Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £16,495 to £24,335
Spacious, smart image, well-built, AWD option, all the assets of the V70 in a scaled-down package.
Stiff clutch of T5, premium prices.
Not cheap, but excellent quality and a practical family vehicle.
Of course, the V50's safety credentials are impeccable, with side and full-length curtain airbags, five three-point seatbelts and headrests which automatically deploy to prevent whiplash injuries, as well as the rigid but impact-absorbing exterior structure.
It hasn't been through the NCAP crash tests yet, but its S40 sister model achieved the full five stars, along with four for child protection - an excellent result for those inside the car, though it did only get two for pedestrian protection. Volvo does extensive research into the outcome of real-life crashes, as well as making cars which perform well in laboratory simulations to meet the NCAP standards, and data from the real world also suggests that the Swedish company's approach is working.
Security-wise, laminated side windows are available as an option, and there are deadlocks, marked parts, an alarm and immobiliser all as standard. The innovative centre console also makes the stereo impossible to steal, should criminal elements get in. Volvo used not to allow users to switch off the front passenger airbag, claiming that they might forget to turn it on again, but now such a switch is available as an option so it's possible to carry a rear-facing baby seat in the front seat.
