Volvo V50 1.6D DRIVe Sportwagon SE | Road Test Review

“Volvo now offers a wide range of
DRIVe low CO2, lower tax-incurring
and very fuel efficient models.
In addition to the V50 1.6D DRIVe
Sportwagon reviewed here, there’s
a DRIVe version of the C30, S40,
V70, S80, XC60 and XC70...”

PRICES VARY ENORMOUSLY, FROM Ł16,245 TO Ł31,695, and CO2 emissions range from just 104g/km up to 159g/km — all very competitive in their individual sectors. And fuel economy figures look even better — with as much as 72.4mpg being possible. Furthermore, many of these models only incur Ł35 in road tax.

All DRIVe models benefit from a lowered chassis with the ride height dropped by 10mm. This lower ground clearance improves drag and helps reduce fuel consumption at the same time as lowering the centre of gravity — which also benefits the car's handling. Front airflow deflectors have been moulded into the body ahead of the front wheels to help channel airflow and a lower front lip spoiler has been added.

Road wheel design was another area of development and drag has also been cut by the adoption of new, flush-style 16-inch alloy wheels dubbed 'Diamond Cut Libra'. As for tyres, Volvo have worked closely with Michelin to develop a compound with uncompromising handling and wear characteristics coupled with low rolling resistance.

Further economy benefits are made by optimising engine and gearbox management software and introducing electro-hydraulic steering. There is also a Gear Shift Indicator that informs the driver of the optimum moment to change gear to maximise fuel consumption. The final ingredient is the low-friction transmission oil used in the gearbox. Individually the modifications may seem small but when combined they produce a dramatic effect on overall efficiency.

Unlike some other fuel-efficient models offered by other manufactures with just one level of specification, Volvo offers DRIVe with a variety of trim and equipment levels. One of these, for an extra cost of Ł500, is R-Design, and it's well worth the money because this body-style package really adds a modern image to the conservatively designed range.

The sports-inspired R-Design specification offers low levels of emissions combined with the highest levels of visual appeal; enhancements include front and rear spoilers, lower door trim and side skirts, roof and lip spoilers and 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels. The interior also carries R-Design features such as upholstery in cream leather and off-black Flex-Tec, a distinctive centre stack and blue instrument dials.

Volvo has also just added a Ł200 optional Start/Stop function that further lowers CO2 emissions to 104g/km and improves fuel economy to an impressive 72.4mpg for the C30, S40 and V50 1.6D DRIVe models.

“The Volvo DRIVe’s low
emissions and very good
fuel economy trounce
most hybrid cars...”

Start/Stop systems are now widely used. But Volvo, with typical Swedish thoroughness, has added a second small battery. This supports the larger battery by providing extra power and allows for a quick and smooth start-up. And — a handy side-effect — the audio system now remains unaffected when the starter motor is activated. The standard larger battery has also been upgraded to handle up to 175,000 Start/Stop cycles.

The driver continuously receives feedback about system status via the in-car information display. The Start/Stop function can be engaged and disengaged via a DRIVe button in the centre console although the function is activated in the default setting.

As part of its DRIVe programme, Volvo has also added front-wheel drive versions to the XC60 and XC70 models to bring CO2 emissions below 160g/km. The introduction of front-wheel drive and the new 2.4D engine to the XC60 crossover and XC70 premium estate sees CO2 figures tumble to 159g/km and fuel economy improve to 47.1 mpg. This means the XC60 will be the first premium SUV falling below the all-important 160g/km Writing Down Allowance threshold for company cars, making the award-winning XC60 an attractive choice for Fleet Managers. Company car drivers will also benefit significantly from lower Benefit-in-Kind taxation bills.

With such a wide range of eco- and tax-friendly models, editorial space does not allow for a full review but generally I found DRIVe models gave significant advantages in fuel economy and lower CO2 ratings.

Having tested several DRIVe offerings over an 85-mile Cotswold driving route, the most impressive model on a size-vs-performance basis was Volvo's best-selling V50 five-door, five-seater estate with 433-947 litres of boot/load space and a maximum braked towing weight of 800kg.

At a little over 4.2-metres in length, the V50 sells against such estate models as the Honda Accord, VW Passat, Renault Laguna and Ford Mondeo. The V50 range is priced from Ł16,995 (1.6S petrol model). However, the all-important new DRIVe 1.6D turbodiesel models begin at Ł19,095 without Start/Stop or Ł19,345 with it — and if you are going down this fuel-saving route Start/Stop is a must-have option. My test model was the 1.6D DRIVe SE costing Ł20,845.

The 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine puts out 107bhp and 177lb ft of torque from 1,750rpm. Top speed is 118mph with 0-62mph taking a healthy 11.3 seconds. But the most important figure here is the official 72.4mpg for the Combined Cycle with just 104g/km of CO2, which in turn means a road tax bill of just Ł35 and a low 13% for BIK company car tax.

Against? Not much at all: bland and dark interior trim, not as roomy as some estates in this sector and some road noise intrusion. Easily offsetting that are some sound reasons to buy one of these stylish and well-built estates including fuel and CO2 changes that really work, remarkably good real-world fuel economy figures, very low CO2 emissions and low road and company car tax liabilities.

In fact the Volvo DRIVe's low emissions and very good fuel economy trounce most hybrid cars. This is a seriously good, solid vehicle and the performance is much better than I would have expected from a 1.6-litre diesel engine in a car of this size. My test DRIVe V50 Sportwagon returned 55.5mpg with ease and I'm sure on a longer run, particularly on motorways where its taller gearing will help, 70+mpg should be realistic. — David Miles

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