Volvo wagon big and sporty

By ALASTAIR SLOANE motoring editor

Volvo says the most distinctive and advanced feature of its new V50 sports wagon is its trendy interior and dashboard featuring an ultra-thin centre stack inspired by the latest premium hi-fi systems, with space behind for storage.

The new Volvo, the replacement for the V40, was unveiled at the Bologna motor show in Italy and will be the star of the Volvo stand at the Detroit show in January. It is expected to go on sale in New Zealand later next year.

The V50 typifies Volvo's modern exterior design with its rounded front profile and V-shaped bonnet swooping down the shoulders to the rear.

For added cool, a sports styling body kit will also be available.

"The emphasis is on attractive design and a sense of sportiness, with a bonus in the form of practical details and extra luggage space," says Volvo Cars President and CEO, Hans-Olov Olsson.

The design language and the equipment level in the new Volvo V50 take a step upward towards the larger estate model, the Volvo V70.

"The V50 is the result of a consistent design strategy, in which the Volvo character has been developed for each new model," says Henrik Otto, Volvo Cars design director.

"Our new sportswagon is indisputably a genuine Volvo, but at the same time, it has its own totally individual and distinct profile," says Otto.

The top of the control panel in the new centre stack is used to operate the audio system, integrated phone and navigation system. The lower half controls the temperature.

Behind the centre stack, there is storage for personal items, accessible from driver and passenger sides. The centre stack can be specified with different decor panels - aluminium, woodgrain or Iced Aqua with the most spectacular the transparent plastic Iced Aqua.

The visual effect is funky and high-tech as parts of the electronics and technology can be seen through it, says Volvo.

"The stack is the ultimate design symbol of this new car and represents a revolution in itself. A great deal of creativity and effort has gone into finding a technical solution for the super-slim format," said Guy Burgoyn, interior designer.

The new, bigger model is expected to come with a choice of four- or five-cylinder turbocharged engines. The premium model will be all-wheel-drive.