Ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2012 game between England and Sweden, we got to thinking about how their countries would fare if they were each to offer up a typical car with which to compete. Using five major points of comparison, we’re looking to find out which country comes out on top in something other than the football. We put up England’s Jaguar XF against the Volvo V70 in a bid to find out who will win this battle for European supremacy.
Performance While the V70’s engine places it firmly in the middle of the road, having sacrificed performance for practicality, the Jag’s very raison d’etre is top-quality performance. Winner: England Practicality
The Jag is a fine-looking car, but it does suffer from its simple lack of practical application. As a typically more family-oriented car, the Volvo is a lot more considerate when it comes to practical uses. Winner: Sweden
Styling/look The Volvo estate may have the edge when it comes to fitting in the kids and the shopping, but the XF is so much sleeker that driving one almost seems worth stranding the rest of the family for. This one is a close call thanks to recent developments that made the V70 in particular stand out. Winner: England (just)
Price Although more expensive, the Jag has the edge on this one; with a much bigger bang for your buck than the Volvo could offer. Its range of added features as standard places it head and shoulders above the Volvo. Winner: England Reliability You’d be hard-pressed to find a country that produces a more reliable car than Sweden. While the Jag is built for performance, the Volvo – and the V70 in particular – is built to be a solid and lasting car. Winner: Sweden
FINAL SCORE: ENGLAND 3-2 SWEDEN It’s not quite a game of two halves, but England takes victory.
