WITH its less boxy lines, front-wheel drive and five-cylinder engines, the 850 was radical for a Volvo, especially as it replaced the venerable 240 that dated back to the 1967 144. Three well-equipped four-door sedans initially arrived - the 103kW 2.4-litre GLE and GLE SE and the 125kW 2.4-litre 20-valve GLT. All were four-speed autos. From October '93 the popular wagons (called Estate in Volvo-speak) variants were introduced. In October ’94 a base model 125kW SE sedan replaced the 103kW GLE SE sedan. A front-passenger and side airbags were included on all models from early ’95. From October ’95 Volvo introduced a number of trim and specification changes to the 850, while the base 103kW GLE became the 106kW S. Available briefly from September ’96 to early ’97, the part-time 4WD 850 AWD Estate was powered by a 142kW low-pressure turbo 20-valve five-cylinder engine.