Though its sister model, the S40 sedan, earned good crash-test scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the wagon hasn't been crash tested. Unfortunately, differences in weight and construction mean we can't assume the same crash performance in the V50.

The wealth of standard safety features includes side-impact and side curtain airbags, all-disc antilock brakes, an electronic stability system with traction control and a tire pressure monitoring system. Advanced options include the Blind Spot Information System, which lights an indicator just inboard of either of the S40's side mirrors when a car occupies its corresponding blind spot.