Last chance saloon - Two classy saloons with quality badges on the boot. But which is the one you should choose?

摘要

With the S{sub}40, Volvo "aimed to put the decorum back in motoring. Not for Volvo are truncated hatches with umpteen seat positions and a curry hook. That role had long been filled by the second family car anyway, and if you must venture to the tip then you fold the seats every which way in your Modus or Meriva. But when presented with more formal occasions, you want the gravity of a saloon. Trouble was, the price of an entry level 2.0 diesel was well over seventeen and a half grand. A mite too much perhaps, for a car based on the more humble Focus, even with its impeccable interior and surprising agility. The solution? Just stick Ford's 11obhp 1.6-litre diesel in there and charge over a grand less. Welcome to the people's Volvo.