The pinnacle of civility? That is reportedly someone with a terraced house, a Labrador and a Volvo station wagon. At least, until 1996, when Volvo introduced the V40 as its first lifestyle combination. The 40 became 50, the 50 became 60, while the 70 was still there. Within all that lifestyle violence, the V itself proudly stood up. Four Volvo enthusiasts put their V next to a brand new V60 to see if it can wear its V with pride. And whether the trunk is big enough for a Labrador.
The appearance of the Volvo V40 in 1996 caused quite a stir, because a Volvo station wagon with rounded shapes was as unheard of as what President Bill Clinton did to his intern that year. Until then, the only V you associated with Volvo was Vierkant. A Volvo station wagon was a collection of straight lines and angles, which resulted in an unprecedented load volume. He made his buyers brand loyal for life thanks to an unprecedented combination of ease of use, safety and engines that stoically gobbled up hundreds of thousands of miles. The new V, from Versatile, took some getting used to, as rounded shapes are pleasing to the eye, but don’t fool the inveterate Volvo driver: those curves detract from cargo space and therefore versatility. However, that was exactly the point: the brand wanted to attract a wider audience that looks beyond payload, safety and reliability. That is what a beautiful car wants, that makes you shine and that you are completely up to date, without giving up any of those old-fashioned core values. That’s why the V40, which you saw on every street corner shortly after its introduction. Of course we, the Dutch, were prejudiced, because the V40 was built at NedCar in Born, but if chauvinism was the only argument, we could also have gone massively with the Mitsubishi Carisma. However, we didn’t.
Successor V50, based on the Ford Focus and produced in Ghent, proved unabatedly popular, just like the V60 that jumped into the gap that the V50 left behind after 2012. With its hip design and relatively smallest load space, that V60 was perhaps the most lifestyle Volvo ever. Luckily for the purists there was still the V70, the big, square station wagon that originated in the legendary 850. Even though it got a bit rounder and hipper over the years, it remained big, square and stubborn enough to come around the circle. round – and Volvo a brand for everyone. That remained so when the V70 disappeared from view in 2016 and the new V60 and V90 took over. The new Volvos are widely praised for their beautiful design, which combines the hip that made the first V40 such a success with the squareness that has always characterized Volvo. And they lived happily ever after.
V40 (1996-2004)
“You should buy it, it’s good!” When Gijs Nonhof (22) wanted to travel through Europe, he took the purchase advice of his sister and brother-in-law to heart and bought a Volvo. “They are quite Volvo-minded,” says Gijs. He bought his 2000 V40 1.8 at an auction. “It only cost a few hundred bucks,” he grins. Good thing too, because the coronavirus put an end to the planned trip. That doesn’t mean it was wasted money. On the contrary, Gijs refurbished his V40 and already admits that he will be a Volvo enthusiast for the rest of his life. “It’s a nice car. Every time I walk away from it, I look back three times. It is also surprisingly fast, I can pull most Waves out easily. Good, because I have nothing to do with Volkswagens. And practical that such a Volvo is! I am a painter and I always take a lot of crates, tools and stairs with me. In my previous car, a Nissan Micra, that was a problem, but not in this one!” Gijs already paid more tax for his Volvo than the purchase cost him, and the more that tax bill increases, the more he will love his V40. “I’m very proud of it, even though my first plan was to travel with it and sell it somewhere along the way. Now I don’t even know if he’s going to leave. He will be inspected soon. If he gets through there without any nonsense, it will be here to stay. Or else? Then an S80 V8 would suit me.”
V50 (2004-2012)
Once a Volvo, always a Volvo. For many enthusiasts it goes like this, but not for Rudy Rozendaal (40). He was a convinced Toyota driver, and while he was more than happy with the proverbial Japanese reliability, he was not with the saltless design. So he allowed himself a trip to a Volvo V50. “A beautiful car and ideal in terms of space for a family with three children like ours”, is his verdict. “And a responsible bet, because Volvos are also super reliable.” Maybe so, but it wasn’t the V50 2.0D with which Rudy took his first steps on the Volvo path. It ended up smoking on the hard shoulder. “He ran amok because of a rising oil level, a well-known ailment. It was my first experience with reliable Volvos. I had to recover for a while.” The love for the model persisted, so Rudy was persuaded to give it a second try, this time a D5 from 2007. “This is the car I made the switch to Volvo for!” He chiptuned the already childish five-cylinder diesel, so that the power now fluctuates around 225 hp. “That was not my concern, I was mainly promised that this would make him more economical and that has been achieved. But that extra power is of course a nice bonus. And the couple, that’s just sickly fun.” Rudy fervently hopes that the government will not bully him out of his diesel in the future, because he is far from tired of his V50, despite the mileage of more than four tons. But a real enthusiast cannot be caught by one hole. “My wife has a company where she refurbishes furniture. Even the V50 is too small for that. On my advice she now drives a V70 Classic. That is also a five-cylinder, but with a lot of space. I think it’s fantastic to have such a real brick in front of the door. We lack nothing at home!”
V60 (2010-2018)
Ask Ron Dingemans (51) about the strengths of his 2014 Volvo V60 D4 Summum and he shrugs. “He just feels good.” That sobriety does not mean that he is not a lover of the Swedish brand. On the contrary, Ron swears by it. “I once had a Volkswagen Passat. The head gasket immediately broke. I didn’t know how soon I had to go back.” Ron’s Volvo career started in 2003 when he became self-employed and looked for a car that would give him a lot of mileage without exaggerating costs, but with a lot of comfort. Since then, he has mainly been addicted to the five-cylinder diesels. “They are incredibly reliable and you know that something really happens when you accelerate. All my Volvos have achieved high mileage without any problems. This V60 has only just run two tons, so it can last a while. I think it’s a nice car, especially in this color. It’s full of bells and whistles, which you never have to search for. That everything is in a logical place is also typical Volvo for me. Maybe it’s a bit too big now, because my daughters are grown, so space is a little less important now than it used to be. On the other hand, I am an avid cyclist and I notice an important difference with the three V70s I used to have and with the XC70, my previous car. You can cycle right in there, no problem at all. You will not succeed in this V60. So it is already a bit smaller than its predecessors. Is that lifestyle then?”
V70 (2008-2016)
Ronald Kolk (48) can’t help it, he just loves station wagons. And like so many people, he also thinks that no brand masters that concept better than Volvo. So he proudly drives a 2013 Twilight Bronze V70 D4 Summum, which he thinks is the end of the line. Previously, he drove many leased cars, especially from French brands, and was invariably disappointed by the poor finish and many electronic problems. Ronald promised himself a Volvo with three tons on the clock, which he bought as soon as his last lease contract expired. “I saw Volvos as safe, solid cars that you can use for a long time. I know it’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche that I like.” He drove his first V70 until half a million was on the clock. Then he said goodbye, because he saw a bronze-coloured V70 at the local dealer. The counter was then (three years ago) at only one and a half tons and now the three tons is already in sight. “I used to always want new, modern cars, but this V70 doesn’t feel like it’s eight years old. It seems like it wears less quickly than other cars. At least that’s how I feel.” Ronald drives a lot of long distances, including for his work for the national government. “I swear by diesel. The technology is reliable, the range is enormous and the consumption is excellent. My employer encourages the use of public transport, but because I have to be in remote places a lot, I have to rely on the car. We also have electric pool cars that I can use, but I prefer to drive my Volvo. I can defend that choice to anyone. Electric, I’m not ready for that yet.”
V60 (2018-present)
The best of both worlds. That is the second generation of the Volvo V60, which came on the market in 2018. It not only succeeds the first V60, but in everything except its name it is also the successor to the larger V70, which disappeared from the scene in 2016. And it shows: the new V60 combines the squareness of the Volvos of the past with contemporary design and technology. A combination that, judging by the number of V60s on the road, is popular with many people. Driving is flawless, with a buttery eight-speed automatic transmission and a steering feel that makes the large station wagon simply feel compact, and nice and lively too. Whether you have a mild hybrid or a plug-in hybrid under your rear, the two-litre turbo engine has plenty of punch in every variant, regardless of the electric assistance it gets. Volvo has also become very adept at gadgets: the V60 has all the usual extras, but also heated steering wheel, parking aid cameras with 360-degree view, a head-up display and a fantastic audio system. The mile-eater who has traditionally opted for Volvo has also been well served with the new V60. Gijs, Rudy, Ron and Ronald appreciate that very much, just like the enormous trunk space. In addition, they all discover in the new V60 both similarities and differences with their own Vs. “The longer I look, the more I think it resembles my V50,” says Rudy. Gijs can hardly believe his luck behind the wheel of the new V60 about so much style, luxury, gadgets and power. And while Ron is critical of the rear seat space, he also says honestly that he likes the ‘square’ line of the new V60 better than the more rounded shape of his own V60. Ronald calls the new V60 “the most beautiful station wagon of the moment”. He fervently hopes that Volvo will continue to build station wagons. Who knows, he might get his way. Because even though the station wagon seems to be a dying species in the midst of all crossovers and SUVs, the V60 proves that Volvo like no other brand is able to keep the station wagon relevant and alive. And that makes everyone happy. Also the labrador. 
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl