Background to the Volvo V50

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Source: Volvo Car Corporation.

New features, Volvo V50, model year 2008 - brief summary

New features, Volvo V50, model year 2009 - brief summary

V50 2003 -

Just before the end of 2003, yet another new Volvo was launched, Volvo V50. Volvo V50 is the replacement for Volvo V40 which was launched in 1995.

The exterior design of the new Volvo V50 has a clear Volvo identity and the interior shows an influence of clean, crisp Scandinavian design.

Volvo V50 continues the strong Volvo heritage as a manufacturer of estate cars. Something that can be identified by the shape of the rear of the car and also the high mounted tail lamps.

Torsion stiffness has been increased by almost 70% and contributes to a high level of safety. Concerning safety, the new Volvo V50 has got a new, patented front structure with several crumple zones for increased protection of the occupants.

Other interesting news are the availability of the five cylinder petrol engine and also the possibility to get Volvo V50 with all wheel drive.

Model: Volvo V50
Variants: AWD
Produced: 2003 on
Volume: Production running
Body: 5-door estate
Engine: 4-cyl in-line DOHC 1.596 cc, 1.798 5-cyl in-line DOHC, 2.435, 2.521 cc or 4-cyl in-line DI Turbo Diesel 1.998 cc
Transmission: 5-speed or 6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic
Brakes: Hydraulic, disc brakes all round
Dimensions: Overall length 452 cm, wheelbase 264 cm

Launch
The Volvo V50 was launched in early 2004 as a somewhat larger estate evolution of its Dutch-built V40 predecessor. The design language and the specification level harmonised more closely with the larger Volvo V70 estate car. The aim was to give customers large-car properties in a compact format and with clearly sporty overtones.

Design
Five-door sports wagon.
The Volvo V50 has a design with a curved roof line and an abrupt tail section. The car’s appearance speaks modern design and speed. This is emphasised by a rounded nose section, short bonnet and pronounced cab-forward stance. Broad haunches and convex side panels signal power and underscore the car’s compact dimensions. The tail lamps follow Volvo’s modern form and sweep up towards the roof panel. Despite its compact exterior dimensions, the Volvo V50 offers a spacious and flexible interior. Every passenger seat has a fold-flat backrest. With the seats folded down, the load compartment floor is entirely flat. In order to create even more space for luggage, the car’s rear section has been extended by 46 mm compared with the Volvo S40 sedan model.

The interior is inspired by Scandinavian product design with the emphasis on uncluttered surfaces, honest materials and good function. The Volvo V50 (and Volvo S40) saw the introduction of Volvo’s ultra-slim, free-floating centre console with illuminated storage compartment behind. The Volvo V50 and S40 were also launched with a specially developed upholstery material – T-Tec – that echoes ultra-modern sports clothes and travel goods.

Safety
Volvo Cars adopts a holistic view of safety that encompasses both Preventive and Protective safety. Preventive safety is closely linked to the car’s driving properties. The body of the Volvo V50 features immense torsional rigidity and the car has a sturdy chassis, a combination that results in consistent, predictable behaviour on the road (see also under "Powertrain and Chassis"). Volvo Cars has developed various information systems designed to help the driver while on the move. One such system is IDIS (Intelligent Driver Information System) which for instance delays incoming phone calls in complex traffic situations that require the driver’s undivided attention.

Protective safety in the Volvo V50 is structured around a network consisting of exterior and interior safety systems that interact with one another to reduce the risk of occupant injury in a collision. The exterior systems have the task of distributing and absorbing incoming collision forces so that the passenger compartment remains as intact and undamaged as possible. The body is therefore built in the form of a metal cage made using different grades of steel, where all the components interact with one another to ensure controlled deformation. The interior safety systems aim to keep the passengers securely in place and also to reduce the risk of serious injury. In order to provide the most effective protection possible, Volvo Cars has developed a number of in-house systems, such as WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and IC (Inflatable Curtain). All are fitted as standard in the Volvo V50. What is more, all five seats are equipped with three-point inertia-reel seat belts, belt pre-tensioners and head restraints. The highest possible safety requires that all the car’s occupants always use their seat belts.

Powertrain and chassis
The engines in the Volvo V50 are transversely installed in-line units. New methods of shrinking the engine’s external dimensions have made it possible to fit a five-cylinder engine in the compact V50 body. Volvo can thus offer a compact car with high performance and large-car feel. A five-cylinder engine gives low vibration and smooth operation. Together with large displacement, the five-cylinder configuration provides high torque across a broad rev band, and thus also swift acceleration and excellent driveability within a wide speed range. Four-cylinder engines are available as an option.

The Volvo V50 T5 is the top model, featuring a turbocharger and five-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox. The T5 model is also available with electronically controlled All-Wheel Drive. The chassis, with spring struts at the front and Multilink axle at the rear, is set up for stable, reassuring driving manners and alert steering response. The Multilink rear axle is an independent rear suspension system featuring a number of links and it is designed to offer a good combination of controlled wheel movements and high ride comfort. Some of these links have the task of providing a certain degree of anti-skid steering effect. A long wheelbase and wide track, together with a very torsionally rigid body, contribute to the predictable, controlled driving manners. Volvo’s advanced DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) stability-enhancing system is fitted as standard. DSTC cuts in and helps stabilise the car if it registers any tendency to skid.

The environment
The Volvo V50 is designed and equipped to impact as little as possible on the global environment and to offer a clean and healthy interior climate.

Petrol engines with low internal friction, efficient combustion and advanced exhaust filtration technology result in low emissions. Energy-efficient diesel engines with particle filters produce low emissions of carbon dioxide and soot particles. In addition, the Volvo V50 is available on the Swedish market with an ethanol-powered FlexiFuel engine. The five-cylinder versions of the Volvo V50 can be optionally specified with a catalytic radiator coating – PremAir®. This system converts harmful ground-level ozone into pure oxygen as the car drives. Its benefits are greatest in dense city traffic and in strong sunlight.

Volvo’s IAQS (Interior Air Quality System) effectively reduces the amount of particles, pollen, gases and certain unpleasant odours in the air entering the cabin. All the textiles and leather upholsteries are certified according to ÖKO-TEX 100, an international standard that ensures that the interior trim is free from allergy-producing and hazardous substances.

Production
The Volvo V50 is made at the Volvo Cars factory in Ghent, Belgium. 2004 saw production of 64,913 V50 cars.

Sales
In 2004, a total of 47,743 Volvo V50s were sold. Most of the cars were sold in:
Germany 8,001 cars
Sweden 7,878 cars
Italy 5,512 cars
The Netherlands 4,271 cars
Britain 3,547 cars

Technical specifications
Drive Front-wheel drive. All-Wheel Drive available as an alternative on the T5 model.
Chassis Front suspension with MacPherson spring struts. Independent Multilink rear axle.
DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) is standard.

Dimensions mm:
Length 4514
Width 1770
Height 1452
Track, front/rear 1535/1531 (with 16" wheels) 
Wheelbase 2640
Aerodynamic coefficient, Cd 0.32
Frontal area m2 2.20

Engines Petrol 
Configuration Displacement cc Power kW/hp Torque Nm
 T5 I5 2521 162/220 320
 2.4i I5 2435 125/170 230
 2.4 I5 2435 103/140 220
 1.8 I4 1798 92/125 165
 1.6 I4 1596 74/100 150

 Turbodiesel
Configuration Displacement cc Power kW/hp Torque Nm
 2.0 D I4 1997 100/136 320
 1.6 D I4 1590 81/110 240

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