Volvo V50 – The Sporty Wagon
If there ever was a station wagon that is as good as a car, it would be the Volvo V50. It is built for the family person who needs something more than a car, but does not really want an MPV – it would be someone who wants a little more space at the rear for a pet dog, or needs to carry some bulkier than normal items, such as a small bicycle, a tricycle, or even some potted plants every once in a while. For Malaysians who want to be able to buy durians, I wouldn’t recommend the V50, but for just about anything else that does not emit toxic fumes, the V50 would be a great vehicle to have.
Basically, the V50 is a Volvo S40 with the tail end modified, with additional space provided by removing the boot-lid and extending the roof all the way to the back. In engineering terms, the work is not as simple as it seems, as the rear suspension would have to be stiffened to carry the additional weight of the roof panel, the glass sides and the tail gate. The Volvo designers have done a great job, and understandably since they have been building station wagons for many generations. Looking back, I can still remember the first Volvo 122 in station wagon form, and there has been one for every generation of Volvo since then. I would think that there is no denying that the Volvo station wagon is the best-looking station wagon that one can find, and affordable too.
The latest V50 comes with the new 2.0 litre engine that is found in the S40 – elsewhere in the world, there is the turbo charged T5 version, which sadly is not going to be available anymore, but the good news is that the price of RM185+ makes it very affordable. This is a continental car, although the ownership of the company is in the process of changing hands from West to East. The new engine produces 145 PS and 185Nm of torque; enough power for the family man who doesn’t wish for his petrol bills to make too big a hole in his pocket. Whilst it is true that it is no road burner, it can still produce some respectable performance, thanks to a 6-speed dual clutch ‘Powershift’ transmission that comes as standard. Also standard with the V50 is a stability and traction control system, which, if it is ever activated, will be much appreciated, as it could mean the difference between staying on the road and becoming another statistic on the number of road accidents in the country.
We had one for the standard three days given to motoring journalists for an evaluation, and I took it to the east coast area for a shakedown. The typical fuel consumption for the V50 would be in the region of 10 to 11 litres per 100 kilometres, and this can be verified roughly by looking at the on-board computer that can give you a live reading as you drive. However, to be fair, you must want to save fuel if you want to save fuel – what I mean is that if you put pedal to metal all the time, you are likely to end up with poor fuel consumption than if you were to drive sedately, with normal and gradual acceleration techniques. I drove the car using various styles, trying out the top speed, handling and stability around corners, plus some acceleration runs to check it out, and for the record, we got a figure of 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres.
Despite the extra weight at the rear, the V50 handles exactly like a car, and you might even forget that this is a station wagon. The V50 handles very well, taking all corners without any drama, and offers great ride comfort at the same time. At the end of a long journey, you are most likely to alight from the V50 without feeling fatigued.
It is only when trying to overtake in a hurry that I miss the power of the T5, but the consolation is that most of our highways are multiple carriageways, so it is acceptable. There is power, but not with much in reserve.
In conclusion, the V50 is still a great Volvo, with all the Volvo safety features, not mentioned above, but there all the same – it probably will not appeal to the heavy footers, but it will serve Mr. Joe Normal very well.
