Estates, or station wagons as they’re more commonly known here, appeal to a very small segment of buyers in Malaysia. Most associate them with hearses, but there are fans. I for one, love the idea of wagons even though I’m not married with kids or involved in business that requires lugging around goods; favourites include the B5 Audi RS4 Avant and Alfa 156 Sportwagon, cars which shapes I admire more than their saloon sisters.
Not many choices in this market if you’re after one, so the locally assembled Volvo V50 stands out as a sporty and classy European estate that’s relatively affordable. New for 2010 is a 2.0-litre engine and Powershift double-clutch gearbox replacing the old 2.4-litre five-pot. No change in price, but your RM185,950 will buy you more equipment than before. We see if it’s a compelling package.
Continue reading the report after the jump.
The S40 sedan had always looked awkward to these eyes; its compact and stunted dimensions didn’t bring out sleekness from the basic design like its big brothers did. The V50 wagon is a different story, with nice proportions and a sporty look as opposed to the brick like Volvo wagons of old. It’s almost as if the designers had the wagon in mind before adapting the design to make the saloon.
The 2008 facelift gave it a more dynamic looking face, and the V50 doesn’t look like the seven-year old car it is. Fitted with an optional (and very subtle) bodykit and the bicycle rack, I must have gave off the impression of a fit, adventerous, outdoor person, which is at odds with my growing waistline! If this car was mine, the first thing will be to chuck the 16-inch rims for bigger R design alloys to complete the image.
The V50 appears compact, and studying the dimensions reveal that it’s shorter than a Honda Civic. The Volvo is about the length of a 3-Series Touring, although the Swede’s 2,640 mm wheelbase is a good 120 mm shorter than the BMW’s. That doesn’t sound promising, since the current E90 isn’t exactly what one would call spacious at the back; in practice, legroom is far from generous but not constricting either, and there’s room under the front seats for you to tuck your feet into. Typical of Volvo, seats are comfy and the rear bench features built-in child booster seats that pop up. The V50’s boot is capable of holding 417 litres of cargo (expandable to 1,307 litres with rear seats down), not outstanding compared to today’s B-segment sedans, but this is no traditional Volvo wagon, remember?
Now let’s go into what’s new. The discontinued 2.4-litre five-cylinder engine and five-speed auto pairing was quite enjoyable – pokey enough and the unique five-pot warble sounded special – but the drivetrain was old and thirsty. Volvo’s solution is similar to what many European manufacturers are doing today – downsizing. In comes a 2.0-litre four-pot and a twin-clutch Powershift gearbox. Both are from parent Ford, and the engine is similar to the one in the Focus.
Twin clutch boxes are more efficient than torque converter autos – that’s a fact – but the lowering of engine capacity is normally compensated by direct injection and forced induction, neither of which is present here. How does a 145 bhp/185 Nm 2.0-litre fare in hauling a 1.5-tonne car that when loaded should weigh about two tonnes?
Not very well. Acceleration is merely adequate with just the driver onboard and sluggish with a family of four and luggage. You really need to be heavy with the throttle to build momentum from rest, and the process feels slower than the official 0-100 km/h time of 9.9 seconds. This comes as no surprise as I found the same engine to be the weak point in the lighter and nimbler Ford Focus, but it must be noted that Volvo grade insulation means it’s more mild mannered here. Although the engine is working its socks off, it’s quite serene this side of the firewall save for some boominess around 5000 rpm. It’s quite lively at the top end, just that it takes awhile to reach there. Been awhile since we’ve driven a slow Volvo – this car badly needs a turbo.
How about the Powershift? Very good, but just short of the DSG’s brilliance. At crawl speeds in D, there are hints of jerk, with a tendency to hold on to a gear too low. At this point the engine is revving higher than ideal instead of just easing its way along. Don’t get us wrong though, Powershift (in this application) does very well 95% of the time and is a great replacement for the conventional auto, just not as slick as DSG, even if its miles ahead of Italian robotised manuals.
I did have an issue with changing gears manually though. You tap the gear lever to the left (to the passenger’s side), which is more ideal for left-hand drive, and the shift action requires serious effort because it’s rather sticky. Could do with steering paddles or a lighter up/down movement. When self shifting, the engine revs till 7000 rpm, a couple of hundred revs more than in D.
The fuel consumption isn’t fantastic either. Now, we’re being realistic and do not expect a fully loaded, super safe Volvo wagon achieving Vios economy, not with the poor engine working so hard. But we dried the 62-litre tank in 400 kilometres. That distance included my daily routine (mostly highway, with some city driving) and a solo B-road blast to Ipoh. In the latter, although I extended the engine fully when possible, there were plenty of 90 km/h cruising too. Topping up with RM50 of RON95 gave me 300 km of gentle driving, which equates to about 10.8 km/l and nearer to the 12.3 km/l official claim. Any V50 2.4 owners out there who want to share your figures?
Engine and economy aside, the V50 provided an enjoyable drive. It may sound cliched, but the Volvo feels very solid on the move. The controls are all relatively hefty, and the steering would be downright heavy for those used to Japanese levels of effort, but it suited me fine. Sharing a chassis with the Ford Focus means that the V50 has a good foundation, and it displays good stability, body control and agility – although you’re always conscious of the extra weight over a Focus, body roll is not an issue. However, the slightly fidgety ride over patchy roads wasn’t expected by yours truly, so think twice before upsizing the wheels!
Also enjoyable is the cabin, which is minimalist yet very functional. The Swedes are experts in ergonomics, and I wouldn’t want the V50 to work any other way. The “floating console” with its neatly arranged layout still looks good, but the green text displays look very dated with their dot matrix style fonts. The blue-faced dials you see here is optional, and worth it, as they serve as a focus point in an otherwise dark cabin. It’s not colour coded to the exterior, but just a coincidence. Another option worth ticking is the sports pedals with rubber inserts.
I love the idea of the Volvo V50, a classy, sporty looking wagon that’s solid and safe. Even the price is palatable, given the amount of equipment that’s standard (brilliant 8-speaker stereo, electric memory seats, six airbags, DSTC, BLIS blind spot assist, bi-xenons and keyless entry/start – the latter three weren’t previously available on the 2.4), but it’s not completely satisfying. All major issues can be traced back to one source – the underwhelming engine, which is a case study of downsizing not done right.
A modern direct-injection turbocharged engine (such as Volvo’s latest 2.0 GTDi with 203 bhp/300 Nm) or a diesel is what the V50 needs. Volvo Car Malaysia launched the XC90 D5 even before our country switched to Euro 2M, and maintains that none of those cars have issues with local fuel, so that’s a possible solution we’re looking at, or even the 2.0 lump from the Focus TDCi.
Optional equipment (promotion price shown is valid till 31 March, 2010)
Roof spoiler RM1,231
Body kit RM4,575
Sports pedals RM554
Aluminium bicycle carrier RM574
Blue instrument panel RM1,998
Portable navigation system (inc mounting kit) RM2,266
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Nice…. I like it!!
V50 really reminds me of XC90 cut into half and lowered. But Volvo cars are good and reliable. Exception to my family's XC90 got some mother board problem last time, but during the repair period, the good Volvo service center provided us a V90 temporarily, talk about great after sales service? Respect!
V50 2.0 cc? Maybe Volvo wants to adjust itself to enter the "CC tax oriented" system that most of us middle income people have to dealt with. But still, the price tag, are big. Many thanks to our "stone age" CC tax system. Modern cars are getting more fuel efficient, way efficient than that "1.6 cc Campro fuel guzzler" I used to drive.
My personal favorite would be station wagon – Toyota Caldina GT4. Car with "identity crisis", a station wagon for wife and kids and night time, turn into a playboy. A father that can't let go of his "bujang" life as what I described it. Haha.
good looking car.. i like.. just dont like the engine.. more power please..
Will need the diesel like the one in the focus tdci to really move this car & return reasonable mpg
This volvo V50 SUCKS !
The most ugliest HEARSE i have ever seen.
If u are planning to transport body bags in safety, then maybe you otta buy this horrible looking car.
I know someone who drives a Red Volvo V50 with 19inch rims and who lives near my area and he always gets smoked by my 1.5 honda.
Looks like volvo created a car which no malaysians want to buy?
Well Geely or whoever owns Volvo these days will easily foot the bill to loss making car company.
On the looks, IMO it does look old. Like 10 years old. Exterior a bit bland. Nothing to complain insde of the car though.
But then, this car was aimed at people with lots of stuff to carry, for sure they can't attack corners in it.
its post at 2.28am..what time u sleep Danny? :D
Looks gross like most economy cars. Better stick 19" wheels on it and a body kit, then itll be perfect for the rice markets!
Front wheel drive SUPA CARS!
powershift is plus….engine is minus…
other downsize n put a turbo….but volvo downsize n do nothing to the engine…stupid…
Nice car with a proper gearbox but ruined with weak engine.
this is a poor engine mate to V50
it should keep d 2.5T along with the new 6 speed dual-clucth.
d owner of new V50 will be dissappointed…..
since v don't get Focus ST here….d old V50 is the only alternative
powershift gearbox should pair with 2.5 T5 engine la..
whether Im 1st or not to comment,
I like this kind of station wagon,look sporty at the rear…
But the interior not that appealing…Maybe the New 5-Series SW is hotter
dont compare with 5 series..the price is way too different. i like this v50, but they change the engine already..sad2.maybe they should use the tdci engine from ford? hurmm…
a sad day for volvo.all recent volvos have excellent powerband as power is paradoxically a safety feature as well especially if you are overtaking lorries on B roads. I never had any complaints about my s60T's power. I have a couple of friends with the 2.4L S40 who are appalled that the engine has been downgraded to 2.0.Sure the 2.4L drinks more but whats the point of a compact conti exec with 2.0L that costs more and is slower than the japs.People buying this kind of car ralrely complain about increased consumption as long as you can feel the kick when you floor the accelerator. The selling point of the 2.4 was that you get better power than a BM320 at a much power price and all the safety features and feel of a conti car.
Great Powershift = Focus TDCi
should have a diesel in it..
to each his own… to each his own… amen
I test drove the S40 2.0 Powershift and the performance is really disappointed, so for V50 (with another ~100Kg more), I can't imagine. I really hope that Volvo Malaysia will provide another higher performance engine option (Turbocharged or Diesel) to us in Malaysia.
and I thought the 2.4 was using a five speeder auto?
nice both exterior and interior design although lack luxurious feeling for interior design. Design remember me XC90 and Chery Eastar 2.4 L. hehe. good job Volvo. I think at RM 185, 950 2.0 L engines, sterronic gearbox with so many safety gadget, I think it worth buy. Imagine price without tax? maybe its more cheaper than our old Perdana V6. And hopefully Geely will take challange to making Volvo the best brand among conti car. and I think the exterior design beautiful than other wagon.
Suteshkumar, you're right about the 2.4 using a five-speed auto. Thanks for the pointer
Half hearted effort by volvo to sell cars here. In the end, they wont sell in volumes. A lot of us want cheap cars and/or cars that perform… not merely safe cars… So, if you cant sell your cars cheap, at least give it more power… Its that simple…
Volvo offers neither… well the S40 is probably in the affordable category and performance (2.4 version) at least is on par with most cars in its class, but spare parts are still skyhigh. Losing a third of your months salary over a minor repair isnt what you wanna call safe…
p/s Big kudos to that guy who smoked a V50 with his 1.5 honda (wow, im so amazed! His Honda kicks ass and schumacher is probably his brother). Frankly, I think the volvo was parked… and the driver probably didnt even care…
i used to love the Volvo T5, they were special. but this 2.0…….it's kind of missing the point here buying a slow expensive car.
I will go for an imported used Toyota Caldina for that price.
Volvo unintentionally back to selling cars for the elderly… sloww & steadyhh…
LOL, smoked by a 1.5 Civic? Try getting your driving licence first you kindergarten kid
Obviously, many people have never driven nor even sat in any Volvo yet see fit to comment like experts. Suggest you work harder, and one day you might be able to afford something better than a Civic.
Test drove extensively the S40 2.0 Powershift and found the power to be "adequate" for sedate and mundane driving aka grandma driving.
If you expect more, you'll be seriously dissapointed(esp. if you come from T5 T6 range).
This V50 2.0, I can imagine it'll be the second worse car after the Gen2 1.3.
Under power, stupidly spec, and maintenance cost kills all!
Compare apple to apple, I rather pay 30k+ more and get a gold GTi or a Passat, much practical!
Alternatively, I get Ford Mondeo, drives better with more power, more space and much practical!
Good review, Danny.
I know this 2.0 litre engine is basically a Mazda MZR engine without the VVT, which is sluggish. You have to be really pissed at how the Americans treat the 3rd world countries by selling old stocks. To spend that amount of money, I would rather take my family for an overseas holiday trip for the next 10 years. Besides, I can still drive without a BLIS, so bye bye Volvo.
For the price….you get a reasonable good image.
If you really want to know why it felt sluggish, yes, it was designed to run on RON 97 and not 95.
No points for guessing.
Now, pls go and try again.
Power….most people mean acceleration and zig-zagging as an art form.
So this bug will not do a Golf Gti, it is fine as they did not charge you for one either.
Good for uncle