Creases that were a mainstay on Volvo cars such as the venerable 240 have been smoothed and rounded, but only to a certain point. The 850's nose is long and pointed, and the body is split by a wide black rub strip wrapping the entire vehicle. At 3255 pounds, it can't be considered a lightweight, but its additional crush-resistant structures, which dissipate crash loads across the entire passenger compartment, are worth the added weight. Our test car wore standard steel wheels with directional wheel covers and all-season tires.
Alloy wheels are optional.
The interior of the new 850 is large and roomy, with an upright dashboard and a clear path to the switchgear, and analog gauges which are easy to read. Our base model test vehicle came well-appointed with plenty of luxury features. Its large, comfortably firm front bucket seats provide exceptionally good support, and are covered in soft cloth upholstery. In back, there is room enough for three adults, even the center position, which is notoriously uncomfortable in other cars. It provides power across a wide range, with over 90 percent of its torque coming between 1700 and 6000 rpms.