Volvo 850

The Volvo 850 is a compact executive car that was manufactured by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars from 1991 to 1996. it was available in saloon and estate body styles. The 850 was the first front-wheel drive vehicle from Volvo to be sold in North America and also the first all-wheel drive Volvo. The range was replaced for 1997 by the Volvo S70 and Volvo V70. It was designed by Jan Wilsgaard. Its predecessor was Volvo 200 Series. The Volvo 850 was launched in Europe in June 1991, as a 1992 model year car. It was introduced with the slogan "A dynamic car with four unique innovations" which referred to the newly developed five cylinders transverse engine, the Delta-link rear axle, SIPS and the self-adjusting seatbelt reel for the front seats. Only the saloon was available, badged as 850 GLT and came with the 2.5L 20V engine.

In 1992, the 850 was brought to the United States as 1993 model becoming Volvo's first FWD car on the US market. The transmission is 5-speed Volvo M56 manual, 5-speed Volvo M58 manual, 5-speed Volvo M59 manual, 4-speed Aisin AW50-42L E automatic is available. The 850 saloon features an interior space of 2.80 cubic metres (99 cu ft). This is slightly more than the 2.78 cubic metres (98 cu ft) of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, even though the car is reasonably compact on the outside. This space is achieved by mounting the in-line 5-cylinder engine transversely under the hood. The 850 Turbo was introduced for the 1994 model year as was the new 2.5L 10V engine. A facelift with new bumpers front and rear, new headlights and indicators on the outside and new switchgear on the inside updated the car visually.