Volvo V50 2.0D Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Volvo V50 2.0 diesel range
Prices: £19,145-£22,645 – on the road
Insurance Group: 10
Emissions: 154g/km
Performance: Max Speed 130mph / 0-60mph 9.6s
Fuel Consumption: (combined) 48mpg
Safety: ABS with EBA / DSTC traction control / WHIPS whiplash protection / SIPS side impact protection
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height, 4468/1770/1452mm

THE SAFE CHOICE

Our Rating: 6.6 / 10

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.

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,