Volvo’s often don’t rate highly on lists of desirable performance cars, much less a station wagon Volvo. But in the 90s, the usually conservative Swedish car company made a statement on the road and racetrack with the 850 T5 Sportwagon, tested in the January 1996 performance issue.
Don’t let the boxy dimensions, subtle exterior trim and executive cabin fool you. The 850 T5 was powered by a 2,3-litre turbocharged five cylinder motor that produced 166 kW at 5 200 r/min and 300 N.m of torque at 2 000 r/min. Torque was sent to the front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission.
Despite its mass (1 580 kg as tested) the 850 T5 managed to dispatch the 0-100 km/h sprint in 8,03 seconds and achieve a top speed of 238 m/h. Not bad for a vehicle that boasted 704 dm3 of luggage room, with up to 1 352 dm3 of utility space.
