Sexiest station wagon in the market
By Zuraimi AbdullahPublished: 2009/09/23
Car buyers here do not have the luxury of choice when it comes to buying a station wagon. There was only a handful of such vehicles launched in the past decades with the more prominent one being Nissan AD Resort.
SWEDEN's Volvo is among the few carmakers to have introduced station wagons in the country on a consistent basis. It unveiled the likes of the 740 Turbo, the 850 T5, the V40 and the V70.
The latest station wagon from the Gothenburg-based carmaker to hit our local roads is the V50.
Packaging
Actually, the V50 with a turbo-charged engine (called V50 T5) was unveiled here a couple of years ago but late last year, we received an upgrade of that very versatile vehicle.
The cosmetically-updated V50 came with a 2.4 natural aspirated engine and some notable refinements.
The new V50 is essentially the station wagon variant of the S40 sedan launched by Volvo Car Malaysia Sdn Bhd (VCM) slightly earlier as both ride on the same P2 platform.
Some car enthusiasts think the V50 is sexier than the sedan version, but the majority will have no doubt that it is the sexiest station wagon in the market.
From the front, the cosmetic changes are similar to those on the latest S40 with the "softer" nose and a grille that has a three-dimensional look with its chrome surround.
The headlights have also been redesigned, both in size and looks, and look more distinctive.
The rear end retains the distinctive vertical tail lights with the position of each of the elements changed. The bumper is also new and has a "two-piece look".
Interior changes include a redesigned front door inner panel for better storage and a new loudspeaker grille, redesigned multi-directional air vents, new power window switches in door panels and some minor changes to the instrument panel.
The thin "floating" console that is a centrepiece of the dashboard design is present and still looks good.
Along the centre console between the front seats, the changes are more significant. There is better storage and the handbrake lever has a "Z operation", which makes it easier to pull up but it is still offset to the left side, next to the passenger's seat.
For children, there are child-booster cushions at the rear, plus ISO-FIX child seat mounts on both the rear seats.
The rear seats split and fold in various combinations to allow for placement of large and bulky items, and there is a tonneau cover to shield your rear cargo from prying eyes.
The sound system is decent, and the air-conditioner is of the climate-control type with a filter.
The V50 has four-wheel independent suspension with a multi-link layout at the rear. Volvo has always held the position of being No 1 in safety, so the handling of the V50 is of the "fail-safe" type.
Emergency Brake Assistance (EBA) is also provided, this inducing a boost of pressure in the brake system when an emergency braking situation is detected.
As an additional protective feature, there is a load-protection net at the rear.
Mechanical
The 2.4-litre petrol engine is the same as that in the S40. This means it is a five-cylinder unit producing 170 bhp/230 Nm and the power reaches the road through the 16-inch front wheels via a five-speed Geartronic automatic transmission, (Volvo's version of manual shift option).
The V50 delivers a claimed fuel consumption of 9.1 litre per 100 kilometres.
On The Road
We took a V50 for a weekend drive to Morib and Bagan Lalang. Driving it as a family-type of person with decent speeds of 110km-130km, the stationwagon has adequate power, although it is not as fast on acceleration as the V50 T5.
With the naturally aspirated engine, the V50 offered frugal fuel consumption.
The vehicle gave comfortable ride and good handling characteristics. On the stretches that are clear and safe, the V50 was stable even at 200km/h. We felt secure as we know the brakes will do the job if we had to brake.
The V50 gave the dynamics and comfort of a sedan plus the utility of a sports utility vehicle, hence providing its owner the best of both worlds.
Price and Equipment
As with the new S40, VCM is offering the V50 2.4 at a price of under RM200,000, or RM185,900 without insurance to be exact.
This makes the V50 a much more attractive proposition against the Japanese executive sedans, especially as it has the European premium image.
Besides EBA, there are also the electronic brakeforce distribution, an anti-lock braking system and a stability and traction control system. For ladies, there is Park Assist. -By Zuraimi Abdullah