used in the gearbox and a gearchange indicator in the information display tells the driver the ideal time to change gears. None of tweaks that make up the DRIVe package do much on their own but collectively, it all adds up to a lot. Changing the transmission oil, for example, offers up a 0.75% improvement in fuel consumption. Tyres with low rolling resistance save another 2% and so on. With lower carbon dioxide emissions, the DRIVe models salve Volvo’s conscience by reducing its net contribution to global warming, although the company reckons it was already doing its bit by fitting all its diesel models with a maintenance-free particle filter that traps about 95 percent of all soot particles. Plus of course, if the 1.6D diesel option doesn’t appeal, you could also go green and cut costs by ordering your V50 in Flexifuel form, where it can use part petrol and part bioethanol. Otherwise of course, it’s the usual V50 recipe, and if you’re comparing this car to a BMW or an Audi, then you shouldn’t be disappointed. The V50's cabin has a real quality feel to it, both in materials and construction. It's also spacious and comfortable for four adults at least. What you won’t get of course are 'big Volvo' levels of space in the back. Still, the rear seat bases fold up, allowing the seatbacks to be dropped to form a perfectly flat load bay which would be even better if the rear suspension didn’t intrude into it. The bases themselves also form a bulkhead between the front seats and the load area. Some things are reassuringly Swedish. Safety hasn’t been skimped on and as well as the usual airbags and seat belt tensioners, the V50 serves up WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and even the option of BLIS (Blind Spot Information System). This acts much like an extra set of eyes and utilises digital camera technology mounted in the door mirrors to monitor the areas 3m to each side and up to 9.5m behind the driver. If a vehicle enters this area, a symbol appears on the windscreen pillar near the rear view mirror to indicate that something’s there when you take a quick look towards the mirror. Active at speeds above 10km/h, this system isn’t the only safety benefit buyers of the C30 enjoy. Special water repellent glass is fitted to the mirrors and side windows. Water beads up on the glass and the airstream quickly clears it, leaving unimpeded visibility. Volvo has worked hard to endow the V50 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 V50 1.6D DRIVe’s CO2 figure of 118g/km easily beats the 125g/km of BMW’s 318d ES Touring and the 137g/km of Volkswagen’s Passat Estate BlueMotion. The fuel economy’s very impressive too, with this car achieving 62.8mpg on the combined cycle. It’s a decent improvement over the standard model – which it needs to be to justify the couple of hundred pounds premium that the DRIVe package will cost you. Volvo’s V50 has tended to be a rather unfairly overlooked package but especially in this form, it doesn’t deserve to be. Many manufacturers talk about offering small car running costs in their premium models but this car actually delivers on that promise. If you were thinking of downsizing from your company BMW, Audi, Mercedes (or even Volvo), then try a V50 1.6D DRIVe model first. It may offer a pleasantly painless solution.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volvo V50 1.6D DRIVe PRICES: £18,660-£21,660 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 8 CO2 EMISSIONS: 118g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 118mph / 0-60mph 11.5s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 62.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and curtain airbags, WHIPS seats, side impact protection system WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/width/height 4522/1770/1457mm

QUICK SMART
Volvo’s V50 D5 Diesel offers a compelling balance between practicality and pleasure. Andy Enright reports

Congratulations if you’ve managed to stick around this long. Most people will spot a story on a diesel Volvo estate and make time to do things a little more interesting such as creosoting a fence or reconfiguring their sock drawer. This, however, is no common or garden Scandinavian suitcase swallower. With a 180bhp diesel engine and an entertaining chassis, this is very much a closet funster. Volvo may have dressed the V50 D5 in a rather sober suit, but it’s a car that knows how to entertain if you show it a decent road.

Volvo already have a diesel V50, powered by a 136bhp 2.0-litre powerplant. For the average motorist, it’s probably the most sensible choice, getting to 60mph in nearly 10 seconds with a 130mph top end and an excellent 48mpg fuel economy figure. Keenly priced and with a friendly emissions rating, this is the car to go for if you’re merely looking for a well-rounded, modest, compact Volvo estate. I suspect that you’re not, however. A part of you has recognised that a need exists for something practical and affordable to run, whilst another part of you still hankers for the ability to dispatch dawdlers with disdain on snaking B-roads and to be able to elicit a sharp rebuke from your other half as you floor it down a motorway on-ramp. That’s why you’ll like the V50 D5, priced from just over £23,645, £3,000 more than the equivalent 2.0-litre diesel variant. Bear in mind though that this includes standard ‘Geartronic’ automatic transmission, a pricey option on the 2.0 diesel. For buyers wanting a slick six-speed manual ‘box and looking to save a few pounds, Volvo now offers it. As with virtually all turbo diesel cars, the sprint to 60mph isn’t, on the face of it, all that exciting. Volvo claim a figure of 7.9 seconds for the Geartronic versions but if you put away the stopwatches, you’ll think it’s a whole lot faster. The reason for this is that diesels rarely excel at the sprint to 60, having to wait for their turbos to spool up and the subsequent gale of torque is often so great that it causes either wheelspin or the traction control system to illuminate the dashboard like the entrance to Caesar’s Palace. A couple of factors hint that this Volvo is a genuinely quick car. First, a sub-eight second 0-60mph time from any automatic car is going some. Secondly, anybody who has ever driven a turbo diesel car capable of notching off these sort of acceleration figures will know just how addictive the mid-range acceleration is when the turbo’s on full song. As a cross country tool, this Volvo will be way quicker than its 2.4-litre petrol equivalent.

"The D5 engine is a proven piece of engineering. Putting it into a V50 creates a very potent compact estate"

The 350Nm of torque is more than you could expect from a Porsche Boxster S or a BMW 630i and a good deal more than a comparable vehicle such as the most powerful Saab 9-3 Sportwagon diesel. A particulate filter reduces soot particles by 95 per cent and CO2 emissions should be modest, keeping business users’ taxation burden in check. This isn’t the first Volvo the 2.4-litre D5 engine has found its way into, having seen service in the S60 saloon, V70 estate, XC70 AWD crossover vehicle and the XC90 luxury 4x4. The difference here is that the V50 has a much tighter engine bay and after much head scratching and chin stroking, the Swedes have redesigned most of the engine ancillaries to get it to fit. The manifold and turbocharger have been integrated into a single unit in order to free up space. Volvo claim the V50 is designed to go head to head with cars like the BMW 3 Series Touring and the Audi A4 Avant, although pricing will pit it closer in reality to the Alfa 159 Sportwagon in a niche just below these premium models. It’s a wise choice and at first glance, the Volvo manages to marry the bulletproof feel of the top German cars with a keen price. As ever with Swedish cars, you’ll also get a good deal more horsepower per pound. At the front of the latest model, the chrome-framed ‘egg-crate’ grille has been reprofiled and features a bigger Volvo badge while clear lensed headlights, LED tail lights and a wider air intake give the car some more presence. The interior benefits from revised controls while the centre tunnel storage area features a smaller handbrake and a revised armrest for better driver comfort. Better cupholders, bigger door bins and an auxiliary input for the stereo under the armrest are all included. As you’d expect, Volvo haven’t skimped when it comes to safety, and they claim that the V50 is as good to crash in as the flagship S80 saloon. Making a small car as safe as a big ‘un takes some doing and it’s only when you look at some of the finer points of how Volvo have achieved this that you realise quite what this commitment means. It involves casting the turbo housing as one with the exhaust manifold so that the engine is more compact when mounted transversely, giving more space for crush zones. It means developing the Intelligent Driver Information System which monitors how hard you’re using the throttle, brakes and steering and will hold incoming telephone calls or satellite navigation instructions until things have calmed down so as not to distract you in the middle of a manoeuvre. It means using four different grades of high tensile steel for crash protection. Would the V50 look a little sexier with BMW-style flame-surfaced concave flanks? Probably. But side impact protection involves having as much deformation space as possible which is why it’s slab-sided to keep its occupants looking good. The Volvo V50 D5 isn’t going to be for everyone. So good is its little brother that it becomes almost an extravagance to opt for the extra power. If you do feel like treating yourself but don’t want to get too self-indulgent, this V50 represents a very appealing package.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volvo V50 D5 diesel range PRICES: £23,645-£25,645 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 15 CO2 EMISSIONS: 184g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 140mph / 0-60mph 7.9s [Geartronic] FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 40.4mpg [Geartronic] STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS with EBA / DSTC traction control / WHIPS whiplash protection / SIPS side impact protection WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4514/1770/1452mm

THE SAFE CHOICE
Volvo’s V50 2.0 diesel offers a lot of image and capability for modest money. Andy Enright reports

It’s easy to harbour prejudices against Volvo. I know, because I used to dislike the marque with a passion, seeing it as the last bastion of the sanctimonious motorist who derived their joy in driving from the knowledge that in the event of a collision, they would come off best. Then I drove a yellow Volvo 850 T5 and realised that these Swedes did have a bit of spirit. Since then, Volvos may have become a little less outrageous but they have improved as driver’s cars. Even what looks to be their least likely candidate for a blat down a twisty B-road - the V50 2.0-litre diesel estate - can bring a smile to your face.

Admittedly, you’ll have to wait nearly 10 seconds before you trouble 60mph from standstill but taken in context even that’s a fair turn of speed. The 130mph top end is plenty for all but the most gimlet-eyed autobahn mauler but more impressive than both of these figures is the subjective feel of this modest capacity diesel. Give a small diesel the task of hauling round a Volvo estate and you’d predict that the results would be woeful performance and so-so fuel economy. The thing is, this is no ordinary diesel and no common or garden Volvo estate. For a start, Volvo make no bones about the fact that if you need serious carrying capacity, the V50 isn’t going to do the business, steering you instead in the direction of the bigger V70. If instead, you have what marketeers like to term ‘an active lifestyle’, then the V50 is said to appeal and demographics show that the average age of V50 buyers is even less than the S40 saloon upon which it’s based. It certainly keeps costs in check. Aside from the excellent 48mpg fuel economy figure, this V50 emits just 154g/km of carbon dioxide and even the retail price isn’t outrageous. There are five trim levels – S, R-Design Sport, SE, R-Design SE Sport and SE Lux and prices range between £19,145 and £22,645. The 136bhp engine uses a variable geometry turbocharger to ensure that power and torque is available across a broad swathe of the rev band. Weight is kept low via the use of an aluminium block and head which means that there isn’t that turgid, nose-heavy feel of many diesels. In fact, handling is a real strength of the V50, the suspension being multi link all round, the steering is accurate and well weighted and the levels of roadholding are very impressive.

"A compact Volvo estate with a diesel engine? Doesn’t sound thrilling, but behind that smokescreen is a very good car"

At the front of the latest model, the chrome-framed ‘egg-crate’ grille has been reprofiled and features a bigger Volvo badge while clear lensed headlights, LED tail lights and a wider air intake give the car some more presence. The interior benefits from revised controls while the centre tunnel storage area features a smaller handbrake and a revised armrest for better driver comfort. Better cupholders, bigger door bins and an auxiliary input for the stereo under the armrest are all included. Taken in isolation, the V50 is a very impressive piece of work, but is there a market for this sort of car? After all, its predecessor, the V40, didn’t exactly trouble the top of the sales charts. The V50 is a whole lot more sophisticated in its execution. Not only is the content better but you get more of it. It may be 2mm shorter than its V40 predecessor, but it’s a full 27mm taller and 54mm wider, giving a good deal more room to spread out inside. The packaging is also a good deal cleverer, the wheel at each corner design making the wheelbase a massive 78mm longer, with the track (the distance between the wheel on an axle) 63mm wider. This planted, foursquare feel endows the V50 with a better handling balance than the V40 it replaced. A bodyshell that’s a massive 34 per cent stiffer also allows the suspension to function more effectively given that the shocks and springs can concentrate on what the wheels are doing rather than a chassis that’s also gurning about under load. Volvo claim the V50 is designed to go head to head with cars like the BMW 3 Series Touring and the Audi A4 Avant, although pricing will pit it closer in reality to the Alfa 159 Sportwagon in a niche just below these premium models. It’s a wise choice and at first glance, the Volvo manages to marry the bulletproof feel of the top German cars with a keen price. As ever with Swedish cars, you’ll also get a good deal more horsepower per pound. As you’d expect, Volvo haven’t skimped when it comes to safety, and they claim that the V50 is as good to crash in as the flagship S80 saloon. Making a small car as safe as a big ‘un takes some doing and it’s only when you look at some of the finer points of how Volvo have achieved this that you realise quite what this commitment means. It involves casting the turbo housing as one with the exhaust manifold so that the engine is more compact when mounted transversely, giving more space for crush zones. It means developing the Intelligent Driver Information System which monitors how hard you’re using the throttle, brakes and steering and will hold incoming telephone calls or satellite navigation instructions until things have calmed down so as not to distract you in the middle of a manoeuvre. It means using four different grades of high tensile steel for crash protection. Would the V50 look a little sexier with BMW-style flame-surfaced concave flanks? Probably. But side impact protection involves having as much deformation space as possible which is why it’s slab-sided to keep its occupants looking good. All too often, we hear about innovations in car design and what we really get is moderately incremental changes. The V50 and S40 models feature a number of styling touches which we’ve genuinely never seen before. The exterior won’t get too many pulses racing, effectively resembling a shrunken S60, but the cabin is a delight. Volvo interiors are traditionally odd things. Although they work supremely well, they are often clunkily designed with scant regard for the sort of slickness that separates them from rivals. Little of the design flair we usually associate with the Scandinavians has traditionally seemed to translate into their cars. The ‘spaceball’ gear selector in the S60 showed that Volvo could come up with some neat ideas and the V50 takes the spaceball and runs with it. The key design feature is a centre console that’s a softly contoured moulding featuring supremely easy to use controls and fresh air behind it. You can specify wood, aluminium, plastic or semi-transparent plastic finishes and everybody who gets in will notice it. The Volvo V50 looks better equipped than its predecessor to carve a small but profitable niche for itself. The 2.0-litre diesel variant may not sound the most exciting choice in the line up, but if tyre-searing performance isn’t necessarily a priority, it’s well worth taking a look at. With an adequate turn of speed, low running costs, a beautifully tractable engine and a reasonable upfront price, it brings Volvo values to the family motorist who may otherwise have discounted the marque in favour of something less sophisticated.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volvo V50 2.0 diesel range PRICES: £19,145-£22,645 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 10 CO2 EMISSIONS: 154g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 130mph / 0-60mph 9.6s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 48mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS with EBA / DSTC traction control / WHIPS whiplash protection / SIPS side impact protection WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4468/1770/1452mm

FIFTY NOT OUT
The V50 has, in its own quiet way, notched up some decent sales figures for Volvo. Since it was launched, some noteworthy competitors have tried to muscle in. Andy Enright reports on Volvo’s response

You’ve got to hand it to Volvo – they don’t give up easily. Many manufacturers have tried to make small estates sell in this country and to a man they’ve failed. It seems British buyers never could get over the oxymoron that is a compact estate car. Volvo had tried before with the V40 and although they uncovered a chink of light with that car, it never really captured the imagination of the target market. What was needed was something a lot smarter, with a keener design touch and a premium image. The V50 arrived in 2004 and answered that call.

Although those in the know could point to the fact that underneath that ice-cool Swedish styling was the running gear of a Ford Focus, the V50 suddenly hit a nerve and started selling in decent numbers. The current car refreshes the look and feel without diverging too far from this hard-won recipe for success. Volvo has always rolled out a wide array of engines and now that they’re part of Ford’s Premier Auto Group, they have access to a dizzying array of powerplants. So it is that the V50 customer can choose from 1.6 petrols and diesels, stepping up to the 125bhp 1.8 and 145bhp 2.0-litre petrols followed by a 2.0-litre 136bhp diesel. Move a little further up the hierarchy and there’s a a 180bhp five-cylinder D5 diesel that’s now offered with a slick six-speed manual transmission. The range is finally topped off by another five, this time the T5. It now packs another 10bhp, lifting the total to 230bhp. One further option is the 1.8-litre Flexifuel model which will run on renewable E85 Bioethanol as well as plain old unleaded. As you’d expect, the V50 rides on the same basic chassis set up as its saloon counterpart, the S40, but it also shares the same underpinnings as other Ford group models like the Ford Focus and Mazda3. That’s not to say the S40 is simply a rebodied Focus. Although the underbody, subframes and suspension layouts are the same on all these models, there’s vast scope for tuning of individual aspects, so all drive differently. Get into a Ford Focus estate after driving the Volvo V50 and it will feel a little lighter, a little sharper and quite a lot cheaper with inferior noise insulation and less refined damping.

"…the V50 now looks a bit prettier than before…"

If you’re comparing this car to a BMW or an Audi, then you shouldn’t be disappointed. The V50's cabin has a real quality feel to it, both in materials and construction. It's also spacious and comfortable for four adults at least. What you won’t get of course are 'big Volvo' levels of space in the back. Still, the rear seat bases fold up, allowing the seatbacks to be dropped to form a perfectly flat load bay which would be even better if the rear suspension didn’t intrude into it. The bases themselves also form a bulkhead between the front seats and the load area. Styling nips and tweaks on the current cars include a reprofiled version of Volvo’s familiar chrome-framed ‘egg-crate’ grille, clear lensed headlights, LED tail lights and a wider air intake to give the car some more presence. The interior benefits from revised controls while the centre tunnel storage area features a smaller handbrake and a revised armrest for better driver comfort. The range opens at just over £16,000 with a choice of S, SE, SE Lux, R-Design Sport and R-Design SE Sport trim levels. There’s also an eco-friendly ‘DRIVe’ version based on the 1.6-litre diesel variant.The S and Sport models feature niceties like cruise control, steering wheel remote audio controls, a rear 12V socket and grocery bag holder. SE and SE Sport models offer a comprehensive package that includes a power driver seat with memory as standard. Yes, 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, but then they feel very different cars. Volvo has worked hard to endow the V50 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. Water Repellent Glass is fitted to the front side windows on SE models, offering better visibility at junctions. The biggest seller in the V50 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 V50 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 V50 to really generate a sharp intake of breath in terms of running costs is the range-topping T5 sports model. Drive the T5 hard 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. If the T5 is impressive when cruising but less so when charging, why not save the expense and just opt for a lesser V50 model that may not have quite so much power but won’t lack its poise in quite such a ready manner? It’s an apposite question and it’s hard to find many justifications for the turbocharged T5. Perhaps it’s also a pointer as to why Volvo has quietly ditched the ‘R’ range of high performance models. Despite the change in perception of Volvo as a quality brand, at present the public just don’t buy a sporty car with a Volvo badge. Volvo has doggedly stuck with this semi-premium small estate niche and ground out a decent market for itself. Campaigning below the ‘proper’ compact executive hatches like the BMW 3 Series Touring or the Audi A4 Avant, but a notch or two above the mainstream Ford, Vauxhall and Peugeot fare, Volvo’s success with the V50 is attracting keen-eyed rivals looking to muscle in. It’s a good job the latest V50 is as good as it is then. In truth, not a whole lot has changed but equipment levels have risen, the V50 now looks a bit prettier than before, quality feels as good as ever and price levels have been maintained, offering the customer a better deal. Some engines are better than others, with the diesels and the two-litre petrol being the pick of the range. Expect to see the V50 continue to do well for a few years yet.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volvo V50 range PRICES: £16,345-£25,095 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 10-15 CO2 EMISSIONS: 118-227g/km PERFORMANCE: [136bhp 2.0 diesel] Max Speed 130mph / 0-60mph 9.2s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [136bhp 2.0 diesel] (urban) 37.7mpg / (extra urban) 62.8mpg / (combined) 50.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and curtain airbags, WHIPS seats, side impact protection system WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4468/1770/1452mm