First Impressions
The S40 and V50 range has always sat between two stools. Posher than a Focus, not quite a 3-Series. But, this year, it's registered a remarkable leap in sales, as has its sister saloon, the S40. Why? Volvo's worked out what it should be. It's out with the previous baffling array of trim lines, in with Ronseal-style logic.

If you like sporty stuff, go for R-Design. If you don't, SE-based trims step you up through engines and levels of luxury. It's the R-Design Sport that took our eye, looking good value in 2.0D guise at £20k. But there's more. You can also get Powershift, creating a well-equipped, £22,400 auto diesel Volvo estate.The canny out there will know that name already: no, the twin-clutch semi-auto isn't Volvo's. It's Ford's - this is the VW DSG-style six-speed also seen in the Focus the Volvo V50 is derived from. Introducing it here creates a fleet-friendly, low-emission self-shifter that is sure to delight fiercely loyal Volvo customers previously denied a two-pedal diesel.

R-Design is a bargain, in our eyes. It brings a bodykit that wouldn't shame a supersaloon; a BMW M3 is less outlandish, compared to lesser 3-Series, than this is relative to more prosaic V50s. it's so special, we had to check they hadn't sneaked in anything extra. So what if, in places, it's overblown. It's distinctive, and we love it.