Light beer and diet soda marketing wanks have sold consumers the "less is more" mantra for years. Originally coined in the 1855 Robert Browning poem, Andrea del Sarto, the phrase was directed towards an apparently unfaithful missus to ease up on the infidelities. In the case of the new V50 premium compact wagon, Volvo is hoping less is definitely more.
Of course, Volvo's been down this road before. With the "less is less" V40 wagon and
S40 sedan, the Swedish brand masters attempted to coax potential BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 owners to come on over to Volvo's side. But with a lightly turbocharged four-banger driving the front wheels, no available manual transmission, and not an athletic bone in its very
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| 2005 Volvo V50 (photo: Volvo) |
forgettable body, the only thing linking the previous premium compact Volvo to its German competitors was that fact the car had round wheels. IfVolvo has it their way, the new
2005 V50 wagon and sister S40 sedan premium compact replacements will make up for the previous car's sins--and then some.
Both new Volvos are based on a Ford global platform that has also spawned the Mazda3, Mazda5, and the European Ford Focus. In addition to the current models, expect a three-door hatch, a Cross Country version of the wagon. and a folding metal-hardtop cabrio added to Volvo's compact lineup over the next few years.
Unlike General Motor's tepid approach of mildly upgrading a mainstream Subaru Impreza, and then marketing it as a "premium compact" Saab 9-2X, Ford's taken a much more comprehensive approach. With exclusive exterior and interior styling, luxury features and drivetrains--and a base $32,120 starting price where it's hard to spend more than $25k on a loaded Mazda3--the Volvo is distinctively different from its Mazda mate. And, at least on paper, safer.
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| 2005 Volvo V50 (photo: Volvo) |
Crumples zones made up of three types of SUV-absorbing steel, four wheel/four-channel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake distribution AND emergency brake assist are all part and parcel of every new S40 or V50. Standard safety features also include the WHIPS head restraint whiplash protection system, seatbelt pre-tensioners for the four outboard passengers and seatbelt force limiters for the front occupants, a deformable steering column, collapsible pedals, and dual-stage front airbags. And then there is Volvo's SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) which includes reinforced tubular beams between the A-pillars, side-impact airbags, curtain airbags, diagonal beams of high strength steel in the doors and significantly reinforced B-pillars.
So, yah shoor, the V50 is a Volvo all right. And with a range of naturally aspirated and turbo engines, front- and all-wheel drive, plus manual and automatic transmissions, if you can't find a V50 drivetrain option that doesn't catch your fancy, don't blame Volvo.
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| 2.4 litre, 5 cylinder normally aspirated engine (photo: John LeBlanc) |
My test car was a base 2.4i front-drive model that came with the same 168 horsepower, 170 lb.-ft. of torque 2.4-litre, straight-five and five-speed manual tranny found in the larger V70. Pay $5k more for the turbo 220 horsepower T5 model and you also get the slick six-speed stick that usually resides in the Q-ship V70R. The final rung in the V50 hierarchy is the T5 AWD at $39,620 that adds, yup, you guessed it, the Haldex all-wheel-drive also found in other more premium-priced Volvos, Volkswagens, Audis, and Ford's Five Hundred and Freestyle. A five-speed automatic 'Geartronic' automanual transmission is optional across the board.
