Volvo broke the rules of its older design trends when it introduced the 850 sedan in 1991 and continued improvement with the 1993 station-wagon version.
The 850 was a sure step toward the front-wheel-drive systems for Volvo. Even though it wasn’t the first FWD car in the Swedish carmaker lineup, it showed its commitment to that trend and proved that it could do that all by itself. The 400 series was made together with some help from Renault, who was a front-wheel-drive specialist.

While the front of the car was carried over from the sedan version, the 850 Estate (or Sportswagon in the U.S.) was different from the B-pillar behind. Its flat and long roof was designed to provide a smooth airflow, while the tailgate was flat and vertical. The car proved to be very aerodynamically effective, and the carmaker used this body version in the BTCC (British Touring Car Championship). Volvo installed vertical taillights that flanked the wide liftgate at the back, making the vehicle easy to recognize in traffic and utterly different from its siblings.

Inside, Volvo improved again. It installed a 60/40 split-folding rear bench, not only the seatback. Thus, it could increase the trunk size from 793 liters (28 cu-ft) up to 1,585 liters (56 cu-ft). But that was not all. The front passenger’s seat was folding, increasing the loading length from tail to dashboard to 2.78 m (109.4 in).

Depending on the market, the 850 Estate featured diesel or gasoline engines. Volvo installed them transversely at the front, thus resulting in a roomier interior.