1999 Volvo S80 2.9 Sedan 4-door 2.9l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Volvo XC90 Inscription Interior Driveway Test | A lesson in minimalist luxury

We tend to love Volvo interiors. They’re beautiful, simple, inviting and a relaxing place to spend time in. Designers needed to get it right, too, because Volvo has applied the same styling and design language to every vehicle in its lineup. WeÂ’re focusing on the flagship today: the 2020 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription. Since our tester is the Inscription trim, that means itÂ’s the most luxurious version of the bunch (Momentum and R-Line are the two others). Some highlights include perforated Nappa leather seats, a “tailored dashboard,” Gray Ash Wood trim inlays and the Orrefors crystal shift knob.  Our car had the Charcoal interior scheme to play along nicely with the trim. The contrast between the light wood trim and gray stitching with the black leather is pleasing to the eye. Volvo uses a gratuitous but not overwhelming amount of piano black trim to bring some shine to the interior. ItÂ’s nice to see and touch on the buttons, but gets dirty quickly around the flat gear lever area where dust tends to collect. Much of the dash is left blank in a nod to minimalism. WeÂ’re left with a large nine-inch touchscreen oriented vertically in the center, just like every other Volvo on sale today. This is flanked by the center air vents. ThereÂ’s little to no styling going on with the vents, which seems like a missed opportunity. Regardless, we dig the layered and nicely-stitched dash that comes with the Inscription model. Also nestled into the dash is this crossoverÂ’s 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. ItÂ’s basic in its visuals, but plenty effective at conveying important car information. We like the more vibrant and customizable clusters from Mercedes-Benz and Audi a lot, but this one gets the job done and it isnÂ’t distracting in the least bit. Volvo has your back when it comes to comfort. Our tester has the Luxury Package, so itÂ’s equipped with massaging front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. Additionally, Volvo finishes the headliner in Nubuck, and the grab handles and visors get leather. Unlike everybody else, Volvo allows you to choose between three levels of heat for the steering wheel. ItÂ’s noticeable to our hands, and is great when you want to add a little heat into your fingers without being scalded. As for the massage, itÂ’s backrest only. We wish it was back and bottom, but at least the programs available for your back are soothing.

Volvo 850 T5 R pickup conversion is ready for a cool yule

There are plenty of ways to get your holiday tree home from the farm, but few are so classy as this Volvo 850 ute. Built in Sweden and shipped to Belgium, the car wears all of the necessary kit to pass as a 850R, and with a turbocharged 2.3-liter five cylinder under the hood, this creation should have no trouble dashing through the snow. Looks like a mighty fine use of an otherwise derelict Volvo wagon to us, though we have to imagine all that torque steer and no weight over the aft would make for all sorts of silliness once the roads went slick.
Still, if it were our Sawzall, we'd be happier with the keys to a certain BMW M5 utility in our pocket. Or, you know, the 3 Series conversion BMW whipped up not too long ago. You can head over to Autofans.be for a closer look at the 850 ute.

Junkyard Gem: 1994 Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon

Volvo began selling brick-shaped rear-wheel-drive station wagons in the United States with the 145 in the 1968 model year, continuing the tradition with the 200, 700 and 900 series wagons and all the way through the very last 1998 V90s. The benefits of front-wheel-drive proved impossible for those Goteborgers to resist, though, and so the 850 was developed. The 850 sedan first appeared in the United States as a 1993 model, with the wagon version following in 1994. Today's Junkyard Gem is one of those first-year 850 wagons, found in a Colorado Springs self-service yard recently. The 850 wasn't the first production Volvo with front-wheel-drive (the 1986 Volvo 480 beat it to European showrooms), but it was the first one available on our continent. The base 1994 Volvo 850 wagon for the U.S. market had a 2.4-liter DOHC straight-five rated at 168 horsepower and 162 pound-feet, but this car has the turbocharged version with its 222 horses and 221 pound-feet. American buyers of the 1994 Volvo 850 had the choice of a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Most took the automatic. This car is a loaded model with power sunroof and other goodies in addition to the slushbox, so its MSRP was $30,985 (about $66,194 in 2024 dollars). This was a bit less than a similarly equipped 960 wagon (which listed at $34,950, or $74,665 after inflation). The antiquated but reliable 240 wagon had been discontinued the year before, with the 740 wagon getting the axe the year before that). This car just made it past the 200,000-mile mark during its career on the road. That's respectable, though I've found discarded Volvos that made it beyond 400,000 miles (and one that got to 631,999). The interior looked pretty good before someone smashed all the windows. Perhaps vandalism sent a running car to this place. Someone was kind enough to write down the security code on the factory radio. Drive safely. For those of you who hate to commute but adore driving.