| The V50 is the station wagon version of the Volvo S40 compact near-luxury car / small family car, produced by the Swedish automaker Volvo Cars.
It is based on the Volvo P1 platform shared with the Mazda Mazda3, and the new European Ford Focus. Ford Motor Company's Premier Automotive Group assembles the V50 at the Volvo factory in Ghent, Belgium. Volvo Cars Special Vehicle also produced a concept car based on the V50, the V50 SV, whose engine produces 340 hp (179 kW), and debuted at the 2004 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Highlights of the V50's interior design include soft "theatre" lighting of various sections, and a translucent "iced aqua" center stack. In safety, the V50 features "Volvo Intelligent Vehicle Architecture".
The top-of-the line V50 is the T5 AWD. This model features all-wheel-drive and a straight-5, 2.5 L petrol-powered engine with a light-pressure turbocharger. Its valvetrain has four valves per cylinder and is a DOHC design with variable camshaft timing. The engine provides 220 bhp and 320 Nm of torque. The T5 AWD and T5 both provide increased power, in fact, but the base trim 2.4i makes up in a smoother ride what it lacks in power because of the wheels and suspension that come standard with the 2.4i (more power usually means stiffer suspension.) |
