August 15, 2009
2009 Volvo V50 Performance
The 2009 Volvo V50 2.4i has a 2.4-liter 5 cylinder inline engine that produces a pedestrian-like 168hp and 170 lb-ft of torque, hardly what you would define as a sports wagon. This year it offers only the 5-speed automatic transmission, with the slow-selling manual not surprisingly dropped off the list this year. By contrast, the T5 R-Design really is a turbocharged sports wagon with 227hp and 236lb-ft of torque from its 2.5-liter 5 cylinder engine and can reach 60mph in a sprightly 6.7 seconds. This year the V50 T5 is only available as an AWD, which makes sense for a wagon that has to compete to some extent with the ever-popular SUVs. Both come in 5-speed automatic with Geartronic shift features.
