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Volvo S50 Trademarked, Could It Be For a Four-Door Coupe?

As a rule of thumb, Volvo sport utility vehicles start with XC, coupes with C, and sedans with S. So when we heard that the Gothenburg-based automaker holds the right to use S50, we couldn’t help but wonder what sort of vehicle that may be.
Volvo 40.2 Concept 6 photos
Photo: Volvo
Volvo 40.2 ConceptVolvo 40.2 ConceptVolvo 40.2 ConceptVolvo 40.2 ConceptVolvo 40.2 Concept
Volvo enthusiast website SwedeSpeed broke the news first, and according to them, just about anything is on the cards. The biggest of question marks, however, comes in the form of segment. With the XC40 confirmed as a compact crossover and the compact executive S60 sedan, where does this all leave the S50 if Volvo were to go forward with such an addition to the range?

The “S” at the beginning is a clear testament four doors are in the offing, yet the closing “50” suggests the yet-unconfirmed model won’t be a conventional sedan. The most likely outcome is a coupe-ish take on the next-generation S40 sedan, an offspring of the Swedish automaker’s all-new Compact Modular Architecture.

Given its potential origin and body style, the Volvo S50 should square off with premium-oriented competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class and Audi A3 Sedan. Front-wheel-drive by nature and all-wheel-drive by choice, the company’s CMA is designed with electrification in mind. The year will be 2019 when the first-ever Volvo electric vehicle will hit dealer lots, although plug-in hybrid power is confirmed as well for the automaker’s small-sided platform.

When Volvo showcased the 40.1 Concept and 40.2 Concept (pictured) in May 2016, the company made it clear that the plug-in hybrid CMA powertrain will bear the name T5 Twin Engine and will combine a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo with a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic gearbox. Compared to the T8 Twin Engine in the 90 and 60 Series, the T5 Twin Engine is a front-wheel-drive powertrain.

From your point of view, would you consider the S50 more than a true coupe (i.e. C50)?
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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