The Volvo V40 never proved compelling to Americans seeking a modicum of luxury and utility for just under $30,000, selling in low numbers to Volvo fans and safety-conscious consumers looking for a high-value alternative to wagons from Audi, BMW and Lexus. The new 2005 Volvo V50, quietly introduced at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy last December, should appeal to a wider demographic while retaining the traditional characteristics that the Volvo faithful find so irresistible. This new "active lifestyle sportswagon" will arrive in the U.S. near the end of the summer in 2004.

Constructed upon a platform shared with the redesigned European Ford Focus and the new Mazda 3, the 2005 Volvo V50 is endowed with class-leading safety systems, a powerful turbocharged engine option and the availability of all-wheel-drive, ensuring its stature as the premium model among its corporate cousins.

Exterior styling draws heavily from the handsome Volvo V70, with that model's strong shoulders, v-shaped hood and familiar Volvo face integrated nicely into the V50's smaller package. At the rear, Volvo's familiar D-pillar taillights are incorporated to provide a clear tie to Volvo wagons of years past. Turn signal indicators are located in both the side marker lights and the exterior mirrors to make it clear to other drivers the V50 driver's intentions. Bi-xenon headlights are optional.