Volvo V50 (2004 – 2012) Review

January 2004

Estate version of new S40 in UK from early 2004, a couple of months after S40 and built alongside at Ghent in Belgium. 14' 10" (4,514mm) long x 5' 10" (1,770mm) wide. 1,299kg to 1,480kg. (Fractionally shorter than the old V40, slightly taller and 54mm wider.)

Engines at launch included a 125bhp 1.8 chain cam four, Ford/PSA 136bhp 2.0 litre common rail direct injected belt cam diesel, and 2.4 litre belt cam fives with either 170bhp or 220bhp. Transmissions are five or six speed manuals or a five speed auto. Haldex clutched four wheel drive system available on the 220bhp T5. Prices started at £17,500.

December 2005

180bhp 2.4 5-cylinder belt cam V50 D5 announced, available in UK from June 2006. 350Nm torque. 5-speed Geartronic first, manual later. Goes and handles very well.

February 2007

Prices cut and 100PS 1.6 petrol and 110PS 1.6 diesel introduced: £15,995 for 1.6S and from £18,145 for 1.6S diesel

May 2007

Facelifted for 2007 with chunkier look more akin to 2nd generation S80. Production from May with first UK deliveries early July. Tail lights now LED. DPFs optional with 1.6 and 2.0 diesel engines. Without they were EU3. With DPFs they were EU4. DPFs compulsory from January 2008.

‘Floating’ console centre stack has revised controls and is complemented by a multi-function centre tunnel storage area, a more compact handbrake design, and a revised armrest that’s longer and further forward for greater driver comfort. It can also flip through 180 degrees to act as a useful table for rear passengers.

New hard drive-based RTI road traffic information and satnav system and a redesigned remote key fob with Auto Open and Auto Close for all side windows and sunroof. Optional Active Bi-Xenon headlamps that swivel the light beam in continuous sync with steering direction.

Hazards automatically activate if any airbags go off. During emergency braking or when the anti-lock function is activated, the EBL Emergency Brake Lights function flashes all three brake lights five times a second to warn following drivers of the emergency braking manoeuvre. ISOFIX mountings in the rear seats now standard, as is water repellent glass on the front side windows for enhanced visibility in poor weather.

D5 diesel engine finally available with six-speed manual that can can handle the engine’s full 400 Nm of torque, compared to the 350 Nm of the auto. D5 an EU 5 engine. D5 6-speed manual has phenomenal torque from low revs. Will pull cleanly from around 850rpm. (Torque is actually restricted from 400Nm to 350Nm because 400 would be too much for the chassis.) 6th gives 37.5mph/ 1,000rpm. 2007 facelift T5 model has 10 hp increase, taking output to 230PS.

July 2007

The R-DESIGN package was introduced including a range of unique sports inspired and exterior details to the Sport and SE Sport variants. New exterior design includes an R-DESIGN badge in the front grille, colour coordinated body kit, rear roof spoiler, silver matt finish front grille and wing mirrors, unique five spoke 17" alloy wheels for Sport models and 18" alloy wheels for SE Sport. Interior design includes two-tone black and cream upholstery with contrast stitching and embossed R-DESIGN logo, leather trimmed steering wheel with aluminium inlays and with R-DESIGN logo, a unique aluminium R-DESIGN centre stack, blue instrument dials, sports pedals and tufted dark floormats with cream leather seams. Prices from £19,195 for the 1.6. Normal prices start at £15,995.

January 2008

Powershift Automatic sequential six-speed transmission announced. Twin wet clutches (like VW DSG) for fast and smooth changes. Over 47 mpg and less than 160 g/km CO2. Optimised for powerful diesel engines. The new Volvo automatic Powershift transmission will be available to order from late February on the 136PS two-litre turbodiesel versions of the Volvo C30, S40 and V50 with a recommended retail price of £1,250. This new

Powershift six-speed unit features twin wet clutches to provide the gear changing comfort of a fully-automatic
transmission with the performance of a manual gearbox. Operating as two parallel manual gearboxes, Powershift has twin wet clutches that work independently of one another.

The Powershift Automatic offers an impressive combined fuel consumption of 47.1mpg and a CO2 figure of 159g/km in both the Volvo S40 and V50; while it brings the Volvo C30 47.9mpg on a combined cycle and a CO2 figure of 156g/km. Three years servicing up to 37,500 miles, worth around £700 included in the price from March 2008.

May 2008

Volvo S40 and V50 improved. In the S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon, the RTI Navigation System has been updated with a new driver interface, new colours and a refresh to the menus and symbols and is now offered at a reduced recommended retail price of £1,500. The Family Pack now includes the Passenger Airbag Cut Off Switch, and is priced at £260 RRP.

The 2.4i petrol engine is no longer available and prices across both saloon and Sportswagon ranges generally remain stable, with minor amends to the R-DESIGN Sport which increases by up to £200 whilst the R-DESIGN SE Sport decreases by up to £190 OTR.

The S40 range starts at £13,995 OTR for the S40 1.6S and the V50 start price remains unchanged at £15,995 OTR for the 1.6S. Standard equipment on these entry level models includes ECC (Electronic Climate Control) with AQS (Air Quality System) and pollen filter, DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control), power windows, leather steering wheel, 6-speaker radio/CD system and an auxiliary input for MP3 player.

Volvo emblem on the tailgate larger and more wide-spread; enhancing its visibility. Power mirrors with an autofold function now standard1 across the Volvo model range. Mirrors can be set to fold in automatically when the car is locked, and fold out again when the car is unlocked. Communications Pack have also revised and now includes RTI Navigation System, Keyless Drive and Bluetooth Handsfree System.2

Bluetooth handsfree system is also available as an individual option for a RRP of £200 on the Volvo C30, S40, V50 and C70. This handsfree system automatically recognises a Bluetooth compatible mobile phone as it enters the car and seamlessly takes over, allowing the driver to switch freely from the mobile phone to the handsfree system. By simply touching the blue button, the Bluetooth handsfree system will listen to commands and make calls.

A new Homelink option is available across the Volvo range for a RRP of £501 . With buttons integrated in the sun visor, Homelink allows the occupants to operate remote controlled home appliances, such as a garage door, home alarm and exterior lighting, without leaving the car. There are new colour additions with Savile Grey being added to S80, C30, V50 and S40. The new DRIVe range, under 120g/km, launched October 2008 starts at £18,660 for the V50.

February 2009

Volvo V50 Start/Stop 1.6D 109 hp/240 Nm, 107g/km and 70.6 mpg. When the driver puts the gear lever into neutral and releases the clutch while at a standstill, the engine switches off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. This technology has reduced fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions by 4-5% in mixed driving conditions. Start/Stop technology is particularly effective in urban traffic, when the saving can be as much as 8%.

When the car is at a standstill and the engine is switched off, some electronic systems such as the air conditioning step down to standby level in order to save fuel. However, Volvo's Start/Stop system continuously monitors the comfort level and automatically reactivates the air conditioning if, for instance, the temperature increases in the passenger compartment. The system does not set any limits for comfort-focused features such as the sound system or other facilities that the occupants will want to maintain.

April 2009

DRIVe technologies combines with sports-inspired R-DESIGN bodykit to offer C30, S40 and V50 models with low levels of emissions and the highest levels of visual appeal. The new DRIVe R-DESIGN models are available to order now with prices starting at £17,240 for the C30 while the S40 and V50 start at £19,095 and £20,595 respectively.

May 2009

2010MY changes announced

The Volvo C30 SportsCoupe, S40 saloon and V50 Sportswagon DRIVe models now all feature the intelligent new Start/Stop function which brings CO2 emissions down to 104 g/km and improves fuel consumption up to 72.4 mpg. The sports-inspired R-DESIGN specification and body styling has also
been introduced to the DRIVe range offering CO2 emissions of 119 g/km and up to 62.8 mpg in all three models.

Prices for the C30 range start at £14,995 OTR for the entry level 1.6 S. The 1.6D DRIVe with Start/Stop variants start at £15,745. The S40 and V50 ranges start at £14,745 and £16,495 OTR for the 1.6 S models with the DRIVe with Start/Stop range commencing at £17,495 for the S40 and £18,845 for the V50. Cruise control on the steering wheel.

May 2010

New five-cylinder 2.0-litre turbodiesel from the all-new Volvo S60 made available throughout Volvo Cars' model range and replaces the familiar four-cylinder 136 PS unit in the C30, S40, V50, C70, V70 and S80. All new engines are available to order now.

The new five-cylinder 2.0D diesel is, in principle, the same engine as the well-established 2.4-litre diesel, but its displacement has been reduced with a shorter stroke to optimise fuel consumption. The injection system also has a different type of piezoelectric fuel injector compared with the D5 engine. These injectors minimize fuel consumption with their exceptionally rapid and precise injection pulses under high pressure to promote extremely efficient combustion.

As part of Volvo's new engine nomenclature and to simplify Volvo's engine badging, all new engines, including the new five-cylinder 2.0D, will be badged depending on the power output. For example, the 150 PS version of the new 2.0D in the C30, S40, V50 and C70 is named D3 and an uprated 177 PS version of this same engine is labeled D4.

In its lower state of tune, it produces 150 PS and is badged D3 while an uprated 177 PS version is named D4. Both emit only 134 g/km of CO2 and offer drivers 55.4 mpg in the C30, S40 and V50 and 47.9 mpg and 154 g/km in the C70. The D3 and D4 are available in both manual and automatic transmission across all four models.

The C30, S40 and V50 are also available with a new four cylinder 1.6-litre diesel engine - badged D2. Fuel consumption in all three models is 65.7 mpg, which corresponds to CO2 emissions of only 114 g/km. The engine produces 115 PS and 270 Nm of torque and now comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The previous 1.6D 109 PS DRIVe engine with Start/Stop will remain in the C30, S40 and V50 ranges along with the 1.6, 2.0 and range-topping T5 petrol engines. The 2.4i and D5 are no longer available in the C30, S40, V50 and C70 models.

Another facet of Volvo's 2011 Model Year update is a change in the specification hierarchy with the introduction of the ES trim level. The ES replaces the S specification and includes all the features and safety systems you would expect from Volvo.

September 2010

Volvo Car UK has launched revised DRIVe versions of its S40 saloon and V50 estate, complete with Start/Stop technology, that reduces CO2 emissions to just 99g/km. The revisions reduce the CO2 emissions of the S40 and V50 by a further 5g/km and mean they now join the Volvo C30 DRIVe under the 100g/km threshold.

November 2010

DRIVe models with CO2 emissions of 99g/km

Continuing development of Volvo’s DRIVe models has resulted in sub-100g/km versions of the C30 hatchback, S40 saloon and V50 sportswagon, making the V50 the most versatile of any sub-100g/km car on the market today. The changes mean all three are exempt from road tax and return up to 74.3mpg on the combined fuel economy cycle.

In addition, following Volvo Car UK's successful campaign to remove the Alternative Fuel Discount from the London Congestion Charge, all three models are exempt from the Congestion Chargesaving the owner of all three cars up to £2500 in charges. DRIVe models are available in ES, SE and SE Lux trim levels.