2005 Volvo Winter Test Drive: Quebec City, Canada: Event Overview

Introduction to the V50 AWD

With a starting price of around ten thousand less than the XC70, one would expect the V50 to be a much more Spartan vehicle when compared to its bigger brother. Generally speaking this was true, but with that said Volvo really has done an exceptional job of maintaining their trademark quality in touch and feel with the V50 as well.

Interior layout is very straightforward, with the center of attention being the aluminum console. Equipped with large, easy to use controls a sleek, easy reading LCD panel, and a handy storage space tucked in behind.

Volvo equipped the V50 with a more “technologically aggressive” electronics system. What I mean by that is the vehicle’s electronics are much more user-customizable settings than what we have in the XC70.

Now we’re not talking about something quite as in-depth as BMW’s much criticized I-Drive System... Instead, Volvo allows V50 owners to edit such things as seat heating ranges, audio equalization, lighting options and other settings which previously required a trip to the dealership.

I’m told Volvo decided to do this since the for the V50’s younger demographic target market than that of the XC70, is more adept at embracing more challenging aspects of new technologies. That said though, I’d expect a similar system to show up on XC70 within the next couple years.

Carrying on with the center console, unfortunately this beauty I speak of ends just behind the shifter with a seemingly awkward array of buttons and a pair of cup-holders. It’s quite a shame really as I think a more substantial design between the seats really would have improved the overall look and feel of the interior.

Moving onto the seats, our V50 AWD’s interior was upholstered with a relatively new material Volvo calls T-Tec, which is quite a nice alternative to traditional fabrics such as cloth and leather. It feels much more substantial and durable that normal fabrics while being very comfortable at the same time.
Subtle differences in quality are evident throughout the V50, from a slightly thinner steering wheel, to more lightly weighted buttons, no leather wrapping the shifter’s base, etcetera. Again, these aren’t major issues, but notable really only when compared directly to the more comfortable XC70.

DSTC Rocks!

I was a little concerned with all the scraping and jolting sounds coming from the front of the car while navigating the ice track, but was quickly reminded that this was the DSTC hard at work, rapidly braking and re-powering each wheel individually in an effort to keep us on track

So as you can see I have very high praises for DSTC. Problem is, you will likely have a very tough time finding a DSTC equipped Volvo at the dealer, and that’s a real tragedy. I talked to Jeff about this, and we derived that the primary reason for its unpopularity is that it’s an “invisible” feature. Though the system is comprised of some very real sensors, computers and mechanics, the sales issue is that buyer cannot see, hear or feel DSTC’s benefit without getting into a dangerous driving situation.

This will most certainly change as buyers become more educated as to the benefits and increased safety with DSTC equipped vehicles.

In doing some follow up research for this story, I recently spoke with Eric Duschene, Sales Manager at Volvo of North Vancouver. He agreed with the fact that DSTC sales can be a challenging sell at times, but also pointed out that for 2006 in Canada, it’s now available as part of the V50 AWD’s sport package. This, along with the fact that it's also available as part of the XC70's Adventure package, has helped increase exposure and overall sales of DSTC.

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