Not for the first time, we were left pondering the wisdom of Volvo being allowed to go in its own direction for suspension settings. It’s not that the V50 is by any stretch a poor riding or evil handling car, indeed it’s pretty good at both, but in our view one car that can undoubtedly outpoint it in both areas is the Ford Focus upon which it is based.
Despite having a ‘Sport’ in its title, the V50 is still set up for comfort first and foremost, which most will see as a wise choice. The suspension is compliant yet controlled over a wide range of surfaces while the steering is precise and direct. What it lacks is a little involvement, a bit more response to each instruction to give the driver something to get his teeth into. It’s well balanced and faithful to a fault on a good road but, ultimately, not that much fun.
And that’s despite an eager engine and a standard six speed manual gearbox. The motor’s 136bhp may not sound like much but it has as much torque as the top of the range T5 petrol engine as also seen in the Focus ST, and in the real world it seems quicker than it appears on paper. The stats say it needs 9.6sec to reach 62mph but its mid-range punch is such that it’s actually quite an effective overtaking device. Top speed is a so-so 130mph.
It’s a very frugal motor too, with 48.7mpg recorded on the combined cycle. That means not only low fuel bills but only very occasional trips to the fuel station – we reckon 500 miles between fills should be a readily achievable target.
